'At Oxford SU we're pleased to have worked on the strategy every step of the way, ensuring that student voices are represented and at the heart of the vision. Oxford SU's Student Council, representative body of all students at the University of Oxford, has voted unanimously to approve and support the Environmental Sustainability Strategy. We believe that the Strategy is an important step forward for the University to take action on the environmental crisis.
'Student campaigners at Oxford play a leading role in tackling the environmental crisis at all levels and the dedication of students has been a crucial part of getting the strategy over the line. Of course, there's always more to do and we at Oxford SU, in partnership with students and the University are committed to implementing the strategy.'
-Ben Farmer, VP Charities & Community
Student campaigners including Oxford SU, Oxford Climate Society, Oxford Climate Justice Campaign and Oxford Nature Conservation Society have joined forces to welcome the University of Oxford’s new ambitious Environmental Sustainability Strategy. The strategy became University policy today after being recently approved in a meeting of the University Council.
The strategy contains ten priority areas which are research, curriculum, carbon emissions from energy consumption on the University estate, biodiversity, sustainable food, sustainable resource use, international travel, local travel, investments and learning from the pandemic. The strategy also includes four enablers to support the strategy are governance, reporting, funding and offsetting.
The University will establish a new Oxford Sustainability Fund which will make £200 million available for sustainability initiatives over the next fifteen years.
Since its inception the new Environmental Sustainability Strategy has had student voices and input at its heart, enabled by strong partnerships between Oxford SU, the University of Oxford and a range of student leaders including societies, campaigns and student leaders in common rooms.
Following the Oxford University Climate Assembly in 2019, consultation with academics and students has continued and their influence has shaped the strategy. The latest consultation on the strategy in November 2020 had over 110 responses, an increase of over 30% on the previous consultation after a student-led six concerns campaign. As a result, the plan is far more ambitious than originally planned and is widely backed by students following a vote in Student Council in March 2021.
We are very pleased that the Sustainability Plan has been adjusted as a result of student pressure to put greater emphasis on climate education as well as research and education around environmental justice. We are also glad that the University will acknowledge its historical impact: Oxford must now carry out research into how – both currently and historically – it has participated in colonial processes of exploitation and extraction.
Additionally, the strategy only covers the central University and, it is important that colleges implement their own strategies to achieve net zero carbon emissions and net biodiversity gain by 2035 at the very latest.
Many colleges have already committed to strong action and are developing plans. We’re committed to working with colleges directly and with the Conference of Colleges especially through the Decarbonise Oxford Campaign being run by the Oxford Climate Society and Oxford SU’s student representation at Conference of Colleges and its groups. We would also like to reiterate our demand that all colleges divest their endowments from fossil fuel companies as soon as possible.
We remain concerned that the University Sustainability Strategy allows Oxford to continue carrying out research for, and in collaboration with, fossil fuel companies. The new strategy also does not prevent Oxford University from continuing to accept donations from fossil fuels companies, which both facilitates greenwashing and celebrates these companies. By neglecting these crucial issues, the Sustainability Plan still allows Oxford to continue exacerbating the climate crisis and perpetuating climate injustices.
Oxford Climate Justice Campaign is currently writing a report detailing the links between Oxford and the fossil fuel industry, which will be published on 19th April 2021. It focuses on the extractive research carried out by the university with fossil fuel industry backing, the greenwashing facilitated by the University and the employee links that exist between Oxford and fossil fuel corporations.
The establishment of an ambitious University Environmental Sustainability Strategy represents a significant win for students. This follows a series of wins by students campaigning for action on the environmental crises, including the University divestment motion in April 2020 and the development of the Oxford Climate Action plan.
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Ben Farmer
VP Charities and Community 2020-21