How sustainable can a Cambridge college be?

Recycling bins and bicycles are all over the city - but how sustainable is Cambridge, really?

I'm leaving Cambridge and heading to Burkina Faso next week. I'm looking forward to it, but there are things I'll miss. I'll miss being on (and in) the river, I'll miss being in a place that's so vibrantly alive with intellectual discourse, I'll miss the people whose earnestly good intentions are part of an increasing awareness of our own privilege and responsibility..but I won't miss the entrenched culture of arrogance and disregard for the wider world and the impacts we have on it. 

But happily, many people here are working hard to challenge that aspect of Cambridge culture. So, in the spirit of leaving on a positive note, I'm going to write a bit about that.

Recycling bins at King's College, enclosed in willow fencing woven by a student

In the wake of an entire decade of some of the hottest years on record, amidst clear evidence that anthropogenic atmospheric change is contributing to ongoing species extinction and extreme weather events, and with a US president who not only denies climate change but also restricts freedom of speech in the hope of perpetrating this denial, taking action to combat climate change is more important than ever.

Fortunately, many individuals and institutions recognise this, and one of them is this institution. The University of Cambridge reckons it is responsible for 240,000kg of CO2e annually, which is the equivalent of taking just over 23 consecutive round-the-world flights. But this figure is only an estimate for emissions by the University - its departments etc - and doesn't account for its 31 colleges.

Each and every college has its own carbon footprint, created by its energy and water usage, its building repairs and construction, its food and drink consumption, the travel undertaken by its members, and by the places it chooses to invest its money.

Last term, I went to hear Andrew Balmford speak on how the staff, students and fellows of Clare College have worked together to reduce their carbon footprint. It was inspiring and thought-provoking.

Clare College, one of the leading colleges working towards a reduced environmental impact

Andrew emphasised that reducing carbon emissions is not only good for the planet, it's also an effective way of (1) reducing spending, and (2) building a sense of community through teamwork. Climate change unites us against a common enemy, and tackling it head on can really bring people together. 

He gave a few practical examples of how Clare College has done this, and these were overwhelmingly low-intervention and high-impact. For example, minor changes to heating schedules (heaters now come on only in the mornings and evenings) and bin placements (recycling bins are in more prominent, accessible locations) meant that a great deal of money was saved on gas bills and waste collection. 

The lower part of the above photo: Cambridge colleges are many things to many people, & signs like these shape the way we relate to them

Cambridge colleges are interesting institutions: For students and academic staff, they are a place of work and a place of residence. Many can walk from their room to the library to the dining hall to the bar - and that's a full day's work, right there - without stepping outside, let alone leaving the college grounds. For corporations, they are luxury conference venues that promise fine dining and an illusion of prestige. For tourists, they are beautiful and inaccessible anomalies.

The effort that it takes a Cambridge college to manage and support this cast of characters is immense. And this effort is reflected in their carbon footprint: Smart management decisions can be adopted and adapted to make a college more sustainable. ​In many cases, these are minor decisions - 'nudges' - with an amplified impact.

---

Statues deep in thought on the front lawn at King's College, & trees on the backs just visible through the archway

But, the next steps involve a little more intervention: Divesting from companies that contribute to environmental degradation, for example, would make an enormous difference, but it's a tough step for any college to take. On a more localised level, changing cafeteria menus to reduce the impact of college catering can also have a significant impact but may be unpopular among many college members. We now know that a vegetarian diet has a far lower environmental impact than a diet that relies on ruminant meat - but how willing are we as individuals to take this step?

The lessons that can be learnt from attempting to make a college more sustainable are relevant to us all - not only for the small elite who run Cambridge colleges, but for individuals and businesses alike looking to reduce their carbon footprint.