In this blog series, Dr Maggy Fostier, FBMH Associate Dean for Environmental Sustainability, will provide a run down on all the latest Environmental Sustainability news in FBMH.

Almost a year in to my new post of FBMH Associate Dean for Environmental Sustainability (ES), there is a lot to be celebrate, but also so much more to do.

The University’s ES strategy will be published shortly and describes the master plan to become Zero Carbon by 2038 and how we will embed ES – with reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – at the heart of our operations, activities, and values.

In FBMH we will contribute to the successful delivery of the central plan by:

A. engaging all Faculty laboratories with two tools focusing on reducing consumption and waste, sharing resources more effectively and developing more sustainable protocols

• LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework) is a UK-based certification considering all laboratory activities (soon digital research too). It is evidenced-based and developed by scientists who work together in a consortium. All laboratories are required to reach the Bronze level (setting good practices) by 2025 and aim for Silver to have more impact. See our LEAF blog for more information.
• The 6R guide (Review, Reduce, Reuse Refill, Replace, Recycle) has been developed in FBMH to manage plastics sustainably in our practical classes/research labs. 6R is very simple to use, the impact is immediate and easy to quantify; it is a great tool to engage students. We aim for all our teaching classes to be reviewed with 6R by trained GTAs or students by 2025. See our 6R blog for more information.

B. engaging staff and students with the University’s 50,000 actions platform (incudes 6R) and setting up a Faculty green champions network. Our aims will be to minimise our baseload energy use (when people are away from the workplace), optimise recycling compliance, reduce staff air travel emissions in the Zoom era, implement the new policies to minimise food waste and develop a policy for greener procurement starting with packaging.

• The central targets will be published in June and there will be a lot to do; we need staff green champion volunteers to develop how we will approach these targets and disseminate key messages. Please register your interest to become a green champion by emailing Maggy.

C. promoting the University’s Sustainable Future platform and opportunities to study the impact of climate change, establish solutions to the climate crisis or improve our resilience. See our Sustainable Future blog for more information.

D. supporting green spaces on campus (e.g., Smith quad) that promote biodiversity whilst offering enjoyment and opportunities for nature-based learning or well-being activities.

• Lily and Issy became our Smith quad managers in May and have allocated the raised beds to volunteer gardeners. Sam is coordinating efforts to develop pilots to engage staff and student with our campus biodiversity using apps, such as iNaturalist. Contact him if you want to take part. In the autumn, Lily will start developing activities for well-being in the quad.

E. embedding sustainability in our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. See two initiatives to increase ES in the SBS curriculum blog for more information.

F. promoting sustainable actions in our wider community (schools, community, organisations, businesses – local or afar) with the help of trained students. See 6R blog for more information.

G. educating and exciting those we can reach about existing and future solutions to tackle the climate crisis.

• Our Good Newsletter is our tool for this priority. We will disseminate it external via various social media platform. Contact srbmh@manchester.ac.uk if you would like to join our mailing list.

Best wishes,

Maggy Fostier,

FBMH Associate Dean for Environmental Sustainability.

To find out more about Environmental Sustainability: visit the Faculty’s intranet page, website or contact srbmh@manchester.ac.uk. For more information on Environmental Sustainability at the University watch this short film or visit their website. 

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