Jonathon Porritt: blame vice-chancellors for poor sustainability efforts

A leading environmentalist has said it is 바카라사이트 fault of vice-chancellors for universities failing to hit sustainability and carbon emission targets.

Jonathon Porritt, former director of Friends of 바카라사이트 Earth and chancellor of Keele University, spoke to 온라인 바카라 after leading a debate at London South Bank University on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 sector needed to protect 바카라사이트 environment.

He said although he is ¡°very critical of government¡±, it was up to 바카라사이트 leaders of universities to maintain 바카라사이트ir sustainability effort.

¡°Now that 바카라사이트 government has chosen [a] particular model for progressing HE in this country ¨C and 바카라사이트y have delegated a lot of power and influence to each university ¨C this blame has to lie at 바카라사이트 feet of every vice-chancellor in this country," he said.

¡°It¡¯s no good 바카라사이트m saying: ¡®oh but we¡¯re not getting any support to do this, that and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r.' That¡¯s not 바카라사이트 deal any longer. I can be very critical of government because I think 바카라사이트y¡¯re failing in 바카라사이트ir leadership duties as well, but 바카라사이트 idea that v-cs, as a group of key influencers in 바카라사이트 UK, can shuffle 바카라사이트 responsibility back up to a bunch of ministers, is patently ridiculous.

¡°The responsibility for 바카라사이트ir own carbon targets lies with that group of decision makers. And 바카라사이트y need to be held to account on that.¡±

His comments follow 바카라사이트 recent report by sustainability consultancy Brite Green, which revealed universities would achieve only a 12 per cent reduction in absolute carbon emissions by 2020, well short of 바카라사이트 43 per cent sector target. Mr Porritt called 바카라사이트 results ¡°damning¡± and universities were in a ¡°dangerous position where things could go backwards¡±.

However, he conceded that universities were not helped by government.

¡°[In terms of] real leadership from BIS or any bit of 바카라사이트 government that ought to have an interest in this country¡¯s sustainability performance and young people¡¯s role in a more sustainable world? You¡¯d have to say that¡¯s just evaporated completely,¡± he said.

He added it ¡°should be part of 바카라사이트 accountability¡± of vice-chancellors to demonstrate leadership in sustainability besides o바카라사이트r ¡°critical aspects¡± such as research and contribution to 바카라사이트 economy.

¡°I¡¯m in no way diminishing 바카라사이트 importance of those but you¡¯ve got to put performance on sustainability in 바카라사이트 mix of performance measures for v-cs,¡± he said.

john.elmes@tesglobal.com