University's 'green' initiatives under the spotlight

From planting a wildlife meadow and rolling out recycling programmes to cutting emissions and developing 'green' travel plans, the University of Aberdeen's pioneering work in sustainability and higher education will be under the spotlight at a major conference in London tomorrow (Wed 11th).

Principal C Duncan Rice will join fellow principals and Education Secretary Charles Clarke to address the conference "Sustainability Learning in Action" and to highlight the University's many 'green' initiatives which are now underway.

For the past three years, 18 universities and colleges have been developing green buildings, cutting emissions and improving the curriculum to encompass the sustainability literacy essential for British business success in the future as part of the Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability (HEPS) with the charity Forum for the Future. Tomorrow, Principal Rice will participate in a panel discussion to highlight how Aberdeen has led the way in sustainable initiatives and what institutions have learnt and achieved from the HEPS initiative.

"Whether it is our research on the environment, on renewable energy or on ecology, universities are at the forefront of advancing knowledge on sustainability," said Principal Rice. "The students who we teach are the leaders of tomorrow, who we can help take with them to the wider world a better understanding of sustainability. These initiatives have fostered a greater awareness and acceptance of sustainability issues throughout the University community."

Under the leadership of the University's Vice Principal Professor Dominic Houlihan, the University has introduced several initiatives, to encourage:

· an increase in the University's recycling efforts;

· the production of a green transport plan;

· the reduction of energy and water use;

· the development and marketing of courses with an environmental or sustainable element to them; and

· the development of a sustainable purchasing policy.

The contribution that higher education can make to sustainable development in the UK is hard to overstate. As well as being major businesses, colleges and universities produce decision makers and have to meet the growing demand for sustainability literate graduates.