Our Connections & Strategy

In responding to the University’s ambitious targets for nature-positivity and net zero, we are doing our own bit at changing ourselves as a community of scholars and professional service colleagues. We are undertaking this transformational journey in a ‘uniquely-HASS way’ and one that reflects and represents our unique positions and views as a big-community of social scientists, artists and humanist.

This means going about our own sustainability transition in a uniquely human and social way. This especially means being led by values of community-engagement at every level and scale, it means being evidence and knowledge based, and that the journey towards a greater iterations of sustainable practices in higher education ought to mean better, richer and more rewarding lived experiences for colleagues and students.

In our Strategy Action Plan 2024-2026, we set out a series of actions for the next few years that we are prioritising on our faculty’s path towards sustainability. Some of these we will undertake within HASS, others across the University of Exeter and others again to champion and platform the research and teaching of HASS colleagues to wider audiences – to celebrate, champion, and build of sense of community.

Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Sustainability Group

The HASS Sustainability Group consists of a community of scholars, professional service colleagues and students alike from across all parts of the faculty to implement the actions of HASS Sustainability Action Plan 2024-2026. For more information about this group, please contact Nick Kirsop-Taylor n.a.kirsop-taylor@exeter.ac.uk

Responsibilities

The group are responsible for:

Having oversight of departmental approaches and actions through departmental representatives, to determine approaches and actions locally, recognising the different contexts and priorities that exist for HASS departments.
To highlight, communicate and share across the faculty, to colleagues and students, our strategy, actions, and successes on the path to net zero and environmental net gain.

To represent HASS in University discussions and considerations about sustainability, environment, and climate.

As data availability develops, to have overall responsibility for establishing Faculty carbon reduction and net environmental gain targets and tracking their progress.

Membership

2024-2025 Academic Year Membership List

Adam Nicholls	Departmental Rep for Law
Adrian Oyaneder	Digital Humanities Lab
Amy Cutler	Departmental Rep for English and Creative Writing
Andrea Schoefbeck	Infrastructure Manager
Benedict Morrison	Departmental Rep for Communication, Drama and Film
Cathy Durston	Director of Faculty Operations
Christopher Southgate	Departmental Rep for Classics, Ancient History, Religion and Theology
Claire Beaugrand	Departmental Rep for Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies
Clara Kleininger-Wanik	Student Rep for Communication, Drama and Film
Duncan Russel	Associate PVC - Education and Student Experience
Eliana Maestri	Departmental Rep for Languages, Cultures and Visual Studies
Emily Morris	Executive Officer
Emma Kluge	Departmental Rep for HaSS Cornwall
TBC	Departmental Rep for A&H
Georgia Hill	Student Rep for Law
Harriet White	Departmental Rep for School of Education
Hannah Mortimer	Student Rep for Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy and Anthropology
Jon Primrose	Technical Manager
Katherine Earnshaw	Departmental rep for Classics, Ancient History, Religion and Theology
Nazli Akgil	Student rep for Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy and Anthropology
Nick Kirsop-Taylor	Chair - HASS Chair of Sustainability
Susannah Crockford	Departmental Rep for Social and Political Sciences, Philosophy and Anthropology

HASS Sustainability Action Plan 2024-2026

Click here to read our action plan.

UoE Sustainability

The University of Exeter has committed to lead meaningful action against the climate emergency and ecological crisis. This includes achieving carbon net zero across all scopes by 2030 and pursuing a policy of environmental net gain.

Greener

The climate emergency and ecological crisis is one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

At Exeter, we are home to the UK’s top five most influential climate scientists (Reuters Hot List) within a team of over 1,500 researchers and professionals working across climate change and the environment.

Our Plans and Progress

Jo Chamberlain, Director of Sustainability at the University of Exeter introduces the work the University is doing to lead meaningful action against the climate emergency and ecological crisis, a key pillar of the University's Strategy 20-30. She talks about the challenges and the successes but also the need for a cultural behaviour change across the University if we are to bring down carbon emissions.