The future is Green at Newman

05/04/2022 by Beth Gray

Tree planting

Staff and students came together for a series of sustainability-focused activities as part of Green Week 2022.

A total of 47 trees were planted on campus as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee; Newman staff and students volunteered to support Friends of Bartley Reservoir, cutting back brambles, widening pathways and picking litter to create safer access to the woodland;  and volunteers took part in a wellbeing walk through Senneleys Park.

Ibrahim Akubat, Newman’s Postgraduate Research Co-ordinator in Sport and Health, led an online discussion about the environmental pros and cons of electric vehicles, while staff and students joined our Chaplaincy team for a workshop on growing your own herbs at home.

James Westwood, Sustainability Officer at Newman University, said: “The ethical stewardship of resources and playing an active role creating sustainable communities are key Newman values all year round, but this annual focus provides an important opportunity highlight steps we can all take to improve the local environment.

“While measures agreed at COP26 last year are set to drive large-scale change around the world, there is always more we can do closer to home. One of the highlights of the week was served up by our catering team, who planned a selection of green-themed meal options produced using ingredients grown in our own campus greenhouse.

“We are proud of the efforts made by everyone who took part in Green Week 2022 and look forward to seeing the activities’ legacies flourish over the coming years.”

Newman currently holds Eco Campus Gold status – an award that recognises the work we are doing to move towards environmental sustainability through good operational and management practices. We have also achieved ISO14001 and ISO50001 certifications for Environment and Energy management, currently generating around 17% of our own electricity through on-campus solar panels. Herbs and vegetables grown on campus are a regular feature of the menu in our Sanctuary restaurant and our team of talented chefs is committed to reducing food waste. Regular Dr Bike sessions are held on campus to encourage more staff and students to choose two wheels over four and we also offer a brand range of recycling services.

Find out more about our Sustainable Campus.