Plymouth University to participate in pioneering international sustainability programme

Plymouth University’s green credentials have been further enhanced after it was selected to be part of a pioneering global sustainability initiative.

Already recognised as one of the top five green universities in the world, the University is now one of just six institutions internationally to receive a Global Showcase Award from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

The award recognises best practice in sustainability education, and will see Plymouth becoming part of a select group working with the RICS to drive the adoption of sustainable development principles in built environment higher education.

In the past year, Plymouth has retained its second place in the People & Planet Green League and been named in the top five of the UI Greenmetric Ranking of World Universities. It is also shortlisted for two prizes in the 2013 Green Gown Awards.

Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth University, said: “Our core commitment to sustainability is embedded at every level of the University, from teaching and research to campus management and procurement. Our existing achievements are testament to our standing as a pioneer in this field, and this accolade provides further evidence of the impact we are having in influencing the global green agenda.”

Plymouth University has a longstanding commitment to sustainability education dates back to 1973, when it pioneered one of the earliest interdisciplinary programmes in environmental sciences.

In the mid-1990s, it launched what are widely recognised as the UK’s first environmental construction degree courses, with its current undergraduate and postgraduate programme accredited by the Chartered Institute of Building, the RICS and the Association of Building Engineers.

Paul Murray, Associate Professor in Environmental Building and Education for Sustainability, said: “This accolade is recognition for Plymouth’s work over many years, which have seen our academics, students and graduates become recognised as sustainability champions. It also demonstrates the need to address many future challenges facing the construction industry globally, and we are very excited to be at the forefront of tackling those issues.”

The other universities chosen as RICS Global Showcase winners are the University of Reading, Bond University in Australia, the Instituto de Empresa in Spain, the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia in Spain and the IREBS Institut fur Immobilienwirtschaft at the University of Regensburg, Germany.

Ursula Hartenberger, Global Head of Sustainability at RICS, added: “Skills and capacity building are at the very core of our existence and behaving ethically and responsibly is at the heart of what it means to be a professional. These universities will be able to share best practice with their peers, help to inspire the sector’s future leaders and ultimately contribute to achieving our goal of fully integrating responsible business practices and decision-making within the land, real estate and construction sector and its downstream user communities.”