The Sustainability and Environment team is responsible for driving the university's sustainability agenda, managing our environmental compliance obligations, and empowering the Herts community to make sustainable choices.
The Environmental Sustainability team is based in Estates and is made up of an engagement co-ordinator (Jess Money), Environmental Management Support (Kenneth Yeung) and a Senior Environment and Sustainability Adviser (Nanna Blomquist). We work with all things sustainability, from energy, waste, and carbon emissions to engagement, education, and events. We take a holistic and embedded approach, meaning that we invite all staff, students, and partners across the university to get involved and help us achieve our sustainability goals.
Our aims and objectives are based on our identified impact areas and delivered through 4 pathways as can be seen below.
Our commitments to environmental protection include pledging to be Net Zero by 2050 and to become a Nature Positive University. You can read more about our environmental sustainability approach on the UH website.
The student voice is an integral part of our sustainability strategy, and we have student representation at many of our working and committee groups such as Engagement, Waste, and Biodiversity. If you would like to get involved, please see the How To Get Involved page, or email sustainable@herts.ac.uk.
Below you can find examples of some of the things that we have done and offer.
News
- We celebrated SustFest 2023!
We organised a campus litter, community litter pick and nature photo competition as part of the campaign. We also joined other SustFest events put on by the local community including Growing the GreenHouse, Folly Lane Allotment tour and Peregrine watch.
- Take a look at what we've been up to this Spring!
- We ran a No Mow May campaign on campus and encouraged staff and students to do the same at home, to allow wildflowers and pollinators to thrive.
- We collaborated with the LGBT+ society on a foraging walk and creative workshop led by Queer As Funghi, exploring the queerness of nature.
- Our team was nominated for the SU x UH Partnership Award!
- Great news! University of Hertfordshire has achieved Hedgehog Friendly Campus Silver Accreditation! Thank you for all your efforts
- We found hedgehog footprints at Herts!
We received training from Hedgehog Friendly Campus on how to conduct tunnel surveys during the last week of April. 6 students helped us carry out these surveys over 5 consecutive nights to identify whether any hedgehog footprints were present. We had placed 4 tunnels on CL and 3 on DH. We identified hedgehog footprints in one tunnel, the one positioned beside the nursery on CL. Hedgehog prints were found there 3 out of the 5 days. We will continue to carry out regular litter picks to keep Herts Hedgehog Friendly.
- During the week leading up to Earth Day on the 22nd April we organised a campaign week to celebrate our Earth and learn how to protect it 🌍 Events included hedgehog pom-pom making with our chaplain Fiona, a quiz night, a film night, a litter pick, a biodiversity walk and an Earth Day Pledge Prize Draw to win some ethical chocolate!
- We celebrated Go Green Week from the 6th-10th March!
Different teams from across the university put on sustainability events including a film and quiz night, a debate, career talks, a gardening session, nature walk, a clothing upcycling event, a giveaway day to name a few.
