Every year the Environment Team gains a new Sustainability Intern whose position lasts for a year. This internship provides the incredible opportunity to work for the University of St Andrews Estates Environment Team, helping to support, develop and implement the sustainability agenda across the campus. Over a series of blogs we have invited some of our interns to answer a few questions about their time as Sustainability Intern and what they have being doing since finishing the position. Meet Lindsay Mackay who was with the Environment Team from 2016 -2017, and whom we spoke with in late January. 

What was your favourite part of your role as Sustainability Officer?

This is a really tough question. If I could I would say the whole job, but I don’t think that would be particularly interesting. My overall favourite part of the role was the fact that it allowed me to work with some fantastic people across the university. As a student in St Andrews I severely under estimated the amount of work that goes into making the university the fantastic place that it is. I know this might sound a little bit obvious, but the amount of work that I was fortunate enough to be exposed to, and the number of dedicated people who are passionate about the university and the students that study there, really overwhelmed me. It was a great privilege! I also loved the engagement and training that I did with students and staff. This part of the role allowed me to utilise my creative side whilst combining those skills with my passion for sustainability. 

Was there a particular highlight of your year within the Environment Team?

The biggest highlight for me of the year within this position (apart from meeting so many fantastic people!) was finishing the Environmental Facilitator training module for staff members. This module is open to any staff member within the university who is interested in the environment and how they, and their department, can be more sustainable. This required a huge amount of work and time, but it provided great insight into many different areas of the university and the work that is going on behind the scenes to embed sustainability throughout the whole institution. 

Do you think you were particularly sustainable before the role? How did your attitudes to the environment and your own behaviours change over the year?

Having studied Sustainable Development as part of my degree in St Andrews I knew the effects that humans are having on our precious world, but I wasn’t 100% practicing what I was being taught. Over the past two years, through my work experience and personal research, my eyes have been opened to the true impacts of mankind on our environment, and that has really challenged me. Before this position I did things including, cycling or walking to work, recycling and trying to reduce food waste as much as possible. Now I’m focusing on how I can be more of a responsible consumer through the things I buy and reducing how much I purchase. My role at the university also inspired me to pursue a career within the sustainability sector and I’m so thankful for the experience I had and all that was given to me. My one regret is that I didn’t get involved with groups including Transition during my undergraduate career and I would strongly encourage anyone to join the fantastic and inspiring community of people that Transition is! 

Tell us what you have been up to since finishing your position as Sustainability Intern!

Since finishing my position in St Andrews I have moved to London! A rather big change going from a small harbour town to one of the largest capitals in the world! I am now working for a company called JLL as a Sustainability Analyst within the Upstream Sustainability Services team. We work closely with clients (mainly within the property sector) to become more sustainable in their businesses across a wide range of environmental, social and economic topics. We aim to help our clients achieve their sustainability vision for their business, and to help them pursue ambitious and sector leading targets. I am loving the position and have learnt so much over the past 4 months that I have been apart of the team, and I’m looking forward to seeing what 2018 holds!

Any green New Year resolutions?

Over the latter end of this year I have been doing a lot of reading around sustainability within the fashion industry and the social, economic and environmental issues that run throughout supply chains. One of my New Years resolutions will be to buy more sustainable clothing from ethical companies who strive for transparent supply chains so I know that my money is going where I want it to go, and not fuelling issues like slave labour. Another New Years resolution is to reduce the amount of packaging I purchase and use, and to use my keep cup for coffee whenever possible! 

Monday saw the start of the annual Fairtrade Fortnight – a festival originating with the Fairtrade Foundation. University of St Andrews has been a Fairtrade University since 2007 and as such partakes in the celebrations at the end of February and beginning of March every year.

The 2018 Fairtrade Fortnight runs from Feb 26^th until Mar 11^th and University of St Andrews’ Environment Team, along with a few student societies and Transition, have an extensive programme of events open to both staff and students, as well as to the public.

What does Fairtrade actually mean?

Fairtrade comprises of “social, economic and environmental standards that are set for both companies and the farmers and workers who grow the food we love. For farmers and workers the standards include protection of workers’ rights and the environment, for companies they include the payment of the Fairtrade Minimum Price and an additional Fairtrade Premium to invest in business or community projects of the community’s choice.” (faitrtrade.org.uk)

Fairtrade, as a certification body, conducts independent audits, ensuring those standards are met along a product’s supply chain. When all of the ingredients that can be Fairtrade in a given product are confirmed to comply with standards (e.g. sugar and cacao powder in chocolate chip cookies), the product is issued the FAIRTRADE Mark – a logo widely recognised by consumers, which signals the product’s sustainability credentials.

In previous posts we have covered Fairtrade in much detail, and if you would like to learn more about the cause and certification criteria, have a read through our blog posts or visit the Fairtrade Foundation website.

Fairtrade in action

University of St Andrews continues to expand its fairtrade product range and 2017 saw the introduction of fairtrade bananas across campus. Currently 100% of bananas, sugar, coffee and hot chocolate, served on campus are fairtrade-certified, with 100% of tea, served in student accommodation and sold in University-owned retail outlets, also fairtrade certified. Our chefs are constantly experiment with different fairtrade ingredients such as rice in order to find the best fit for needs of such a large institution as ours.

What events can I attend this year?

A few of the events we have lined up for the first week of Fairtrade Fortnight include:

• A Fairtrade Tea and Coffee afternoon – Wednesday (Feb 28^th), 4:30 – 6pm, Byre Theatre. This is a LiftShare Meet & Greet event – promoting the University’s car sharing scheme – and if you are in need of some caffeine and would like to learn more about LiftShare, stop by and don’t worry about staying for the whole event as it is a drop-in session!
• Another exciting event happening in the Byre is the screening of the documentary ‘The Chocolate Case’ – A group of journalists become aware of child slavery in the cocoa industry and, since slavery is a crime, they idea is to get convicted for eating chocolate. When the big companies refuse to cooperate by producing a slave-free chocolate bar, the team decides to do accept the challenge and make their own. If you are curious to see how well they managed and would like to try the slave-free chocolate bar, head over to the Byre Theatre on Friday (March 2^nd) at 6pm. This is a FREE ticketed event and you can get your ticket either at the door, or pre-book online at https://byretheatre.com/events/the-chocolate-case/.
• Thirdly, we have a Fairtrade Vegan Bake-off taking place in the Mansfield building on Sunday (March 4^th). You can enter the competition or simply attend and enjoy the finished result. We still have a few spaces left for competition entries and VegSoc are offering a prize for the winner (for more information, contact VegSoc directly). Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite.

We have many more events planned for you, most of which are FREE and include fairtrade goodies GIVEAWAYs, so please check out the event programme below!

Links to Facebook events:

SKILLSHARE: BANANA PEEL CAKE*

TALK BY SCOTTISH FAIRTRADE FORUM & MZUZU COFFEE PRODUCERS*

LIFTSHARE MEET & GREET*

THE CHOCOLATE CASE FILM SCREENING*

VEGSOC FAIRTRADE BAKEOFF

DIRECT TRADE VS FAIRTRADE: DISCUSSION & COFFEE TASTING

SKILLSHARE: CHOCOLATE NESTS MAKING*

THE DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE FILM SCREENING *

All events tagged with a star (*) are free of charge and will be accompanied by a fairtrade chocolate giveaway!

[1] Source: fairtrade.org.uk/Get-Involved/In-your-community/Universities

With the academic year fast approaching we are excited to welcome a new cohort of students to University of St Andrews. It could be overwhelming for some when moving to a new place and learning your way around town. This is why as a recent graduate our sustainability intern, Mariya Simeonova, is here to offer some advice about how you can foster a low-carbon way of living as soon as you arrive in St Andrews.

Hello and welcome, class of 2021! I know you must be equal parts excited and terrified about starting this new chapter of your life, and I would try to ease the load a bit by providing you with some handy and very concise information about everything sustainable in St Andrews.

Grocery Shopping and Cooking

Many of you will be in catered halls, however, in case of getting tired of take-aways on weekend nights, here are some tips for grocery shopping and food preparation.

Most grocery shops in town offer a variety of organic, and fairtrade products at affordable prices, so you are spoiled for choice. There also are many locally-owned shops offering regional and local food with minimal packaging, resulting in a lower carbon footprint. Further, Transition University of St Andrews runs a non-profit online and pop-up shop for affordable local, organic and fairtrade produce called The Tree, so make sure to check their website.

When it comes to food preparation, chopping the produce into small pieces, allows for a faster cooking process and less energy consumption. Transition also offer various Skillshare events on how to cook and prepare food staples such as bread, chocolate and hummus, which you would otherwise buy from the store with all the packaging they come in.

Travel

Moving on to the topic of commute, most University halls and buildings are within a walking distance from each other and the town centre. Yet, if you are based at DRA or Albany Park, you might be tempted every once in a while to call a taxi. Yet, there are so many cheaper and more sustainable options for you to consider.

Walking

Walking is not only a great exercise but it also stimulates creativity and mindfulness. Plus the beautiful wildlife and architecture you come across when exploring St Andrews on foot is worth the walk! If you live in DRA for example and would like to do some grocery shopping, why not take a short cut through Lade Braes and head over to Aldi, Morrison or M&S?

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to travel carbon-free, and we work hard on ever-improving the cycling infrastructure in and around St Andrews. You can purchase a bicycle at some of the bike sales organised during Freshers’ Week, and cycling lights and robust bike locks can be found at a cost-price form the University Shop – just go in and ask for them as they are not on display. And if you miss the bike sale at the beginning of the academic year, fear not! Transition runs a bike hire scheme, lending bicycles equipped with everything you might need.

Longer distance

If you would like to explore North-East Fife or even further, why not take advantage of your student discount and buy a week pass for public transport. The bus station is very central, the route network is good and you get free WiFi on board! And, in case you need to travel further afield, Leuchars railway station is just 20 minutes away by bus.

Electric vehicles

Our university has partnered with E-car to create our very own car club! If you want to explore a route,not serviced by public transport, are moving house, or need a car for any other reason, we’ve got you covered! Our car club has a fleet of ten all-electric vehicles and a network of charging stations across campus, all at your disposal for an affordable price.

How to get involved

There is such a wide variety of environmentally-themed student societies and local organisation, that we even have our very own Green Fayre at the start of Fresher’s Week. If you would like to meet our team and the rest of the ‘green’ societies and organisations, on Monday 11th September come along to the lawn, located between the University Library and the International Relations Building. There will be lots of friendly people to meet and chat with, live music, lots of freebies and maybe even some delicious food!

In conclusion…

For the purpose of brevity, this post doesn’t even begin to cover all the sustainable initiatives taking place across campus and the opportunities and amenities you have at your disposal. Hopefully I didn’t overwhelm you and will get the chance to chat about sustainability with some of you at Green Fayre!

This week the Environment Team welcomed their new Sustainability Intern, Mariya Simeonova, to the team.

Mariya recently graduated from the University of St Andrews with Geography and Management (BSc JH). She is looking forward to taking over and developing the projects that Lindsey Mackay, the previous Sustainability Intern, has been working hard on over the past year. Having spent four years studying about sustainability and environmental management, Mariya is keen to apply that knowledge to her new role and contribute to the University’s sustainability agenda.

Over the next year, Mariya will be concentrating on outreach and engagement with the student community, university staff and local residents. Mariya’s main role consist in collaborating with university departments and units on sustainability initiatives such as the Environmental Facilitators Network, Fairtrade and the annual Travel Survey. Further, she will be working alongside Transition and student societies to deliver a calendar of environmentally-themed events including Green Fayre, Green Week and Fairtrade Fortnight.

She will also support the other members of the team: David Stutchfield (Sustainability Manager) and Barbara Aitken (Environment Officer) on their projects and the development of the university’s wider sustainability agenda.

You can stay up to date with what the Environment Team are working on through their Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram.

If you would like to get in contact with Mariya directly please don’t hesitate to send her an email at mps5@st-andrews.ac.uk

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This week we discuss green infrastructure and how estates and the management of buildings, both within the university setting and across the globe, has a huge potential to decrease carbon footprints within universities and businesses alike. Over the past year our blogs have been written by our current Sustainability Intern, Lindsey Mackay. We look forward to welcoming our new intern, Mariya Simeonova, who will be taking over from Lindsey and starting her new position with us in the Environment Team at the beginning of August.

Over the past month or so the university campus has been very quiet. With classes over for the summer and students gone on holidays the university may seem like it has slowed down, however behind closed staff continue to work hard as we strive to make the university a better place. The Environment Team have been hard at work compiling data together for our annual end of year reporting. Data analysed will give the university a solid idea of how much energy has been using over the past academic year and the volumes of different types of waste that the university has produced.

One of the main ways in which the university can reduce and lower its carbon footprint is through the design and management of its buildings. Since buildings currently account for 40% of global energy consumption, organisations, businesses and estates have the chance of making real, tangible change for the benefit of our environment. Our vision is to become a carbon neutral campus, not only because we aim to become a leader within environmental sustainability, but because increasing numbers of prospective students across the world are making critical decisions on which universities they are applying to based on what how committed the university is to sustainability and the environment.

Within the university we strive for sustainability by driving down energy demands, production of waste being sent to landfill, with a strong focus on societal impacts and how overall financial savings can benefit the long term future of the university. These are all areas that are currently under consideration as we look towards updating the Carbon Management Plan. Our vision for planning and strategy development is to reflect current conditions and services, facilitate employee engagement in the development of plans, and formulate realistic targets which can be met by placing appropriate facilities and resources that encourage campus wide changes and conscious movements towards sustainability. The journey to carbon neutrality can also include low cost initiatives which use small, every day, behaviour changes which can have significant impact. We encourage our staff and students to get involved in any way they can, whether that be turning down thermostats in halls of residence or turning off electrical appliances before they leave the office at the end of the day.

We were proud earlier in the year to have been awarded Cycle Friendly Campus with Distinction and we believe that this is just one way in which we are showing our commitment to positive change. The award recognises many different factors, however one of the main priorities is the provision of services and facilities, including bike shelters and training, available to staff members and students. This award has also helped to shape and direct the writing and planning of the university’s Travel Strategy which aims to guide future infrastructure and development. By targeting the needs of staff and students, using informed baselines we hope to encourage everyone to consider how they get to work and whether they could make a small change with the vision of large benefits.

If you would like to learn more about the university’s plans for updating our Carbon Management Plan and other related strategies please email environment@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Although the weather might be variable in Scotland we do often get a short wearing kind of day, and these should be taken advantage of. Whether you are considering what to do this summer holiday, or have already decided to spend some time at home, have a look at our recommendations of things to do in and around St Andrews, and in Scotland. Let us know if you decide to go exploring as we always love hearing from you. If you are considering how you are going to travel think about hiring out an E Car for the day. There are plenty to book out from various stations around St Andrews and are affordable and have low carbon emissions. If you want to know more, follow this link.

Close to home….

St Andrews

First of all we will begin with our own neighbourhood. Although it may be small, St Andrews boasts many interesting corners and lanes ready to be explored, making for a few fun filled days. Here are a few ideas to explore:

• St Andrews has its own Cathedral and Castle which are well worth a visit and located very near each other. If you are a student and own a gown (and wear it) you will get in for free to the Castle (and feel like you are in Hogwarts!)
• Craigtoun Country Park, is just 2 miles from St Andrews and is easily accessible by bus, bike or on foot. Activities within Craigtoun Country Park include a playpark, rowing on the lake, crazy golf and trampolines!
• St Andrews has three beaches which you can enjoy, and on a warm day take a good book to read at. West Sands offers a long afternoon walk, and you can cut back along the Old Course finishing back at the 18^th hole! East Sands is shorter but is just as popular. Grab an ice cream, take a walk along the pier and finish by strolling along the sea front. Last but not least is Castle Sands. Although the smallest beach in St Andrews, Castle Sands is perfect to take a picnic down to, and has a pool suitable for paddling in or for practicing your rock skimming skills.
• Along the coast from St Andrews you can discover quiet little harbour villages with excellent food and drink opportunities waiting to be discovered. These areas are accessible by bus (or be E Car!), or on foot if you fancy taking a long walk along the scenic coastal footpath. Villages including St Monans and Crail are worth visiting, with the Cocoa Tree Café in Pittenweem, and Anstruther’s famous Fish Bar a must!

A little further afield….

Stirling

Stirling is a city rich in history with plenty to do for all ages and interests. Stirling is also surrounded by beautiful countryside, making for the perfect escape if you want some peace and quiet. The iconic Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle are well worth a visit and can be both done easily in a day. To get to Perth you could hire out on of the E Cars, or take a bus to Dundee and hop on a train to Stirling for the quickest route.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is well worth a visit even for a day or two. You won’t be short of things to do from visiting the Castle, to exploring the beauty of the Botanic Gardens. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the centre of city take a walk down to Stockbridge. There you will find beautiful cobbled streets waiting to be explored with many interesting coffee shops and lunch spots to be tried! We recommend travelling by train to enjoy the most scenic route to Edinburgh from St Andrews and to experience crossing the iconic Forth Rail Bridge. Trains run regularly from Leuchars and will take you straight into the heart of Edinburgh. Alternatively, you can take the X59 bus directly from St Andrews to Edinburgh.

If you fancy a weekend away……

Isle of Skye

Skye is one of the most popular destinations for locals and tourists to visit. If you go you will understand why! The islands boasts stunning scenery and is a popular destination for walkers and climbers of all experiences. The island is also popular with those who love to see wildlife and, in particular, bird watchers. Skye is home to the White Tailed Sea Eagle which attracts many people from far and wide, however you may also be able to spot dolphins, whales and red deer! Other islands are easily accessible from Skye so if you wanted to extend your trip and discover more of Scotland you could do so with ease. Most people opt to rent a car if they are travelling to Skye, however you could also choose to take the train to Glasgow and then onward to Mallaig. From Mallaig a ferry can be taken which will take you to Skye and then the adventure really begins!

Between the months of March and April staff members at the University of St Andrews were invited to take part in the annual Staff Travel Survey. This year we received an outstanding 929 responses (42%), providing an in depth insight into the behaviours and views of academic and support staff from across the university. In this blog we provide a brief insight into the main findings of the survey. If you would like to know more, or if you would like tell us more about your views on travel in St Andrews, please email environment@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

For many of our staff members in the university travel makes up a large part of their day both before and after work, and as the global influence of the university extends to all corners of the globe travel for business is becoming extremely important for both academic research, and maintaining international connections.

This is accounted for in the university’s carbon footprint which provides an accurate account of the amount of carbon we are using and emitting within a variety of areas. One of these areas includes travel, and more specifically, business travel. The results of carbon footprint for the year 2015 – 2016 can be seen below with business travel making 22% of the total carbon footprint.

Every year the university conducts a Staff Travel Survey which is analysed by the Environment Team. This is aimed at helping the university understand the behaviours and attitudes of our staff and the requirements they have at work in order to efficiently plan for the future, in terms of infrastructure and services available. The main results of the 2017 survey are highlighted below.

How do our staff travel to work?

Table 1. Current mode of travel to work, 2006-2017

Since 2016 the number of staff travelling by bike to work has increased by 0.5%, and the number of staff walking to work has increased by 2%. Overall statistics are encouraging as we see staff member choosing sustainable transport options, particularly during working hours. Over 60% of staff take the opportunity to enjoy St Andrews and stretch their legs by walking between meetings within town. We view personal feedback as being integral to how we manage future projects and target resources. From the feedback received in the survey 45.6% of academic staff would consider cycling to work on a frequent basis if the cycle paths in town were improved and if the university provided more showering facilities across campus.

The second part of the survey focused primarily on the effects of the move to Eden Campus for support staff members. Overall figures indicate that commuting distance and time taken to get to work will increase. From the support staff figures 30% stated that their car usage would increase and 11.7% stated that the move would increase their bike usage. Concerns raised include, the facilities provided at Eden Campus including car parking spaces, connections to town to increase ease of business travel and the effect commutes will have on work hours.

Thank you to all who took the time to fill out the survey. We greatly appreciate your time, and your thoughts and insights.

A huge congratulations to our survey winners! Lynsey Smith, Education Liaison Office in Admissions, who won a £50 DP&L Travel Management travel voucher, Andrew Clark, Research Assistant at the School of Biology, who won £100 in Amazon vouchers generously donated and presented by Gary Overstone from Hardies Property & Construction Consultants, and Rachel Nordstrom, Photographic Collections Manager, who won the free membership and one day free booking kindly donated by E-Car Club.

If you would like to see a more in-depth and detailed analysis of the results please email environment@st-andrews.ac.uk.

We are delighted to announce that the new Environmental Facilitator Training is now available for all University of St Andrews staff to enrol in. Are you passionate about the environment? Would you like to drive positive change in your workplace? The Environment Team want to hear from you! Take a look at our short video we have produced to learn more!

Environmental Facilitator’s at Eden Campus

The Environmental Facilitator programme aims to equip all staff members will the knowledge and skill sets required to make critical changes within the work place and to engage with their colleagues on issues related to climate change. We aim for this programme to be a positive experience to help create innovative ideas to help the university move forward towards becoming a sustainable university, and to create the opportunity for staff members to network and meet new people from across campus. By bringing a variety of people together we aim to create a body of people who each care about the future of the environment to inspire others.

The training now comprises of 9 short videos covering areas including food, energy and recycling, all available on Moodle. With interactive quizzes to complete at the end of each video we hope that this new format will be more engaging, and allow staff members to complete the training in their own time. Once each participant has completed the module, a meeting will be arranged with representatives of CAPOD and the Environment Team to discuss any questions and to create an action plan for what each facilitator would like to achieve. Once you have completed the training you will be expected to exercise the skills and knowledge you acquired through your training in your place of work by engaging with your colleagues, promoting sustainable behaviours and finding innovative ways to make your department more sustainable! In addition, you will be invited to attend regular networking events for all our Environmental Facilitators which will provide an opportunity for updates, sharing case studies and joint problem solving.

With over 90 people having completed the training and currently enrolled in the programme we are excited about the progress this programme has seen over the years, through the number of people participating and through the initiatives our facilitators have under taken within their departments. However, we think there is more to be done and with call to action for university’s to respond to climate change and to mitigate against resulting effects we are seeking more people to act as ambassadors for the environment and to support colleagues in making changes that will not only positively effect their personal carbon footprint, but the university’s as well.

If you are interested in making a difference within the university and playing a crucial part in achieving our sustainability goals, please email environment@st-andrews.ac.uk!