Sustainability at Falmouth
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.
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 Estate & Operations. For more information about each theme, click through to our Environmental Sustainability Commitment and the supporting documents and pages below. This work is supported by a dedicated team of professional staff who you can view below.
Learning & Teaching
Empowering our students with knowledge and skills to make a positive impact, through applying creati...
Sustainability | Research & Knowledge Exchange
We are committed to upholding sustainable research practices, undertaking sustainability-related res...
Physical Estate & Operations
Streamlining our operations and enhancing our environment.
Our impact
Read our annual Sustainability Reports
Download our past Sustainability Reports
News & stories
The Future Is Green: Sustainability-driven business events begin
25 October 2024
Last week, Falmouth University proudly hosted the first in-person training day for The Future is Gr...
‘KELP!’ wins Best UK Short Documentary at Big Syn International Film Festival 2023
20 November 2023
KELP!, a film directed by Marine & Natural Photography BA(Hons) graduate Caylon La Mantia and senior...
'Swap Shop' supports our campus community and promotes sustainability
07 September 2023
Rehome donated items through our campus Swap Shop initiative.
Falmouth University shortlisted at prestigious sustainability awards
03 August 2023
Falmouth University has been announced as a finalist at the 2023 Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland un...
Falmouth University community plants 500 trees in partnership with PlantOne
21 June 2023
Through its partnerhsip with PlantOne, Falmouth University has planted 500 trees at the Trefusis Est...
Fairtrade Fortnight 2023 at Falmouth University
25 May 2023
Here's how Falmouth engaged with Fairtrade Fortnight 2023.
Win for Falmouth University at sustainability awards
10 November 2022
Falmouth University is delighted to have won the Green Gown Award for ‘Reporting with Influence’...
Wild Voices: The "sound of extinction" by Tom Hull
12 August 2022
This piece was written by Tom Hull, a researcher at Falmouth University. He is a specialist in wild ...
Falmouth increases solar panel presence on campus
10 August 2022
Falmouth University are significantly increasing the amount of solar panels on roofs at Penryn Campu...
Plant partnership launched with Cornish company
10 August 2022
Falmouth University has partnered with Rocket Gardens, a Gweek-based mail order company supplying pl...
Falmouth conducts food waste separation trial
10 August 2022
Falmouth University have launched a pilot project to reduce more waste on our campuses by separating...
Student takes home sustainability award at Interior Educators 2022
02 August 2022
BA(Hons) Interior Design student Ashley Powell has seen his shortlisted project 'holm' rise to ...
Falmouth University shortlisted for two Green Gown sustainability awards
22 July 2022
Falmouth University has been shortlisted for two prestigious sustainability awards. In associatio...
Falmouth ranked as Top 10 Institution by 2022 SDG Teach In
06 May 2022
For the second year in a row, Falmouth University's engagement with the Sustainable Development...
Top 5 eco-friendly shops in Falmouth & Penryn
22 April 2022
This Earth Day is all about empowering people to invest in our world. It might be difficult to s...
Falmouth rolls out community furniture donations
12 April 2022
Community organisations have benefitted from furniture donations from Falmouth's campuses as part of...
Falmouth gears up for Sustainability Week 2022
17 March 2022
Sustainability Week returns on 21 March with a packed line-up of eco-orientated events to help stude...
Bringing underrepresented voices to the front line of the climate crisis
10 March 2022
Pauline Blanchett, recipient of Falmouth University’s Reporting Earth bursary, is commissioning fe...
Falmouth joins the Fashion Declares movement
04 February 2022
Falmouth’s Fashion & Textiles Institute has joined forces with key leaders across the fashion ...
The Sustainability Café announces revamped veggie menu
28 January 2022
As a result of student feedback, we are pleased to announce that the Sustainability Café menu will ...
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!
Meet likeminded people at a Green Society, the Students’ Union has plenty of societies focused on sustainability challenges and solutions.
Or take some time for yourself in nature, track down our biodiversity signs on Penryn Campus, discover the subtropical plants on Falmouth Campus, or embark on a coastal walk in Falmouth itself.
For more ideas…
To help you know where to start with sustainability, tick off the simple actions with big impact in 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.
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.
Connect with our Sustainability team
Our Sustainability team is steering the course for our ambitious sustainability aims.
Since 2019, our 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.
Our 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 areas of work, initiatives, and progress. Leading this team is Oliver Milliner, CEnv MIEnvSc CMgr MCMI BSc(Hons), Head of Sustainability at FXPlus.