Environmental/Sustainability Policy

This Union notes:

1. The 10,000 plus members of Bangor University Students’ Union have a significant impact on the local and global environments, through individual choices and collective behaviour.
2. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to our generation and it is therefore in our interest to play our part in combating further climate change.
3. Sustainability principles should be adopted in order to help conserve the environment for future generations.
4. Implementing sustainability principles can produce financial savings through lower running costs.
5. Buildings have a significant environmental impact, responsible for almost 50% of the UK’s energy consumption and carbon emissions.
6. There is currently no environmental policy and to have active policy is a requirement of the Sound Environmental Impact Award scheme.

This Union Believes:

1. It is our duty to protect the environment for future generations and therefore we should adopt the principles of sustainability.
2. Bangor University Students’ Union can play a pivotal role in encouraging sustainable living amongst students.
3. Environmental sustainability is a key concept for the 21st century and should be at the heart of all relevant Union policy.
4. Environmental sustainability should be part of students’ wider education.
5. Waste can be most effectively dealt with firstly by reducing consumption, followed by re-using and recycling.
6. Practical environmental projects are an effective way of encouraging greater involvement in the community and increasing appreciation for the aesthetics and ecology of the environment.
7. Renewable energy sources are cleaner and more sustainable than ‘conventional’ sources (oil, gas and coal).

This Union Resolves:

1. To actively lobby the University to improve its environmental credentials to meet the highest standards possible.
2. To strive to obtain all products from the most sustainable sources possible by:
   1. Aiming to procure 100% of its electricity from renewable sources.
   2. Procuring only 100% recycled paper or at least paper from FSC or PEFC certified forest.
   3. Procuring products such as food and clothing from companies with an environmental and ethically (in regard to human rights) sound record.
3. To reduce consumption where possible, re-use products where appropriate and recycle waste by:
   1. Assigning staff members clear personal responsibilities for switching off unused electrical items e.g. lights and especially computers, to cover all areas.
   2. Actively promoting the ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ scheme.
   3. Working with the University to ensure any new building housing the Students’ Union meets the highest environmental standards possible and the decommissioning of old buildings has the smallest environmental impact.
   4. Promoting re-use of items by creating a physical ‘swap shop’ for students to give and exchange products, actively promoting ‘Freecycle’, or dedicating a part of the University discussion boards as a virtual ‘swap shop’.
   5. Creating a car share scheme for Union members or encouraging the use of University discussion boards to organize lift sharing.
   6. Lobbying the University to provide food waste composting facilities in all catering outlets, departments and halls of residence.
4. To assist and encourage students to live more sustainably by:
   1. Promoting any environmental events run by societies.
   2. Providing information about ecological consumption so that students can make informed choices. This could be done by creating a ‘green’ link on the Union’s web home page, and by including information on sustainability in Welcome Week materials.
   3. Providing forums (notice board & online space) for students to discuss ways to live more sustainably.
   4. Referring students to existing local environmental organizations and schemes that are working towards sustainability.
5. To provide executive remit within the sabbatical team for the co-ordination and implementation of resolutions 1-4.