Sustainability and Social Responsibility: University of Edinburgh

Supporting the development of University of Edinburgh's sustainability and social responsibility agenda.

Situation

The University of Edinburgh Strategic Plan 2008-12 included the following as a key theme:

“As a world-leading centre of academic excellence we aim to… make a significant, sustainable and socially responsible contribution to Scotland, the UK and the world.”

“This means setting and achieving ambitious targets across the board [including]… taking ever more seriously our commitments as a socially responsible organisation.”

Edinburgh is participating in the Universities that Count benchmarking survey which will compare its performance on sustainability and social responsibility with nearly 70 other UK universities. This is an opportunity for University to communicate its policies and achievements in this area, and to provide a focus for further differentiation.

Project

Footprint has been engaged to assist in developing the University's sustainability and social responsibility agenda, and to facilitate the completion of a Universities that Count submission that properly reflects the University's position.

Status

The 2009 submission has been completed successfully; other aspects of the project are ongoing. David Somervell, Sustainability Adviser, University of Edinburgh, says:

"Osbert Lancaster has given our social responsibility, sustainability & climate change agenda a real lift — bringing perspective, experience and a critical eye to bear on our thinking.”