Sustainability at Falmouth

A blue dragonfly perches amongst yellow crops

We're acting now for the future of our planet and our people. 

In 2019 Falmouth University declared a climate and ecological emergency – but there’s a big difference between declaring an emergency and addressing it. 

See the steps that we’re taking to combat our carbon footprint and revolutionise sustainability in Higher Education by exploring our key themes, and sustainability report. 

Sustainability at Falmouth University

What we're doing

From carbon reduction to teaching and culture change, see how we're implementing our sustainability strategy. 

As an anchor institution in Cornwall and a major employer for the county, we have a responsibility for the environment and how our activities impact the wider community. We also have the ability to influence a wide network of people.

Our approach

To make sure we're improving sustainability across all our activities, we’ve split our commitment and supporting strategic action plan into three key themes: Learning & Teaching, Research & Knowledge Exchange, and Physical Estates & Operations. For more information about each theme, click through to our Environmental Sustainability Commitment and the supporting documents and pages belowThis work is supported by a dedicated team of professional staff who you can view below.

Students sat on low chairs working in front of large window looking through to the library on Penryn campus.
Facilities: Library 6

Learning & Teaching

Equipping our students with the knowledge to make sustainable choices and changes when they graduate...

Learning & Teaching
A man and a woman sitting on a bench
People & Behaviours

Sustainability | Research & Knowledge Exchange

Fostering a culture of sustainability that'll enable our community to drive measurable change. ...

Sustainability | Research & Knowledge Exchange
Panoramic view of Penryn Campus with buildings and trees
Penryn Campus Pano 2021

Physical Estate & Operations

Creating carbon reduction targets that will streamline our operations and enhance our environment. ...

Physical Estate & Operations

Our impact

Read our annual Sustainability Reports

Our community & getting involved

With sustainable thinking embedded in everything we do, it's no wonder our people are making incredible strides towards a greener future.

Whether it's our researcher community seeking innovative solutions to the climate crisis, our alumni making impactful changes in industry or our staff changing the way we work, teach and use our campuses, you can read the latest and find how you can get involved, below. 

 

A Sustainable Start

Is tasty!

Looking for ‘dinspiration’? Download our ‘Comforting Chilli’ recipe card - created by students, it's an easy, low-cost, sustainable meal to make in your first week and beyond!

Is free!

Need some new supplies for the start of the term? From kitchenware to decorations, electronics to stationary, and more - visit our ‘Swap Shop’ to grab a preloved item for free!

Find the Swap Shop in the Lower Stannary on Penryn Campus during Welcome Weekend (13-15 September). After this, it’ll tour central campus locations during September and October.

For more ideas…

To help you know where to start with sustainability, tick off the simple actions with big impact in our 'Sustainability Checklist'.

Download our Sustainability Checklist

More opportunities & resources

Whether you're a student or a member of staff, there are loads of ways to get  involved with our sustainability mission. 

Students  

From finding small ways to cut your carbon footprint to joining an eco-minded society, or sharing your ideas for a project or event, find out how you can get involved. We're all part of the solution.

For Students

Staff 

If you’re a staff member, head to the Staff Portal to discover sustainability resources, recent highlights and advice on how you can work with us to embed sustainability across the three themes.

For Staff

Sustainability walk and wonder 2024
Sustainability walk and wonder

Connect with our Sustainability team

Our dedicated Sustainability team are steering the course for our ambitious sustainability aims.

Since 2019, our dedicated, full-time Sustainability team has been working to embed systemic change within the University; from supporting our community to make environmentally-conscious lifestyle choices, to guiding our pedagogic approach, to making the most of our living, breathing campus environments.

The team includes members of the Institute of Environmental Sciences and a Chartered Environmentalist, and through positive engagements is steering the course for our ambitious sustainability aims. 

Our team includes:

  • Jake Causley, Sustainability Coordinator for Falmouth University
  • Oliver Milliner, CEnv MIEnvSc CMgr MCMI BSc(Hons), Head of Sustainability at FXPlus

Strategic leads for Environmental Sustainability: 

  • Theme 1: Learning & Teaching: Professor Russell Crawford, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Academic Services  
  • Theme 2: Research & Knowledge Exchange: Professor David Prior, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research & Knowledge Exchange
  • Theme 3: Physical Estates & Operations: Simon Foster, Executive Directors of Estates, Operations & Planning

Falmouth Exeter Plus (FX Plus), our on-campus service delivery partner, is leading our work to make day-to-day campus operations more sustainable. Check out FX Plus' sustainability webpages for more detail on our areas of work, initiatives, and progress.Get in touch

If you're looking for information and resources, further details about Falmouth University's Sustainability Commitments, Policy and Action Plan, or would like to discuss engagement opportunities with our team, we'd love to speak to you. 

Contact the team