Vision

Our vision for sustainability is to reduce carbon emissions, waste and water consumption, cultivate education and research for sustainability amongst stakeholders within and beyond the University and disseminate our good practices.

Guiding purpose and sustainability principles

The University of Bedfordshire has embedded sustainability in Transforming Bedfordshire, the University Strategy and its supporting strategies (2021-26). Our Sustainability Strategy defines how we will coordinate our strategic initiatives to build on our foundational achievements, support innovation and draw on best sector practices to enhance the sustainability of our operations and management, our education and research activities and our partnerships with local and regional organisations.

Our Sustainability Strategy is based on the following principles:

• Recognition of our institutional responsibilities regarding our estates and facilities to improve our environmental performance to reduce impact.
  
  
• Awareness that as an academic institution that impacts on students, staff, local and global communities and environments promoting sustainability is our responsibility to current and future generations and organisations, near and far.
  
  
• Understanding the imperative to ensure that our graduates have sound knowledge and understanding of sustainability and develop competencies that enable them to work in and shape organisations, entrepreneurship and communities in response to the uncertainty of environmental, climatic and social change.
  
  
• Recognition that by acting according to our University values we can model good practice and influence sustainable behaviours by showcasing and disseminating our achievements.
  
  
• Inclusion of representatives of staff, students and local partners in our Sustainability Steering Group to harness the perspectives and ideas of key stakeholders and create valuable internal and external partnerships.
  
  
• Consultation with the wider University community on our Sustainability Strategy to initiate and build stakeholder buy-in.
  
  
• Alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to provide a comprehensive international framework to position and articulate the contributions of our education and research activities, reveal the local and global nexus and evaluate our impacts.