Around Campus

We support a number of academic biodiversity initiatives.

Our campus is home to a range of plant and animal species and hosts an array of student, academic and community initiatives that seek to promote and preserve biodiversity.

From bat and bird boxes to schools engagement activity; from student growing projects to community links through the Friends of Cruickshank Gardens, there are a range of initiatives to support biodiversity.

• Aberdeen Biodiversity Centre
• Cruickshank Botanic Garden

Please see also the Biodiversity section of our Environmental Sustainability Policy.

Our new build and refurbishment projects reflect the institutional commitment to sustainability.

Sustainable Buildings

The Sustainable Buildings section of the Environmental Sustainability Policy sets out the University's commitments to sustainability in the context of campus development, whether it be refurbishment or new build.

These commitment were initially exemplified in our Sir Duncan Rice Library and the Suttie Centre both of which secured BREEAM 'Excellent' ratings and were recognised nationally. Our projects have reinforced these commitments by embedding technologies such as micro-renewables (e.g. solar panels on our SDRL and on residential blocks at Hillhead) and other sustainability initiatives such as rainwater harvesting (e.g. our SDRL and Rocking Horse Nursery).

Most notably these include the completion of our Green Gown award winning Passivhaus 'Rocking Horse Nursery' (our on-campus pre-school childcare facility for staff and students). Meanwhile, our new Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health building is on target to secure an 'Outstanding' in the BREEAM methodology and was shortlisted for a 2015 BREEAM award.

Links to articles on these projects can be found below:

• Suttie Centre (Teaching and Learning in Healthcare)
• Sir Duncan Rice Library
• Rocking Horse Nursery
• Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health

Further information on the work of the Estates Projects team can be found here.

As part of our Aberdeen 2040 strategy, the University has committed to being net-zero before 2040, with an interim target of a 25% reduction of Scope 1 & 2 related emissions by 2025 articulated in the accompanying implementation plan. We are in the process of developing a programme of projects linked to heating and energy use to deliver on that ambition, with further interim targets to be set, including for Scope 3 emissions. 

Prior to the net-zero commitment made in Aberdeen 2040, our previous Carbon Management Plan (CMP) had outlined the commitments and projects we had identified to reduce our carbon footprint. Details of that 2016-2021 CMP can be found here. It identified an array of projects to improve energy efficiency across campus and progress against the plan was positive, with reductions exceeding the 20% target within the first two years.

As with much of the sector, the simultaneous expansion of campuses, coupled with demands for energy intensive equipment are a constant challenge. Despite these challenges, incremental improvements have helped to keep emissions in check and improve energy efficiency. These include:

• the campus wide installation of PC energy management software;
• the installation of solar panels at Hillhead, our main student residence;
• the completion of an impressively energy-efficient shared data centre that serves all of the region's tertiary education providers;
• widespread window replacement, insulation programmes, and proximity sensors on lights;
• the gradual replacement of less energy efficient bulbs with LEDs;
• the completion of our award-winning Passivhaus Nursery building;
• recalibration of our Combined Heat and Power engine resulting in significant energy savings.

Yet for every successful initiative, demands for new equipment or new or refurbished buildings mean the work to embed energy efficiency in all that we do continues.

One of the ways the University is using to engage our staff and students is through the use of Climate and Sustainability Assemblies. Globally, nationally and locally, there is a growing movement to include communities in policy making through assemblies that discuss issues such as climate change.  This participatory approach actively involves people and communities in decision making and generates new ideas for action on sustainability. 

The University aims to run one or two assemblies each academic year on different topics related to sustainability. These forums will gather staff and student feedback that will in turn shape policy and action in support of a greener, more sustainable future for the University.  

Biodiversity

Our first assembly focussed on Becoming a Nature-Positive University and was held on 15th March 2023. It explored how we can make our campus a greener, more inviting place for people and nature. The outputs of the assembly have been considered by the Sustainable Development Committee and will now be used to inform the development of a new biodiversity policy and biodiversity action plan.

The report of that first assembly can be found here.  

Laboratories

Our second assembly focussed on the issue of Sustainable Laboratories and took place on 4 October 2023. We heard from two inspiring visiting speakers before colleagues from lab-based disciplines across the University workshoped issues including procurement, LEAF accreditation, single-use plastics, equipment sharing, and improved recycling.

The report of the Green Labs assembly can be found here.

Future Events

Further topics are being considered and the next Assembly should take place in the autumn of 2024.

We are working to reduce our energy consumption and to improve energy efficiency, helping reduce CO2 emissions and operational costs.

Energy Use and Energy Efficiency

The University's electricity and gas consumption is equivalent to that of a small town. It is, therefore, essential that we seek to improve our energy efficiency, use energy from renewable sources where possible, and reduce our emissions from energy use.

Energy related queries can be directed to our Energy Manager or phone 01224 273266.

We support the sector-wide commitment to sustainable procurement.

The University's Procurement Team is based in the Directorate of Finance and we can be contacted at procurement@abdn.ac.uk or visit our webpage.

The team oversees purchasing activity and manages contracts used across the University for items from paper to vehicles. They also provide a full range of central tendering services and ensure that procurement remains compliant with our own regulations and national legislation.

We recognise the growing role of procurement as a driver of sustainability performance and are investigating ways to work internally and across the sector to ensure procurement activity supports sustainability objectives.

We are delighted to have been part of the Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges (APUC) working group on Sustainable Procurement that has introduced a Supply Chain Policy and Code of Conduct.

Procurement Emissions Summary

We welcome the work of APUC in providing all universities in Scotland with an estimate of their greenhouse gas emissions from procurement activity. These reports were first produced for the sector in 2012/13 and they provide a high-level estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions from the sector's wider procurement of goods and services. Emissions derived from those aspects of activity generally included in institutional climate change and carbon reporting returns are excluded e.g. energy, waste and transport.

The principal findings of that exercise are included below:

Modern Slavery Statement

The University's Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern slavery Act 2015.

It is designed to demonstrate our commitment to the Modern Slavery Act 2015, (and specifically to section 54 (1)), and the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 by informing our students, staff, partners and the public about the University of Aberdeen and its policy with respect to modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and bonded labour and labour rights violations in its supply chains.

Electronics Watch

The University of Aberdeen Procurement Team worked with the AUSA and became a founding member of Electronics Watch in 2015, an independent organisation that works to ensure good working conditions in factories providing goods bought by public sector members. We regularly provide reports to them of ICT equipment we buy and where they are produced. Electronics Watch works with civil society organisations in the countries where the factories are located to monitor working conditions.

In early 2017 following a proposal from the University of Aberdeen, the Procurement Strategy Group for Scottish Universities and the Procurement Strategy Group for Scottish Colleges, unanimously agreed to add their collective weight to a call for all institutions to obtain membership of Electronics Watch via a collective arrangement organised and managed by APUC (Advanced Procurement for Universities and Colleges), their Centre of Procurement Expertise.

It is understood that Scotland is the first country in the World where all the Universities and Colleges in a country (or indeed all organisations within an entire sector of any type) will be members of Electronics Watch.

The Sustainability team in Estates & Facilities has developed an e-learning module that is designed to give all staff  (and in a future edition, students) an overview of sustainability issues, their national and international context, why the University must take them seriously, and some ideas for how to embed sustainability in your day-to-day roles.

The module contains information on the local and global context of climate change, our institutional emissions profile, and commentary on key sustainability challenges in areas like procurement, travel and energy, as well as more besides.

The aim is to include the module as part of the induction programme for new staff, but we'd encourage ALL staff to work through the module as there's something for everyone there. We’d also welcome feedback by way of beta testing to ensure it is being pitchaed at the right level. Scores in the knowledge checks aren’t being tracked at this stage as its intended as an awareness raising tool rather than as a ‘test’. The module takes 45-60 minutes to work through.

The module can be found on the University’s training pages here Sustainability E-Learning Module and any feedback you have can be sent to sustainability@abdn.ac.uk.

Through collaborative initiatives and the pursuit of technological efficiency we work to ensure our IT systems support sustainability goals.

The use of ever more energy efficient technology and the need to consider sustainability in all IT procurement decisions have been established as priorities under a commitment to "Deliver Greener IT", one of the six strategic aims of the IT Services Strategic Plan 2012-2016.

Our Sustainable Travel Plan aims to reduce the impact of staff, student and visitor travel by encouraging alternative travel methods including active travel (e.g. walking & cycling) or using public transport (e.g. the free inter-campus bus service).

Transport and Travel Planning

As one of the largest employers in the North-East of Scotland, and with a sizable student population, the University recognises that it has a significant impact on the region’s transport network through both the conduct of its activities and commuting associated with study and work.

Transport related queries can be directed to our Facilities Manager (Transport & Waste) or phone 01224 272254.

We aim to reduce the volume of waste we produce and to encourage reuse and recycling.

Waste Management

As part of our effort to make efficient use of resources, we aim to embed waste management into corporate policies and processes and to adopt the principles of the waste hierarchy - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.

Our aims are to reduce the volume of waste generated in the first place and the volume sent to landfill, while improving reuse and recycling rates.

Waste related queries can be directed to our Facilities Manager - Transport & Waste or phone 01224 272254.

The University recognises that water is a valuable resource. Managing and reducing water consumption is part of a rounded approach to resource efficiency. The University is committed to reducing water usage in order to secure both environmental benefits and to minimise the impact of water usage costs.

Reporting: We actively monitor the volume of water we use, compiling metered consumption data annually and publishing our water usage as part of our Public Bodies Climate Change Duty reporting.

Targets: We aim to reduce water usage and improve water efficiency. Our Environmental Sustainability Policy outlines a target to reduce wayter use year-on-year.

Drinking Water: We have installed plumbed in water supplies at facilities across campus, providing free drinking water for staff, student and visitor use. 

Regulation: Our use of water is covered under the regulations and byelaws imposed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Water.