SEAG Paper 5 28 May 2009

The University of Edinburgh Sustainability and Environmental Advisory Group (SEAG) 28 May 2009

Transition Edinburgh University

Brief description of the paper A funding bid to the £27m Scottish Climate Challenge Fund for initial work to establish potential for a student-led initiative to promote a carbon crash programme at the University – drawing on the experiences of other communities within the Transition Initiatives network. Proposed feasibility stage June-September/October 2009 to employ three Summer Interns to prepare the ground for a larger bid for work October 09-Mar 2011. The objective being to deliver a grass-roots, bottom up movement to help all in the 35,000-strong University community reduce their personal carbon footprint. Applications have been invited for three Summer Interns to prepare a baseline of non-buildings carbon footprint associated with students and staff. Interviews to be held 9 June. Action requested SEAG is invited to note and support the initiative. Resource implications Does the paper have resource implications? Yes The paper outlines at pages 10 and 11 the £18.8k bid to the Scottish Climate Challenge Fund from student group People & Planet for funding for a ‘Transition Edinburgh University’ project. This will •

provide new resources for carbon reduction work aimed at students and staff in the University, and

•

lead to a reduction in overall climate change impact associated with the University.

Risk Assessment Does the paper include a risk analysis? No Equality and Diversity Does the paper have equality and diversity implications? No (no more than everything does) Freedom of information Can this paper be included in open business? Yes Originator of the paper Transition Edinburgh University steering group of Edinburgh University People & Planet society, May 2009 To be presented by Adam Ramsay, EUSA President

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Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) Revised Grant Application Form [21 May 09] Transition Edinburgh University Phase 1 Please return form to:

For Office Use Only

Climate Challenge Fund Manager Keep Scotland Beautiful, Wallace House, 17-21 Maxwell Place, Stirling FK8 1JU Tel: [email protected] Tel: 01786 468 776 Fax: 01786 464611 www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/ccf

Applicant: Reference: Date received:

SECTION 1.0 – APPLICANT DETAILS 1.1 CONTACT DETAILS FOR ORGANISATION Organisation Name:*

Edinburgh University People & Planet Society

Organisation type:*

Voluntary organisation

Main Contact’s name and title:*

Ruth Cape

Main Contact’s Position:*

People & Planet Co-Convener 2009-2010

Address:*

c/o EUSA Societies' Centre, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh

Postcode:*

EH8 9TJ

Telephone Number:*

07912 435 086

Alternative contact Number:

0131 650 2073 / 07743 759 528 [[email protected]]

Email Address:

[email protected]

Second Contact name and title

Dariush Bazazi (People & Planet member)

Second Contact phone number:*

07905 863 715

Web URL:

http://www.transitionedinburghuni.org.uk/

Table 1: Contact details for organisation

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1. BACKGROUND OF APPLICANT ORGANISATION Edinburgh University People & Planet Society is a student community group which is part of the 200+ group-strong People & Planet Network (http://peopleandplanet.org/). The Society has been around for forty years and has evolved and grown over this period, campaigning to give justice to the world's poor and oppressed, and to protect the global environment. We work horizontally, engaging with the University and the City community and in collaboration with other groups to gain widespread support for change at a global, governmental and collective personal level. Over the last five years this has given successes in bringing renewable energy, Fairtrade status and an ethical investment policy to the University. In continuing to campaign against climate change, the Society seeks to encourage progress on the University's carbon emissions (data at http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/greenleague2008). To this end, in October 2008, the Society held a public meeting addressed by the Coordinator of Transition Scotland Support, and a working group was formed to see how the idea of Transition Communities – re-localising and dramatically reducing energy use as a response to peak oil and climate change – could be applied at the University. There are already several other 'Transition' groups in the city, and a first point of discussion for the group was what would our contribution be? It was decided that the University was, in fact, a unique environment for change, with its focus on learning and its transient population. The Transition Edinburgh University group (TEU) of People & Planet has since organised film showings, visits to local food and energy projects, supported allotment and food co-operative projects already running, and built links with local groups including Transition Edinburgh, Transition Edinburgh South and Dirty Weekenders Society. It has worked with University staff to encourage institutional change and, in December 2008, successfully lobbied the University Court to go beyond simple adoption of the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland and commit to annual reporting on progress. (http://www.eauc.org.uk/scotlands_principals_climate_commitment). In 2009 the TEU group have been working to develop a wider model for engagement that uses the both the strengths of People & Planet as a campaigning network, and that of Transition as a model for practical local change. A framework proposal for this model was taken to People & Planet's national conference in early March, where groups from all over the UK agreed to take up the campaign as a successor to its hugely successful “Universities Go Green” campaign. Edinburgh University People & Planet now wants to pioneer the campaign and develop this model on a larger scale. Working with students and academics, Edinburgh University People & Planet has an excellent opportunity to reduce emissions by engaging the University community as a research and learning institution, and a community of living, working individuals. Note that whilst Edinburgh University People & Planet have initiated this project, it will be led by the broader TEU group which comprises of representatives from students, teaching and support staff, researchers, and recent alumni still living in Edinburgh. The TEU group, as an initiative of Edinburgh University People & Planet will however, continue to use Edinburgh University People & Planet as the core vehicle for liaising with funders and other formal bodies.

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2. LEGALLY CONSTITUTED ORGANISATIONS Edinburgh University People & Planet Society was formally constituted in December 1998 and is a recognised society of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association. A recent bank statement has been submitted separately. Note that our 1998 constitution set out below is under review. Changes likely include that the membership charge will be practically free at 1p (the lowest it can be under Students Association rules). Even so, we do not require formal membership as a condition of involvement in the society – other than being elected as president, secretary, or treasurer.

Constitution of Edinburgh University People & Planet Society 1.

Name The name of the society shall be ‘Edinburgh University People & Planet’, hereinafter referred to as ‘the Society’

2. Objectives • To publicise and educate on issues of world poverty deriving from the unequal distribution of the world’s resources and the exploitative relationships between industrialised nations and Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) • To campaign for the adoption of policies geared towards global equality, justice and protection of the environment 3.

Membership • Membership shall be open to all matriculated students of the universities of Edinburgh and

Heriot Watt • Membership shall be open to all students on an equal basis • At least 75% of the society’s members shall be matriculated students of the Edinburgh

University • All members who are not matriculated students of Edinburgh University shall pay at least

twice the annual subscription paid by these students. 4.

Office Bearers • All office bearers shall be matriculated students of Edinburgh University • Office bearers shall be elected annually and shall consist of President, Secretary, Treasurer

and any other office bearers deemed necessary by the society 5.

Annual General Meeting • The AGM shall be held in May, at least 7 days notice having been given • The AGM shall elect new office bearers and deliver annual reports

6.

Finances • A statement of accounts for the year shall be presented by the Treasurer at the AGM • The Society’s financial year shall run from 1st May to 30th April • The Societies’ cheques shall be signed with two authorised signatories

7.

Constitutional Changes • Proposed changes in the constitution shall require 14 days’ notice and a 2/3 majority at a

duly assembled General Meeting • Constitutional changes shall not be brought up under the heading ‘any other business’

SECTION 2.0 – PROJECT DETAILS 2.1 PROJECT NAME AND LOCATION Name of project

Transition Edinburgh University Phase 1 (Feasibility Study / Scoping)

Location of project

University of Edinburgh

Table 2: Project name and location

– Project located in ; City of Edinburgh

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2.2 SUMMARY OF PROJECT a) Brief overview of project followed by aims and objectives This project aims to work within a community of interest – the 25, 000 students and 10,000 staff at the University of Edinburgh – to design a comprehensive ‘carbon crash’ programme. A four-month research and capacity building project will run from June-October 2009, creating the basis for a steady increase in action across the University community, and coordinating actions leading into the launch of a full ‘carbon crash’ programme in the 2009/10 academic year. In particular, this will be designed to coincide with the upsurge in interest in climate change that is anticipated to surround the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. In its initial stages, three interns will be recruited from each of the three Colleges of the University. With the aid of an external expert, they would conduct an intensive review of opportunities for carbon savings in areas such as personal transport, food sources, waste and recycling, home heating, and electricity use. They will then develop and provide support to a core group of students staying in the city over the summer and engage with academics and support staff to develop a full-blown carbon crash programme to start in the new academic year. The working group promoting this application has framed the following aims and objectives for the wider successor programme and these will likely evolve during the course of the four month project. Aims 1. To provide a lead for students and staff to understand and attempt to lower their carbon footprints; 2. To broaden and increase student and staff involvement in the University’s sustainability and social responsibility agenda – and to cut down carbon emissions in our own lives; 3. To inspire student and staff community groups at the 20 other universities and 40 colleges and aid and promote similar initiatives across Scotland. Objectives: 2. To engage with each of the University colleges, departments, support services, and the community around them, to create an effective network that will identify the most effective targets for carbon reductions across the University community; 3. To establish baseline estimates for emissions attributable to being a member of the University community as a student, academic staff or other member of staff; 4. To design and initiate a small number of well-publicised pilot projects, focusing on travel and transport, local food production, reduced product miles and simple residential energy savings, aimed to share the findings of research with the university community and facilitate further action; 5. To design and source further funding for a comprehensive ‘carbon crash programme’ for the University community.

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b) Project impact on carbon / greenhouse gas reductions At this stage, the project would achieve both a comprehensive ‘starting point’ for a carbon reduction programme through the establishment of baseline figures, and also begin to mitigate emissions through the food and transport projects. This would complement the work already conducted by University staff for the successful submission for accreditation under the Carbon Trust Standard – the first University in Scotland to be so recognised. A file with the Carbon Trust Standard submission has been provided separately along with description of the role of the Energy & Sustainability Office within Estates & Buildings. c) Community involvement in project The University of Edinburgh community: As of academic year 2008/9, the University population can be broken down as follows: College of Humanities and Social Sciences: 15,000 students College of Science and Engineering: 7,500 students College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine: 3,500 students Academic and support staff: 10,000 Total: 36,000 Community involvement: The immediate benefits envisaged for the community here are dual. The aims of the 4-month research and outreach period will be to overcome previous barriers to carbon-reduction progress amongst the University community – inherent to the institutional structure of the University which respects the coherence of each academic discipline but does not lend itself to cross-cutting links across the various sub-populations. These cohesive linkages will lay the essential working basis for community-driven behavioural change to achieve reduced carbon emissions. It will benefit wider cohesion across all levels of the dense university structure constrained by disciplinary boundaries – to promote increased engagement and inclusion in other programmes of environmental improvement. We confirm that no aspect of this project will materially benefit the University and that it will simply complement the already extensive activities associated with Building energy reduction, combined heat and power and related capital projects across the estate. d) Compatibility with Criteria This project will result in a measurable and significant cut in carbon emissions and will generate greater awareness of practical measures which can be undertaken to cut carbon emissions by individuals across the University of Edinburgh. As far as we are aware this is the first Climate Challenge Fund application from any community group in a Scottish University. The project has major benefits in terms of its potential for replication across Scotland. If the Transition model can be adapted to an academic community then it has the potential to deliver a lasting legacy for a sector that contributes a significant wedge of Scotland’s climate impact. People & Planet has campaigned specifically on sustainability in the curriculum for many years and this part of the project will continue this educational focus. To maximise the potential for replication, TEU would work closely with the other community groups at other Edinburgh higher education institutions including Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh College of Art and Heriot Watt University.

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2.3 PARTNERSHIPS The project will work in collaboration with, and draw support from, the following organisations: Delivery Partner

Role

Contact Details

Edinburgh University Students' Association http://www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/

The student voice, EUSA will promote the projects to students and ensure student interests are taken into account.

Adam Ramsay EUSA President

University of Edinburgh Energy & Sustainability Office (ESO) – part of Estates & Buildings http://www.eso.ed.ac.uk/

Responsible for the social responsibility, sustainability and climate change policies and practises of the university. The ESO will work in support to ensure that our projects are feasible & can be implemented. In practical terms this will be day-to-day onsite technical advice and support.

David Somervell Sustainability Adviser

People & Planet (P&P) National Office http://peopleandplanet.org/

The P&P office support the UK network – Ian Leggett responsible for coordinating campaigns – P&P Director would work with Edinburgh P&P to promote this Transition University project in their new Go Green campaign.

Transition Scotland Support http://transitionedinburgh.wor dpress.com/

Supporting the Transition movement across Scotland, TSS will communicate lessons emerging and lessons learnt with other Transition groups across Scotland – especially those from FHE sector.

Eva Schonveld Transition Scotland Support

Student societies www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/societies

There are more than 200 active student societies at Edinburgh University. The project will work with as many societies as possible especially those involved with particular sustainability issues e.g. newly established Carbon Management Society.

Anna Brookfield Dirty Weekenders William Norman Young Greens Carbon Mgt Society

Changeworks www.changeworks.org.uk/

Leading Edinburgh-based sustainability charity will explore ways to work together e.g. transport policy, waste management, creative approaches.

Stuart Hay Changeworks

Environmental Association for Universities & Colleges www.eauc.org.uk/scotland

The network of practitioners promoting sustainability in all 60 FHE institutions in Scotland will share lessons learnt.

Andrew Chamberlain EAUC-Scotland Manager

Friends of the Earth Scotland www.foe-scotland.org.uk/

Scotland's leading environmental campaigning organisation looking for ways to promote the Transition concept to the wider community.

Iain Thom FOES

Table 3: Delivery partner(s) Please find letters of support from pasted in at the end of this application.

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2.4 PROPOSED PROJECT START AND END DATES Start Date

End Date

Mid June 2009

October 2009

Table 4: Project start and end dates 2.5 DETAILED PROJECT DESCRIPTION Project development so far: Transition Edinburgh University (TEU) aims to develop the Transition initiatives model – by nature a grassroots approach to preparing our communities for the necessary changes inherent to reducing our carbon emissions. Though initiated by the People & Planet society, TEU has operated as a very open and independent forum for discussion and engagement for interested parties and individuals since its inception. Meetings and events are open to all and action points and minutes of discussions are posted on a public web forum. The direction of the group has been consensually evolved by interested contributors from across the student and staff community. While continually evolving to adopt the ideas from all those already involved, the group is in the process of developing a website, holding film screening on campus and distributing other promotional materials. The initiation of the national transition campaign by People & Planet UK holds great potential for significantly widening engagement with other universities across Scotland. Project Outline at Feasibility : This project is designed as the preparatory stage of a longer-term process within the university. It aims to establish an informed basis for an effective carbon-crash programme, and to ‘launch’ the identified strategies to ensure active community engagement for the main phase of the project. TEU will work with EUSA and the University to formally recruit three current students or recent graduates ideally one from each of the three Colleges of the University. Following an initial period of orientation and a series of training sessions with external expert input, the three interns would begin an extensive period of outreach within each School of their Colleges. Firstly, the interns will actively liaise with staff and students to begin to set up an effective and efficient infrastructure for communication across the university community. They will plan and prepare workshops with all of these groups, involving two-way flows of information. The aim will be to harvest information to find the best strategic targets for serious carbon reduction projects in each school. Regular feedback opportunities will be created and initial training and advice would be given to students and staff. We will formalise the existing working group to guide the work of the interns. Within the structure of the academic year, the interns would first work with postgraduate students, academics and support staff during the summer break and then shift to a focus on undergraduate students in the first weeks of the new semester in September. Secondly and simultaneously, they would work to establish baseline estimates of the emissions attributable to being a member of the University community. Against these, the carbon-crash programme would be designed to achieve ambitious cuts in emissions. Thirdly, they would design and facilitate both a ‘launch’ event (e.g. an ‘Earth Day’) and a number of participatory projects to be piloted in the first few weeks of the academic year. The launch day will be linked with a wider 'Transition Weekend' being planned by Transition Edinburgh groups. The role of this launch day will be to showcase findings on average emissions and communicate them in a motivational manner – to get the gravity of the message across! It will simultaneously introduce opportunities for increased participation and action within both the TEU initiative and personal energy-reduction. The participatory projects will be introduced here. One will be an initiative on locally grown food and one will focus on travel and transport. Management and Support Page 8 of 17

The project will be managed and supported by a Project Steering Group. This group is already formed as a working group of TEU, and has so far been responsible for drawing up this application. The working group will take responsibility for giving guidance and direction to paid staff. As with other working groups of TEU, it functions openly and its membership comprises of interested members of the University community taking part in other aspects of the TEU group. Training will be provided by the 'Carbon expert' (who will advise on the technical aspects of carbon reductions) and from People & Planet UK at their summer training event (who will give training on engagement and facilitation). Throughout the project, the 'Carbon Expert' will provide support and assistance on issues regarding carbon reductions throughout, and the Sustainability Adviser at the University will provide day-to-day on-site advice and practical support. 2.6 MONITORING AND EVALUATION The University’s Energy & Sustainability Office have agreed to provide support to the project including some of the more formal aspects such as recruitment of the interns and office space. We shall work closely with them to evolve their established procedures for carbon accounting, and with the external consultant to estimate baseline emissions and carbon savings of the University populace under areas such as personal transport, food sources, waste and recycling, home heating, and electricity use. A report will be published at the end of the research period to synthesize the findings and act as a masterplan to implement the research’s recommendations. Copies will be made publicly available through the university’s website and promoted to staff through electronic and other communication. 2.7 CARBON EMISSIONS CO2 assumptions and calculations We propose to use the Carbon Trust Standard worksheet to record Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions under the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The transport emissions will be derived from the staff and student Travel Survey 2007 – and will use the emissions calculator developed by Colin Buchanan Partners for the University (see www.transport.ed.ac.uk). Year 2 2009 - 2011 – Expected reduction in CO2 Emissions (tonnes) The University's Environment and Sustainability Office (ESO) has provided the People & Planet society with estimates of GHG emissions resulting from the University's buildings estate (which are not covered by the TEU project). However, they have not surveyed 'non-building' emissions created by students and staff. TEU cannot properly estimate the potential reductions of its work until it has gathered this data. This is the main activity in the second stated objective of Phase 1 of the project: “to establish baseline estimates for emissions attributable to being a member of the University community as a student, academic staff or other member of staff.” By the end of the phase 1 the TEU project will have estimates of these "non-building" emissions, and be in a position to estimate potential reductions resulting from its "carbon crash" programme. These will result from engagement with each part of the University community – personal transport, business travel, home energy savings from better management techniques learnt from the project. If the subsequent Phase 2 project is successful it is estimated that overall CO2 savings might be in the order of 15 - 20,000 tonnes over the period to March 2011. Previous work that the University has conducted – within the University estate alone – has resulted in over 5,000 tonnes of CO2 annual savings associated with the three combined heat and power energy centres and approximately 5% of CO2 emissions associated with departmental electricity consumption following the Switch and Save campaign run since 2006. Table 6: Carbon Emissions

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2.8 MILESTONES AND TIMELINE OF PROJECT OUTPUTS The following are based on an early decision by the CCF Panel who we hope might consider this application under a Fast-Track approval process. Mid-May to early-June: Recruit interns through University of Edinburgh's careers service (SAGE). Early June to mid-June: Orientation and training of interns; task development; setting up of working groups. Mid-June onwards: Engagement and outreach with all available university groups. Detailed project research begins. Planning of Transition launch events for new academic year. Mid-September: Engage with new and returning students at start of new academic year through Transition events and awareness.

SECTION 3.0 – PROJECT COSTS 3.1 BREAKDOWN OF CAPITAL COSTS Promotional materials etc.

£1,000

N/A

Total

£1,000

£1,000

£1,000

£1,000

Table 7: Breakdown of capital costs 3.2 BREAKDOWN OF REVENUE COSTS Description

CCF

Other source funding

of CCF Year 2 2009/10

Total Cost

Three full-time interns: £900/month = £3,600/intern

£10,800

N/A

£10,800

£10,800

One external ‘carbon expert’

£6,000

N/A

£6,000

£6,000

Travel, training etc.

£1,000

N/A

£1,000

£1,000

Table 8: Breakdown of revenue costs 3.3 INCOME Income Source

Year 2 2009/10 Secured (£)

Unsecured (£)

N/A - see above Table 9: Existing income

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Decision date if unsecured

Total

3.4 IN KIND CONTRIBUTIONS Source of ‘in kind’ contributions (Please specify)

Amount

Secured or unsecured

Working Group time – students

£4,000

Contribution confirmed

University Sustainability Adviser

£6,000

Contribution confirmed

Other University staff contribution

£5,000

Contribution confirmed

Office space, heat, light and power and phones

£2,000

Contribution offered

Table 10: In kind contributions 3.5 PROJECT BUDGET SUMMARY Column B

Column C

Column D

Column E

Year 2 2009/10

Year 3 2010/11

Total project costs

Total Capital

£1,000

–

£1,000

£1,000

Total Revenue

£17,800

–

£17,800

£17,800

Total Capital+Revenue

£18,800

–

£18,800

£18,800

Total in kind

£17,000

–

£17,000

Overall project value

£35,800

–

£35,800

Other income

Column F CCF Grant requested

Table 11: Project budget summary 3.6 LEVEL OF GRANT REQUIRED CCF Year 2 2009/10

Amount requested

£18,800

Table 12: Level of grant required 3.7 VAT Is your organisation or group VAT registered? ; No 3.8 BANK DETAILS Does your organisation have a bank account? ; Yes Please note that a copy of our most recent bank statement has been submitted with this application. Please enclose a copy of the organisations annual accounts if these are available. N/A

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SECTION 4.0 – SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION & CHECKLIST 4.1 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION & CHECKLIST Please detail what supporting documentation you have supplied with this project proposal by marking the relevant boxes on the checklist below. Please use this checklist to ensure you are including all necessary supporting documentation. This will ensure quick processing of your application. You must tick every box that applies to you before you send this form. Please refer to section 4.1 in the guidance notes for further assistance. For ease of data management we have pasted all the available documentation into this at the end.

Supporting Documentation & checklist I have answered all the questions on the application form that relate to my organisation / project The chair of the organisation or another authorised person has signed the declaration in section 5.0 All requested documents have been enclosed and are: 3. marked with the organisation and project names 4. have been dated 5. have an authorising signature 6. labelled with the relevant question number Please tick boxes below indicating supporting documentation supplied with this project proposal 1.4 Legal constitution

Pasted in at page 3

2.3 Letter(s) of support & grant offers

Pasted in at end of this application

2.5 Results from any consultation

Positive feedback from staff & students consulted See www.transitionedinburghuni.org.uk

3.3 Details of match funders/condition of grant

N/A

3.8 Bank statement

Submitted separately

3.8 Annual accounts

N/A

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SECTION 5.0 – DECLARATION: Transition Edinburgh University Ph 1 Keep Scotland Beautiful is fund administrator for the Climate Challenge Fund and is referred to in this declaration as “we” or “us” or “our” and applicant is referred to as “I” or “my” or “you”. Keep Scotland Beautiful is an operating name of Environmental Campaigns (Scotland), Scottish Charity Number SC030332. 5.1 DECLARATION I declare that: 1. The information given on this application form and in any other documentation that supports this application is complete and true. 2. I understand that, where any misleading statements (whether deliberate or accidental) are given at any stage during the application process, or where any information is knowingly withheld, this could render my grant application invalid and any grant funds received will be liable for repayment. 3. The grant proposal already falls within my organisation’s governing document (e.g. constitution, set of rules, trust deed, or memorandum and articles of association) or will do so before any award can be accepted. 4. My organisation has the power to accept a grant subject to conditions, and to repay the grant in the event of the grant conditions not being met, in the opinion of Keep Scotland Beautiful as administrator of the Climate Challenge Fund. 5. The original wording and structure of this application form as it was provided has not been altered, deleted or added to in any way. 6. My organisation will take all reasonable precautions to ensure that grant funds received will not be misused or misappropriated in any way. In the event of fraud or other misuse, I understand that Keep Scotland Beautiful may take whatever action it considers appropriate to recover misappropriated funds. I understand that: 7. Keep Scotland Beautiful or its agents may use the information we have supplied under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. 8. Keep Scotland Beautiful and the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund will use the information on the application form and during the life of a grant (if awarded) to administer and analyse grants and may give copies of all or some of this information to individuals and organisations we consult when assessing applications and monitoring grants. These organisations may include external assessors, accountants, and other organisations involved in providing the grant programme. 9. Information might be shared with government departments, organisations providing matched funding and other organisations and individuals with a legitimate interest. To help meet the needs of voluntary organisations, we might use the data provided for our own research purposes. 10. Some of the applications received may be from organisations that work with people who may need their privacy protected. We recognise the need to maintain the confidentiality of these organisations’ staff and clients, so their details will not be made public in any way, except as required by law. If you think your application falls within this category, please let us know. Signed:

Daniel Abrahams

Organisation: Edinburgh University People & Planet Society

Co-Convener 2009-10 27 April 2009

Either your chairperson or other authorised person MUST sign hard copy of this declaration. It MUST be a different person from main contact given for the application in Question 1.1.

SECTION 6.0 – SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 6.1 Letters of Support from Partners and collaborating organisations Page 13 of 17

Note that originals from which these have been transcribed are available on request. Edinburgh University Students’ Association

To whom it may concern, Transition Edinburgh University Application The Edinburgh University Students' Association has a long running commitment to cutting carbon emissions - both its own and the University's. We are members of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland Coalition, and both this year and last year have won "gold" in the NUS Services Ltd Students' Union Sound Environmental Impact Awards for our efforts in reducing carbon emissions. Similarly, we have long pushed the university to cut its own emissions. People & Planet is an affiliated society of the Students' Association. As such we support them in their work. We are fully supportive of, and excited by, this application and will continue to do what we can to ensure that People & Planet have all the support and training they need in order to ensure it is delivered to full effect. Best wishes, Adam Ramsay, EUSA President Naomi Hunter, EUSA Vice President Societies and Activities Antony Blackshaw, EUSA Chief Executive University of Edinburgh Energy & Sustainability Office

To Edinburgh University People and Planet Dear Ruth Cape, Climate Challenge Fund Application The University has a long history of collaborating with student projects and is delighted to lend both moral support to the Transition Edinburgh University and also practical assistance to help make the project work. This initiative comes at a very timely moment as we are in the process this summer of reviewing all our policies and practices associated with Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Climate Change. As a founder signatory of the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland and the first University to achieve accreditation under the Carbon Trust Standard, we seek to achieve a resilient, low carbon institution that genuinely contributes to wider Scottish efforts to decarbonise. This needs to go well beyond our direct efforts to improve performance of our estate and will embrace people-focused initiatives such as this proposed project which cut carbon through student and staff behaviour and attitude change. The University’s Utilities Steering Group, convened by the Director of Corporate Services, has also expressed support for the initiative and, in Estates & Buildings, we hope to provide practical assistance through making office facilities available to assist in delivery of the project. David Somervell, Sustainability Adviser, will allocate at least one day a week to collaborating with appointed interns and ensure effective alignment with the emerging development of the University’s Climate Change strategy and action plans. I hope the Panel approve this pioneering project which we undertake to promote widely across the other 60 institutions of higher and further education. Your sincerely, Geoff Turnbull, Assistant Director of Estates & Buildings, 13 Infirmary St, Edinburgh EH1 1LT

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People & Planet UK ----- Email Message ----From: Ian Leggett [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 21 April 2009 13:05 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Climate Challenge Fund (UoE) Dear Ruth, Thanks for the update. I write to confirm you have our full support for the application. The relationship between P&P at Edinburgh and key staff within the university is exemplary and should provide very strong foundations to make the project a success. The project is absolutely consistent with our broader campaign direction for the next few years and I am sure that other universities - both in Scotland and in England and Wales - will be able to learn from your pioneering initiative. We will, of course, continue to support the P&P group in Edinburgh and others in Scotland to the best of our ability and capacity. Given the importance of being able to build an evidential base for moving to a low carbon model, I urge you to make appropriate provision for defining outcomes and for building in appropriate monitoring and evaluation of the project. It is this experience that will convince others to follow your example. With best wishes Ian Leggett Director, People & Planet UK Address : 51 Union Street, Oxford OX4 1JP http://peopleandplanet.org Telephone : 01865 245678 Registered company no. 3076463 Registered charity no. 326008 Students Societies

Edinburgh University Dirty Weekenders [practical conservation society] Hello Ruth, I will raise the issues brought up by Transition with the committee at our next meeting, as I'm sure a lot of people would like to be involved with your work. Good luck with the application and please feel welcome to come along to our projects, the first of which is Sunday 21st September in Freshers’ Week. All the best, Anna Edinburgh University Young Greens The Edinburgh Young Greens fully support the Edinburgh University Transition group. We believe transition movements are essential for reducing climate change and preparing for a low carbon world, and are keen to see Transition Edinburgh University lead the way in university transitions. We would be more than willing to offer our time and support to promoting and even hosting relevant events. We sincerely hope that through the work of the Edinburgh University Transition Group the University of Edinburgh can become a pioneering transition university that will both significantly reduce its own environmental footprint, and also set an example for other universities to follow. William Norman, Convener Edinburgh University Young Greens

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Changeworks

Hi Dariush I have had a quick look through this and would be happy to lend our name to it. Changeworks main interest and expertise is in domestic / household and energy use. We have produced a lot of materials which we could distribute to students / staff if we have stocks of materials left. We have both Edinburgh specific stuff and more generic energy efficiency materials which are EST branded, including Home Energy Checks. I would suggest contacting Sitar Ramsey about the latter and other free support from the Energy Saving Scotland Advice Centre for the South East (ESSAC). She should also be able to organise a further letter of support. The ESSAC also have resources related to transport. These resources are all free. For instance you could set a target for a certain number of students and staff to complete Home Energy Checks (HECs) which would help them identify savings. Her email is copied in. I would advise on considering exactly what you want the external carbon expert to do and check out where the work will go beyond University own plans and activities and anything you could get through the Carbon Trust on energy management. I think the distinction here is targeting people and behaviour on and off campus – maybe worth making this distinction clear in the bid. A nice easy thing to do would be developing and distributing an energy efficiency freshers pack. You could probably source 2 CFL light bulbs per student for this. Other goodies might be ‘power down’ plugs or room thermometers. It should be reasonably easy to calculate a carbon saving from these. I also note you are planning to “To design and initiate a small number of well-publicised pilot projects, focusing on food and transport, aimed to share the findings of research with the university community and facilitate further action;” I think my team could potentially add further value to the project if you were interested in targeting student accommodation and flats as part of the project. The built environment is a big emitter as you will know, and cold energy hungry flats must be a big issue for the student population. One option would be to collect and collate Energy Performance Certificate data from rented properties to highlight the problems of energy inefficient flats. Beyond this you could pilot some training and developing some resources for students to audit their own digs, write to their landlords. We could then advise on grants and dealing with issues such as getting landlords onboard to draught proof etc. We could also offer a lot of advice on efficient use of heating and appliance etc. I think a lot of students will be in fuel poverty so there would be wider benefit of the project. I think this would involve some focus groups of students, developing up materials, trialing the pack and monitoring the results. Unfortunately this goes beyond what our current funding would allow so you would need to cover the costs within the bid. I would say this would cost around £3,000 - £4,000 including print costs and staff time for training and data analysis to a decent job. This might be something you would want to consider as a Phase 2, but I thought it would be worth flagging up. I hope this is some use and good luck with the bid. Regards, Stuart

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Environmental Association for Universities & Colleges -----Original Message----From: Lovie, Fraser [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: 24 April 2009 15:52 To: SOMERVELL David Subject: Transition Edinburgh University Dear David In my role as Convener of the EAUC's Scottish Branch I am delighted to offer my support for this exciting venture. The idea of Universities as possible venues for development of the Transition process was one of the emerging themes at this year's EAUC conference in Warwick. To that end, the Scottish (and for that matter national) EAUC will follow your progress with much interest, with a view to learning lessons and looking to see where and how this model can be applied elsewhere in the sector. I see this initiative as part of a multi-pronged approach that broadens the sectors efforts to ensure that it is a leader in the process of adaptation and mitigation at both the organisational (i.e. operational) and academic (i.e. research and curriculum) levels. You have my strong support for this initiative. I look forward to hearing further how it develops. Regards, Fraser Lovie, Policy Adviser & EAUC-Scotland Branch Convener Policy, Planning & Governance, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX T. 00 44 1224 273165 F. 00 44 1224 273984 E. [email protected] W. www.abdn.ac.uk Friends of the Earth Scotland

Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoES) supports this application by Transition Edinburgh University to the Climate Challenge Fund. We believe the activities and outcomes proposed are essential in helping Scottish universities lead the response to climate change. Understanding an institution’s carbon footprint is essential to the responsible management and reduction of environmental impacts. The Carbon Accountability Programme at FoES is undertaking research into carbon footprinting and we can identify useful partnership opportunities with this proposed project. FoES have previously worked with Edinburgh University on climate change issues and we see the student community as extremely important stakeholders. The student community will be enabled by this project to more fully participate in the climate change agenda and drive institutional change. Regards, Iain Thom Friends of the Earth Scotland Transition Scotland Support

Eva Schonveld – who gave the presentation at the busy Monday evening meeting of Edinburgh P&P that launched this whole initiative last autumn – has given a very positive verbal message of support for this application. For various reasons it has not been possible for her to commit this to paper or email, but we are sure she would be happy to confirm how important Transition Scotland Support see this initiative in building a broad range of implementation models and in ensuring that practical ideas for promoting low carbon resilient and re-localised communities of interest can be tested out in such a supportive context – and how TSS will provide support and assistance to the project. T:\EST\EB09\Divisions\Admin\Committ\SEAG\090528\Paper5-TransitionEdinburghUni.doc Page 17 of 17