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Environmental Sustainability Vision

We have a responsibility, through the RCA’s influence and activities, to ensure that we limit our draw on resources and have a positive impact on nature, people and the planet wherever possible in order to achieve net zero by 2035.

Through teaching, research, knowledge exchange and innovation, we will make global contributions to sustainability, climate change and the circular economy, which will be reflected in our own operational behaviours and decisions.

We are committed to guiding and supporting every member of our community so that they can contribute to the collective task of tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies. And we recognise that changes in individual practices must be accompanied by structural, institutional change.

Governance

The RCA’s Environmental Sustainability Steering Group launched in 2022 and is tasked with developing the College’s sustainability strategy. The College has additionally established an Environmental Sustainability Committee, which first met in the 2023/24 Academic Year. The committee oversees the College's environmental performance and the sustainability strategy's development and implementation. Membership includes broad staff, trade union and student representation.

Meet the team

Staff across the College have responsibilities relating to sustainability. Staff working in dedicated sustainability roles include:

  • Heather Akif, Chief Operating Officer & Paul Draper, Director of Estates & Campus Operations: members of the RCA’s Senior Management Team with specific responsibility for sustainability and the RCA’s environmental performance, overseen by the President and Vice-Chancellor. Contact: estates@rca.ac.uk
  • Megan Jones, Environmental Sustainability Manager: develops and coordinates environmental sustainability activities and projects.
  • Ali Jannergren, Interim Deputy Director of Estates: oversees the RCA's Integrated Facilities Management and Catering contracts, responsible for waste management. Contact: alison.jannergren@rca.ac.uk
  • To find out more about environmental sustainability at the RCA, please contact Megan Jones.

Green Futures Group

The Green Futures Group is an informal cross-union collective established in 2022 by RCA academic staff to gather information and swap ideas on environmental sustainability throughout the RCA community. In the face of the climate crisis, it has become imperative to make profound changes to how we conduct our working practices. The group welcomes input from everyone: students, academic staff, union representatives, facilities and administration staff, estates and campus operations managers, external contractors, technicians, members of the RCA Senior Management Team, and local organisations.

The group meets several times a term and constantly collects and passes on information, identifies problems, canvasses for solutions, and connects people working towards the same goal across the RCA community. Green Futures Group members are also part of the RCA’s Environmental Sustainability Steering Group, working with the operations and communications teams on a coherent strategy that is inclusive and positively productive within the community.

There is also a rolling programme of Green Futures events and projects that promote awareness and good practice among students and staff: a termly repair café run by student and staff volunteers; regular clothes swaps facilitated with the Students’ Union; and a welcome week Green Futures Symposium, introducing new students to the theories and praxis necessary for an equitable transition to a decarbonised and sustainable society.

More Information

The Terms of Reference for the Environmental Sustainability Committee are:

  1. Oversee the development and implementation of the College’s environmental sustainability strategy, carbon management plan, and staff and student engagement plan.
  2. Review and approve the Environmental Policy on an annual basis.
  3. Review associated policies, including but not limited to Sustainable Food Policy and Responsible Investment Policy.
  4. Oversee the budget for environmental sustainability.
  5. Monitor the College’s progress against objectives, targets and compliance obligations, and produce an annual report on progress.
  6. Review and report on progress of key environmental performance indicators, including greenhouse gas emissions, energy, waste and water.
  7. Ensure implementation of recommendations from BDO’s Internal Audit Advisory Report (September 2022) ahead of the 2024/25 internal audit.
  8. Drive engagement and behaviour change with staff and students to support the College’s objectives through communication and training relating to environmental sustainability.
  9. Ensure contractors and subcontractors support the achievement of the College’s environmental objectives and their practices align with the Environmental Policy.
  10. Support Programmes and Schools in incorporating environmental sustainability into all aspects of teaching and learning.
  11. Ensure resources are available for the continual improvement of environmental performance.
  12. Draw together subcommittees and working groups (for example EDI Committee, Estates Management Committee, and Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee) as and when needed to deliver the environmental sustainability strategy, policy and action plans, and progress commitments and targets.