New team-based sustainability programmes launched

On Monday 27 January the Univesity launched our new team-based sustainability programmes, Team Actions and LEAF. Staff can use these programmes to record and monitor their work to improve the environmental performance of their workplace/department throughout the year, building upon the wide-ranging activities already done in work to contribute to a more sustainable society.

The Team Actions platform is part of the University’s award winning 10,000 Actions portal and is open for staff based in an office. Teams complete actions online which are mapped against the Sustainable Development Goals and amongst other themes, contribute to the University’s commitment to become zero carbon by 2038 and eliminating avoidable single-use plastics by 2022.

LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) is a sector-wide framework available for staff based in a laboratory/workshop. LEAF contains criteria which lab users can implement around areas such as waste & recycling, equipment management. A key feature of LEAF is that it allows users to calculate savings and impact in pounds and carbon, enabling quantifiable baselines, targets, and measures to be developed.

Team Actions and LEAF are open from January 2020. Each year student volunteers are trained to audit the teams’ progress and award them either Bronze, Silver or Gold awards. This will culminate in an awards ceremony in Whitworth Hall in December where teams are recognised and rewarded for their efforts.

Staff that would like to take part in either programme should visit our Team Actions or LEAF pages.

For more information about either of these programmes please contact the Environmental Sustainability Team.