Students and staff urge colleges and universities to 'green up' on World Environment Day

Today is World Environment Day and the two organisations have taken the opportunity to encourage colleges and universities to do much more in the run up to United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen in December, which will look to thrash out a new climate treaty as a successor to the Kyoto protocol.
 
UCU and NUS welcome the steps already taken by the sector to reduce carbon emissions and together UCU and NUS will be running joint campaigns across further and higher education to ensure students and staff take big steps towards meeting the sectors' carbon reduction requirements. The joint initiatives will involve specific work around campaigning to 'green up' the workplace.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We passed clear policy at our conference last week that further commits UCU to the green agenda. We will be taking an active role in our universities and colleges to push for greener workplaces. We are already aware of work on campuses across the country and are now looking forward to working closer with NUS to take forward such a vitally important shared agenda.'
 
NUS vice-president Society and Citizenship, Susan Nash, said: 'Many of our students are actively engaged in reducing their own carbon impact and campaigning to transform their institutions' performances. NUS has developed a series of programmes and initiatives to help respond to the environmental challenges within the sector. We look forward to working with UCU to ensure we do all we can to effectively prevent destructive climate chaos.'