Green Gown Awards 2014 - Carbon Reduction - University of Oxford - Highly Commended

Oxford University Bodleian Libraries team read between the lines looking for £100,000

The aim of the Bodleian Libraries energy project was to reduce annual costs by at least £100,000 in order that they could continue to offer world class services to students and researchers across the University, directly supporting the Bodleian Libraries mission.

By taking a broad approach to engagement and investing £303,000, Estates Services delivered actual savings of nearly £170,000 and 925tonnes of CO2, far exceeding Libraries’ original requirement and building a successful relationship between the departments.

The project is now a flagship for the University’s work on carbon reduction and is being used as a springboard to create collaborative projects between Estates Services and other departments across the University.

Top 3 Learnings

1 When implementing energy efficiency and carbon management, ensure plans are flexible so they can react to changing situations on the ground
2 Ensure engagement with departments is broad. High level engagement with senior management is essential to create traction and drive cooperation while engagement at other levels helps to ensure smooth implementation
3 Capitalise on success by ensuring you can tell the story. Being able to demonstrate to other potential collaborators makes the case for engagement far more compelling, especially if you can have someone from previous successful projects back you up.

What the judges say ...

A very well presented project which achieved good carbon savings across a range of buildings and providing a demonstration project for other departments. A clear target was set at the outset which motivated staff to get involved and was more than achieved.

What it means to win ...

“We take our responsibility to the environment seriously. Our commitment to reducing our
impact is backed by significant funding and a dedicated team. We are delighted that the work of our Environmental Sustainabilityteam has been recognised.”

Professor Andrew Hamilton, Vice-Chancellor

Videos

• Oxford University Bodleian Libraries team read between the lines looking for £100,000 (click to hide)