September 2002
Research and Teaching

Improving Environmental Performance in Higher Education

The Universities of Bradford and Gloucestershire, Leeds Metropolitan University, and the Manchester Institute of Science and Technology have been awarded £96,000 to improve the environmental performance of Higher Education institutions.

The two-year project, led by Bradford, has been funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and involves collaborations with Yorkshire Universities and the Joint Procurement Policy and Strategy Group. Entitled 'Higher Education - Environmental Performance Improvement' (HEEPI), the project also has close links with the Association of University Directors of Estates.

Left to right: Director of Estates and Facilities Colin Faitweather, Ancillary Services Manager Sue Robinson, Purchasing Officer Louisa Tejeda, project Co-ordinator Adam Van Winsum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Grace Alderson, and Ancillary Services Assistant Manager Simon Duarri.

The project's Director, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Management at the University of Bradford Dr Peter Hopkinson, said: "Experience in the private sector demonstrates that environmental improvement requires motivated and trained staff who are armed with good data about how their organisation and its units are performing compared to others.

"Higher Education has many good people trying to drive environmental change, but they are sometimes handicapped by a lack of power and/or information. We hope that this project will help to change this situation."

The project will establish benchmarking schemes and enhance the change skills of key professionals in estates and procurement.

The project will:

• Compare the energy and water consumption of specific types of buildings, such as libraries or laboratories, within Higher Education institutions
• Run events, such as 'Making a Better Business Case for Environmental Improvement'
• Develop indicators for transport and waste, which are not currently covered in HEFCE's Key Estates Statistics.

For further information on the HEEPI project log on to www.heepi.org.uk or telephone Peter on 01274 (23)4235.

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