Sustainability Committee Reflection 2022-23

Published: June 21, 2023

As we approach the end of the academic year, the Sustainability Committee offers an update on some of the student and staff suggestions and comments that have progressed throughout the term.

Learning and Teaching

There were questions about how we can train our community in sustainable practices. Carbon Literacy Training was delivered to 72 students and staff in March – the feedback was excellent and it will be offered annually to further develop RCS as a carbon-literate community.

All new students joining RCS will receive a Sustainability Session as part of Induction week. They will also receive the digital publication What Can Art Do? which included a list of resources for performing artists to support environmentally sustainable practices.

Our Campus

One suggestion was for more water fountains to be available – an additional water fountain is to be installed at the café bar. Sustainability Committee Co-chair Laura Bissell met with café operators Where the Monkey Sleeps who have indicated that they will make more visible the work they are doing to source food locally, as well as initiatives to reduce waste, such as a discount for bringing your own cup and trialling cans of water rather than plastic bottles.

There was a discussion about storage of items like sets and paint to avoid disposing of them. RCS has been a partner in researching a shared storage and asset management system in Scotland. Read the report on the Creative Scotland website.

Communications

To continue to develop work in this area, we are extending to three open meetings a year, one in each academic term. These lunchtime meetings are an opportunity to share ideas and practices and also to collaborate with students and staff on relevant projects.

To disseminate the work of the Sustainability Committee both internally and externally, Douglas Martin, Marketing and Communications Manager, has joined the committee to work on initiatives such as a sustainability calendar and a green hub within the building.

Connecting

Christine Colquhoun, the newly appointed Energy and Sustainability Manager at The Glasgow School of Art, attended our May meeting to share her work and we hope to develop potential collaborations with GSA as we draft our sustainability ethos statement and policy. Laura Bissell has also joined Conservatoires UK’s new Sustainability group.

Wishing all students and staff a wonderful summer – if you would like to get involved in sustainability initiatives or share your work on the Green Room blog, please contact sustainability@rcs.ac.uk