A third class honours degree was awarded to the University of Manchester in Environmental Performance at a mock graduation ceremony by People and Planet campaigners.
The performance was staged outside University Place, with the group handing a ‘degree’ over to the University of Manchester, represented by a student in mortarboard and gown. The ceremonial speech included the key areas that the university had failed to excel, according to the environmental activists.
The degree represents the University’s place in the Green League 2009, a league table compiled by People and Planet that ranks universities according to their green credentials. The University of Manchester was ranked 87th out of 126 universities that were reviewed. Nottingham Trent University ranked highest on the table, while Royal College of Music, London was ranked the lowest.
Lawrence Wynne, a second year Philosophy and History student and performer in the event, said the University is “not doing enough for environmental issues and not doing enough to lower carbon emissions.”
Andrew McCarthy, a second year PPE student who represented the University of Manchester at the ceremony, said the performance was intended to illicit “stronger action from the University and [raise] awareness to students of how bad the University is on environmental issues.”
He added: “We wanted the event to be a bit more engaging and more positive.”
In the Green League table, universities are rated on areas relevant to environmental issues such as carbon management, environmental policy and water consumption. While the University of Manchester was rated ‘Excellent’ in environmental staffing and ethical investment, it received a ‘Poor’ for environmental policy and ‘Awful’ for carbon management and water consumption.
A University spokesman said: “The University of Manchester takes its responsibilities to the environment seriously both in the research it carries out and on campus. Manchester is home to the UK’s largest, single campus-based community of researchers with interests in sustainability and the environment. On campus, it is committed to the development of sustainable waste management practices and the principles of “reduce, re-use and recycle.
“In line with Government policy, the University is committed to reducing its total carbon footprint by at least 40 per cent by 2020 and is working with the Carbon Trust to implement a carbon management plan. It has also recently been awarded £1m to spend on reducing its carbon footprint and also was awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.”
The group also raised awareness for the Student Sustainability Forum (SSF). The monthly forum allows dialogue between students and staff over environment issues, with some members sitting on University boards. The next SSF meeting takes on Thursday December 3 at 5pm in the Students’ Union.
UMSU Campaigns Officer Laura Williams is collaborating with the University and the SSF on environmental policies. She said: “There is effort being made [by the University] into environmental issues. The University is encouraging students to come to the SSF to discuss environmental issues directly with the University.”
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