Published: 15 December 2022
St George’s has joined over 20 London Higher member institutions in signing a joint sustainability pledge. Through this, the University has committed to building upon the sustainability work underway across London HE and to working across the capital to reduce the environmental impact of HEIs, as well as proactively seeking to address the challenges of the climate emergency.
The pledge asks institutions to commit to six points including:
- joining the London Higher Sustainability Network
- providing data for a series of shared impact measurements
- participating wherever possible in collaborative initiatives and activities through the network
- committing to pan-London initiatives to tackle climate change through the Greater London Authority as anchor institutions within the capital, with wider local, national and international responsibilities.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Jenny Higham said: ‘It is really positive that St George’s has joined with other London Higher Education Institutions in signing this sustainability pledge. The climate crisis we are facing has wide-reaching implications for health for everyone. With our specialist focus, we should lead the agenda on health and climate. We have already started to work collaboratively with St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with whom we share our site, to achieve our ambitions.’
Professor Peter Whincup, Chair of the Environmental working group at St George’s said: ‘St George’s is committed to responding to the climate emergency by prioritising sustainability across all of our activities. Working with local Higher Education partners through the London Higher sustainability pledge will be an important next step in this process.’
Dr Sally Burtonshaw, Head of Policy at London Higher said: ‘The London Higher sustainability pledge has been developed to drive collective change around climate action, whilst also acknowledging the diversity of our membership and ensuring all institutions can come together to create pan-London impacts. The pledge provides us with a clear foundation upon which London HEIs can build their commitment to sustainability work and support our London Higher members to embed sustainability across their day-to-day operations.’
Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, London said: ‘It’s exciting news that some of the capital’s biggest organisations have now pledged to work together to support London’s ambitious net zero targets. Now is the time to deliver on the estate decarbonisation efforts that will save on bills, decarbonise our capital and ensure a trained workforce in green construction.’
For more information, see the pledge here.