News

Monday 1 December 2008

Make CO₂ History

As the UK looks set to become the first country in the world to commit to a legally binding agreement to cut greenhouse emissions, Nottingham Trent University has planned a week of events and activities in a bid to get students and staff thinking about their impact on the environment. The university’s ‘Make CO₂ History’ campaign, will begin on Monday 8th December with a programme of films, lectures and competitions all designed to help people better understand the climate challenge ahead and what can be done to help alleviate the causes.

Nottingham Trent University is also planning a major drive to cut emissions in 2009 by urging staff to report any instances of energy wastage that are spotted around campus to their dedicated Environment team.

Having already secured the university recognition as one of just 10 ‘Ecocampuses’ in the UK - a project funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England - the Environment team is dedicated to reducing the university’s carbon footprint, whilst continuing to spread the message to students and staff. Their work is supported by the university’s own ‘Ecoweb’ web pages, which offer facts and advice about ways to reduce carbon footprints, both at the university and at home.

Environment Officer, Grant Anderson, said: “Nottingham Trent University is very serious about its environmental mission. We’re working to raise awareness about the ways in which we can all make a difference to the causes of climate change and we’re committed to making this a lasting and long term goal of the university.”

Earlier this year, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Neil Gorman, became one of 53 signatories on the ‘Green Education Declaration’ - a document that urges the UK government to set targets for the country of an 80% reduction in CO₂ emissions by the year 2050. Two weeks ago Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Ed Milliband, announced an amendment to the Climate Change bill in line with the recommendations on which he had been lobbied.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

Press enquiries please contact: Matt Wallace, Press Officer, on Tel: +44 (0)115 848 8785, or via email: matthew.wallace@ntu.ac.uk; or Therese Easom, Press and Media Relations Manager, on Tel: +44 (0)115 848 8774, or via email: therese.easom@ntu.ac.uk