Over recent years the University of Lincoln has been a keen supporter of People & Planet as an organisation and their “Universities Green League” (now University League) in particular. The Green League has promoted sustainability in the Higher Education sector and their work on sweatshops and the fossil free campaign has been informative and inspiring.
However, along with many other sector bodies and Higher Education Institutions we have had increasing concerns that the areas covered in the Green League no longer fully represent sustainability in a modern university.
Through-out the summer of 2014 there was extensive debate within the Higher Education sustainability sector over the Green League. The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) and the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE) both held surveys of their members to gather views on the Green League. The results were published in the following link:
www.eauc.org.uk/results_of_the_eauc_member_poll_on_the_2014_gre
Following communications between EAUC, AUDE and People & Planet the following joint statement was issued by EAUC & AUDE
http://www.eauc.org.uk/people_planet_green_league
As a result of the issues highlighted by AUDE and EAUC the University did not to submit a response to People & Planet in 2014. The University plans to work with AUDE, EAUC, other HEIs and People & Planet to improve the Green League for future years and ensure that it remains as a driver to sustainability in the HE Sector.