Sustainability

The strategy focuses on these ten priority areas:

• Research - Increase research and engagement in environmental sustainability.
• Curriculum - Offer all students the opportunity to study environmental sustainability, either within or outside the examined curriculum.
• Carbon emissions from University buildings - Reduce carbon emissions related to our energy consumption to a minimal level.
• Biodiversity - Identify and address the University’s principal biodiversity impacts through its operations and supply chain, and enhance biodiversity on the University’s estate.
• Sustainable food - Reduce the carbon emissions and biodiversity impact of our food.
• Sustainable resource use - Reduce the environmental impacts of our consumption and supply chain.
• International travel - Reduce aviation emissions from University staff and student travel and offset the balance of emissions.
• Local travel - Limit transport emissions by reducing the need to travel, encouraging walking, cycling and the use of public transport and managing the demand to travel by car.
• Investments - Ensure that the University, as an investor, is part of the solution to climate change and biodiversity loss.
• Learning from the pandemic - Build on the experience of the pandemic and the potential shift to more environmentally sustainable working practices.

The strategy is underpinned by the following four ‘enablers’:

• Governance - Embedding environmental sustainability in the University’s governance and decision-making;
  • The Environmental Sustainability Subcommittee, established in 2021 as a subcommittee of the Planning and Resource Allocation Committee (PRAC), is chaired by Dr David Prout, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) and has representatives from across the University and student body. The Subcommittee holds overall responsibility for environmental sustainability at the University.
• Reporting - Developing a system of annual reporting of carbon emissions and biodiversity impact within the first twelve months, which will be published in the University of Oxford’s Annual Review and financial accounts;
• Funding - Establishing the Oxford Sustainability Fund, making £200 million available for sustainability initiatives over the next 15 years, to finance the programme of action required to reach net zero carbon and biodiversity net gain by 2035;
• Offsetting - Establishing a policy to guide our use of carbon offsetting and biodiversity offsetting.

Download the Environmental Sustainability Strategy 

Strategy Development Process: 

• VC's Oration October 2019
• Sustainability Roundtable November 2019
• Working Group meets monthly
• Consultation with staff and students April 2020
• Revisions based on consultation
• Business Case and enabling policies developed
• Draft Strategy consulted on October 2020
• University Committees
• Council approval of the Strategy 15 March 2021

1. Reduce your transport impact – Could you cycle or walk all or part of your commute? Visit the Travel website to learn how the University can support you. Planning to travel for business overseas? Check out our Travel Policy
2. Save energy in the office and at home – Switch off appliances at the socket and turn off lights when not in use. Dress appropriately for the season; reducing your heating by just one degree can save up to 8% of energy! Only boil as much water as you need, and visit our Be Energy Friendly page for more tips like these!
3. Use resources more sustainably – When buying goods or services, consider the environmental effects they will have throughout their life. On the University’s preferred supplier list, you can see the items that are more sustainable.
4. Eat sustainably – Why not choose a plant-based diet two or three times a week, and switch to drinking tap water instead of bottled?
5. Reduce, reuse, recycle – Think about how things will be disposed of before you buy them, and use WARPit for second-hand items within the University. None of our waste goes to landfill, but a large percentage of it is used to produce energy. Consider our waste hierarchy and follow the A-Z of recycling.