Welcome from the Vice-President for Biodiversity and Climate Action
Trinity is committed to addressing the challenge of achieving a sustainable and healthy planet, both for people, and for the natural systems we are part of, and rely upon. Since the Sustainability Strategy was published, we have been working to realise Trinity’s potential to make a difference and act as an engine for the cultural, technological, and societal changes that are needed. Check out our annual report for highlights from 2024.
I wanted to fill you in on some highlights as we implement our plan and build our team.
Education
Trinity participated in an international pilot of the Responsible Futures framework for embedding sustainability in learning. In 2025, we were awarded the Responsible Futures Accreditation, following a student-led audit, which was externally assessed, recognising our whole of institution approach to sustainability.
More than 500 students in Trinity Business School will again be taking the new interdisciplinary sustainability module called Enacting Sustainable Development. It is mandatory for first-year Business students and was co-designed by Trinity students and Trinity’s Fellows in Education for Sustainable Development.
The ESD Fellows are now working with Academic Practice to support staff as they embed sustainability throughout Trinity. They produced helpful training and resources that you can find on the ESD hub here.
Research
Our Green Labs Officer is working with colleagues across college to enable research to be conducted in a way that reduces resource use and generates less waste, contributing to Trinity’s Circular Campus strategy. There are 51 labs in the process of being certified ‘Green’ by My Green Labs, and 45 labs already accredited. Check out the Green Labs website for more.
Our new Chair in Climate Science, Professor Karen Wiltshire, brings a wealth of international and multi-disciplinary research experience, and her research focuses on "whole- system climate resilience", and innovative ways to combine the needs of society, renewable energy and nature towards a sustainable climate and human future. Her inaugural lecture can be viewed on YouTube here.
Operations
Several energy efficiency projects have been undertaken, which will contribute to significant energy savings across campus, and a campus decarbonisation plan is under development. However, we need everyone to get involved in our 51% challenge to meet our targets. Other plans are in development, such as the circular campus plan to reduce resource use and waste. Reverse Vending Machines for waste bottles and cans are operational on campus in the Arts Building and the Hamilton.
Our Sustainable Travel Officer is leading on a Campus Travel Plan, and a Campus Food Plan is being developed by our Healthy Campus Manager and Healthy Trinity Colleagues. Our Biodiversity Officer is leading on a Biodiversity Plan and Trinity has made substantial changes to encourage wildlife across campus, including installing a wildlife pond, changing mowing regimes to allow wildflowers to flourish, and planting trees, but our biodiversity impacts and dependencies go way beyond our own campus.
Community
The Climate Action Mandate requires Trinity to provide training for all staff in Climate Leadership. We have taken staff feedback on board and developed bespoke training to more than 580 staff members. Staff are trained in climate leadership, focusing on climate literacy, embodied carbon and life cycle costing. Trinity continues to work with international partners, for example through LERU, Coimbra Group (see Durham Declaration), Nature Positive Universities Network and International Sustainable Campus Network.
Trinity Sustainability is forging ahead with the Action Plan and we invite you all to get involved. Stay up to date by signing up for the monthly Sustainability Newsletter. In Semester 1, Climate and Biodiversity Action week is a great opportunity to do so, and you can find all of our events here. We hope this is a great year for everyone and we look forward to working with you!
Jane Stout, Vice-President for Biodiversity and Climate Action