Category: Staff profiles (Page 2 of 2)

SPA takes itself to task on sustainability

May 3, 2017 /

Laura Westwood SPAThis week’s guest blog comes courtesy of Laura Westwood. Laura is an Internal Auditor within the Directorate of Strategy, Planning & Assurance.

(The views presented do not necessarily reflect those of King’s Sustainability.)

The last couple of months have seen a proliferation of posters and a new recycling bin in the Directorate of Strategy, Planning & Assurance.  Handily located at the tea point, the new bin makes each coffee break an unavoidable opportunity to do our bit – and we’ve additionally committed to using only eco-friendly coffee pods.

Before the bin arrived, we had to walk to the kitchen across the corridor to recycle waste.  Hardly an onerous task, I admit, but when one lunches al desko on rainy days, absent-mindedly favouring the nearest receptacle can become a habit.  I have rescued several stray banana skins from the floor under my desk this week, as I habituate to our personal bin ‘cull’!

When our Directorate Sustainability Champion, Sian, came to the Internal Audit team meeting, the information she shared with us showed that some of the choices we make with good intentions may in fact be ill-informed.  I had been convinced that rinsing my cup under the tap was preferable to leaving it in the dishwasher, but Sian explained that if we avoid using sinks and run one dishwasher cycle per day, our energy efficiency will improve.

My personal good news story is that, confronted with the information on one of our new office posters that King’s produces ten tons of waste each day, I logged into Papercut for the first time and resolved to curtail my printing activities.  I find it much easier to absorb information when I read it on paper, but I’ve made a concerted effort.  My first zero-printing week occurred this month, and I hope for many more.

The next step for the Strategy, Planning & Assurance sustainability team is to advance our ideas for contributing to the local community.  Talks are underway with local organisations to build on the success of previous years’ clothing collections by welcoming homeless guests for a hearty meal served by King’s staff and students.   New and nearly new clothing and accessories are planned to be collected and displayed in ‘retail’ style, so that guests can browse at leisure and select pieces to take away.

All in all, the drive for sustainability in SPA has pushed me to fully accept my duty to demonstrate sustainable behaviours at work.  However insignificant our individual ‘oops’ moments may seem amongst an 8000-strong staff population, they add up to serious environmental impact.  I can no longer gloss over my environmental footprint, because with Sian’s help, it has been laid out in front of me – and I’m thankful for that.

Laura Westwood is an Internal Auditor within the Directorate of Strategy, Planning & Assurance. 

A Welcome from King’s new Operations Sustainability Manager

October 10, 2016 /

Hello!

20161010 Olivia's Personal Blog (photo in blog post)I’m delighted to have recently joined the Sustainability Team at King’s, and the energy and ideas I’ve already witnessed in my first few weeks has been invigorating, not least the positivity from the many students I met at the Fresher’s Fair and Welcome to King’s events.

For the last year I’ve been working in the Learning and Innovation team at the UK Green Building Council, a membership organisation campaigning across the industry for a more sustainable built environment. As a large owner-occupier, the case for King’s College to make sure any new buildings we design and construct are efficient and sustainable, buildings that we will occupy and pay the energy bills in for many years to come, is a no-brainer. I’m excited to work with new colleagues in Estates and Facilities to make sure this happens.  Prior to UK-GBC, I spent nearly 5 years as Environment Manager at the BBC, working to improve environmental performance across their property estate. With around 175 buildings nationwide, and 22,000 staff working on delivering T.V. and radio content in studios and out on location, it was no mean feat. Ranging from improving the performance of the iconic Broadcasting House, with its 24-hour newsrooms, to advising on the most appropriate way to dispose of some very realistic-looking body parts from the clearance of a Silent Witness props store, no day was boring.

I hope this sets me up well to champion sustainability and support the College in embedding sustainability across all its activities. With a background in waste and pollution legislation gained at the Environment Agency, I’ve seen my fair share of what happens when environmental controls aren’t in place (and the hefty bills that can result from clean-up or prosecution). With this in mind, I’ll be making sure we are compliant and following best practice. But what excites me most about joining King’s can be summed up in one word – Potential.

From the world-class research and teaching across all academic disciplines, to the innovation bubbling out of the Entrepreneurship Institute, to the ground-breaking work of the Air Quality Group, and many more, I believe it’s no exaggeration to say that at King’s we have the potential to change the world for the better. And there’s never been a greater need.

20161010 Olivia's Personal Blog UNSDGs (photo in blog post)

With the ratification of the Paris Climate Change Agreement agreed at COP 21 finally bringing some hope of keeping global warming below the dangerous 2 degrees threshold, to the launch of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals one year ago, it’s an exciting time to work in sustainability. What I hope to be part of creating with the fantastic Sustainability Team is a step change in how all of us, students and staff, understand the potential we have to create a more sustainable future.

I look forward to meeting you at our events, and especially working with colleagues across the University through our Sustainability Champions scheme which is being re-launched later this month.

I hope you’re excited as I am about getting on board with making King’s sustainable!

Olivia

Sustainable labs at King’s

May 11, 2015 /

Martin_labsThis week we are catching up with Martin, our Sustainable Labs Project Coordinator, to find out how he is getting on with making King’s labs more sustainable.

As part of Martins job he is currently collecting information about various different pieces of equipment throughout the labs at King’s. Within these surveys he is looking at a variety of lab specific equipment including drying cabinets and fume cupboards, with an aim to reduce energy consumption and improve usage.

One current project involves replacing drying cabinets with much more efficient models. Furthermore Martin has been giving out timers to labs so that non-critical equipment such as drying cabinets can be turned off at night and then come on again in the morning, saving plenty of energy during nights. The estimated savings from the timers alone is expected to save around £30,000 over the next 10 years at King’s.

Martin is also looking at fume hoods and their usage to ensure they are being used correctly and are working as efficiently as possible. Many of the fume hoods are VAV (variable air volume) which have the potential to save a lot of energy. However it is vital that these are being used correctly and Martin is surveying to determine the status of our current usage.

Another large part of Martins role focuses on Sustainability Champions in labs. Within this programme, labs teams are asked to complete a workbook, which looks at improve the sustainability of the lab from waste and recycling to chemicals and materials. There are now 9 lab teams across King’s, representing the labs from all campuses. All of the Champions are at least at bronze level and are working hard to improve the sustainability of their labs. Martin is currently in the process of auditing these area and the awards for labs will be in July, hosted by Nick O’Donnell.

If you’d like to get your lab involved or would like more information on sustainable labs please contact Martin. 

Meet Phil, our interim Head of Sustainability

April 21, 2015 /

Today we’d like to introduce you to our newest member of the team, Phil, our interim Head of Sustainability. Phil is covering for Kat Thorne whilst she is away on 12 month maternity leave and joined us at the end of March. He has some key objective he will be working hard to achieve within his time here at King’s.

Phil Evans‘I’ve been working in the energy and environmental sector for 20 years, with this being my third stint in Higher Education along with a variety of corporates and consultancies. Over the years I have worked with varies organisations including UEL and Imperial College, London, as well as Green Bridge and EnTech Energy.

My main goal is to ensure Estates & Facilities becomes ISO14001 certified within the short time I’m here, so I’m going to be busy! It’s the obvious next step for us because the ISO14001 environmental management system will allow us to consistently manage our environmental risks and help to demonstrate our commitment to serving a world-class University.

Everyone within the Sustainability Team is playing their part in making this happen, but we won’t be able to do it without your help and support.’

So Phil’s main aim for the year is to help get King’s college ISO14001 Certified. ISO 14001 is the international standard for environmental management and shows that as a University we are committed to meeting and improving environmental standards. This will help us to achieve:

* An effective management system for activities affecting the environment on sites             * Reducing risk to the environment and improved efficiency at King’s                                   * Compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements in relation to the environment

It is also good housekeeping, keeping us in line with Fit for King’s, which in turn can help lower costs within estates and facilities.

Phil will be working closely with Ann in implementing the Environmental Management System in accordance with this which is currently being developed. This is a huge positive step for the University and we are happy to have Phil joining the team!

If you have any ideas or projects that you think will improve the sustainability at King’s please do email them to us. Also sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with our progress and to find out how you can help us!

Now let’s meet Ann – Sustainable Operations expert

January 19, 2015 /

We have introduced Tom, energy manager, and Martin, sustainable Lab’s coordinator, both who are working to minimise the impacts of King’s use of natural resources in our energy consumption. The role of the sustainability team is however much broader than just energy – it is our responsibility to embed sustainable culture throughout King’s operations. Enter Ann.

Ann joins the sustainability team as Sustainable Operations Manager. Starting just before Christmas, Ann has begun to sink her teeth in to a variety of projects. So Ann, tell us more about your role:

‘My role as Operations Sustainability Manager is primarily involved with championing and embedding sustainability across the university. This includes working closely with colleagues both in Estates and Facilities and across the wider university; and together with students to help deliver the university’s sustainability objectives while minimising the impact of King’s on the environment. The focus of my role include areas of sustainability such as travel, sustainable procurement, waste & resources, sustainable construction and, development of our Environmental Management system.

In the past my career has included a working for a range of sustainability roles within a variety of industries in the private sector including a renewable energy company, buildings interiors fit out company and as an airport operator.

I’ll be at the next Sustainability Forum on 27th January at the James Black Centre, Denmark Hill so please feel free to pop along and say hello!’

So Ann is implementing an environmental management system; in other words she will be ensuring all sustainability policies and procedures become apart of our culture here at King’s so we can reduce our carbon footprint.Once Ann has had a chance to catch her breath, she will be no doubt providing updates in her progress.

Since Ann has started, she has been leading our latest initiative: Sustainability Champions. The Sustainability Champions programme is a great way to get involved with sustainability at King’s at the grassroots level. We are looking for passionate staff who would like to champion sustainability in their workplace and help King’s have a positive impact on our surrounding environments. Please get in touch if you would like to become a champion: sustainability@kcl.ac.uk

News, stories, and interesting bits.

Upcoming events

Introducing Martin, the lab guy

December 1, 2014 /

Last week we learned a bit about Tom Yearley, our new Energy Manager. Tom is just one of a group of new staff to the Sustainability team. Energy is a broad and important strand of sustainability work at any institution. Also important to King’s is its laboratories, which on average consume 3-5 times more energy per square meter than other academic spaces. This is a big reason why Martin Farley has joined the team as the Sustainable Laboratories Project Coordinator. This week we will be looking into what Martin’s role entails, and why those of us working in labs ought to be thinking seriously about sustainability.

blog pic martin

Martin, bringing some serious sustainability into the laboratory.

‘I work with research labs to improve sustainability in short. Research labs consume a lot of energy, way more than most areas, and yet are often overlooked. There are a variety of areas we try and focus on like cold storage, ventilation, management practices, and about anything that produces heat. I try and bridge the gap between the researchers and facilities to find win-wins for everyone.’ In particular, Martin says he’d ‘love to further improve cold storage management here at Kings, though people like Allison Hunter have already been trailblazing in this area. For now I’ve been following in her footsteps. Cold storage is a unique challenge from the purchasing of freezers, to their maintenance and management, and finally their disposal, there is always something else to do. Kings isn’t unique in this respect I should add.

I worked just under two years at the University of Edinburgh doing a similar job, and before that worked in a few research labs and got a MSc in biology. Chatting around with lab people and learning how things and people work was pretty useful.’

Generally speaking, Martin urges everyone to be the change they want to see: ‘I really love working in and the idea of sustainability. Figuring out how as a species we’re going to survive on this planet without making it too painful for ourselves seems to be the big quest of our time, and it’s fun to be involved in a small way.’ Also, he suggests enjoying your local organic apples!

While he was at Edinburgh, Martin initiated an ongoing study into cold storage units, which seeks to discover the impact of various extreme cold temperatures on sample viability. Martin will write more in the future about laboratories to help those unacquainted to understand better what labs can and need to do in order to become more sustainable.

On another note, the Sustainability team is excited to welcome another new member, Ann Maclachlin, who steps into the role of Operations Sustainability Manager. We’ll share more about what she’s up to in coming weeks.

Unfortunately, due to last-minute scheduling conflicts, we have decided to re-schedule our second Sustainability Forum for January. The topic – green spaces and well-being – is one that we feel is very important, especially in a large city like London, and so we are very much looking forward to hosting the event in the new year. Keep checking back here for details, and we apologise for the late notice – we hope it doesn’t cause any inconvenience!

Until next time, keep it sustainable!

Upcoming events

Some news and stories

Let’s meet Tom, Energy Manager

November 24, 2014 /

So what does the Sustainability team actually do? You know we put together events like Blackout and the Sustainability Forum, and maintain this blog. But as important as these things are, they form only one part of what we’re up to. Our goal is to embed sustainability within King’s at all levels from operations and administration down to the actions of staff and students. One major focus of this work is energy, and this week we’ll meet Tom Yearley, our new Energy Manger, to gain some insight into what his role entails and what it means for everyone at King’s. So, Tom, what does the Energy Manager do?

Tom Yearley

The man himself, likely pondering how best to increase energy efficiency at King’s. Or surfing. He also likes surfing.

‘As Energy Manager at KCL and a professional environmentalist, my work involves minimising the environmental impact of the use of utilities at the University. This includes gas, water, electricity and oil. More widely the role involves influencing and reporting on the University’s carbon footprint, including broad factors such as travel, waste and procurement. Fortunately, sound environmental practice leads to financial savings and compliance with legislation which are also key deliverables for me. On a daily basis, I may have my head buried in a spreadsheet, be out and about engaging people in carbon reduction projects or completing energy surveys of buildings.

My primary challenge now is to accurately measure how and where we use utilities. This will enable us to demonstrate to staff and students exactly how great an impact they can have on not only the University’s environmental impact but also on its finances at an individual level.

I have enjoyed a varied career in the environmental sector over the past ten years. I have worked for private and publicly funded organisations including a chocolate factory, consultancies and upstream oil and gas. For the past five years I have been working in the higher education sector. Before KCL I was employed at the University of Reading. I passionately believe that the greatest contribution to a reduction in societies’ environmental impact can be made by responsible use of resources. This can be achieved in a variety of ways, including technological innovation and especially by changing the relationship individuals have with natural resources. Working at a university, I not only aim to influence our consumption directly now, but also hope to influence future leaders, providing a social norm for how business can be run with a minimal carbon impact.’

So, basically, Tom is an energy expert in a position to affect tremendous change. His top sustainability tip for everyone is to ensure that hot water temperature and timers are correctly set up at home. ‘Not only can this dramatically affect your carbon footprint,’ he explains, ‘it can also save you hundreds of pounds per year. It’s amazing how little changes that do not affect comfort levels can significantly alter energy consumption.’ And Tom knows his home energy; this year, he won an Observer Ethical Award for improving his own home’s energy efficiency. He also urges everyone to turn off unnecessary equipment that’s not in use at work (yes, he had a ridiculously fun time at Blackout).

If you’re interested in hearing more about Tom’s work and energy and sustainability at King’s, he happens to be participating in EcoSoc’s panel discussion tomorrow evening (see below for details). We hope to see you there!

Upcoming events

Some news and stories

  • International Maritime Organisation adopts Arctic protection measures: Are they enough?
  • New Fairphone offers sustainable, ethical option to mobile users (so probably everybody?)
  • The importance of communicating climate science consensus (because some people still don’t get it)

Justin joins the Sustainability team

October 29, 2014 /

Hello there!

I’m Justin and I have recently joined the Sustainability team as a new Sustainability Projects Assistant. I couldn’t be more excited about joining the team and the great work being done.
Justin Fisher

I have recently completed a Master’s course in the history of science, technology and medicine here at King’s. One of the first modules I took as part of the course was environmental history, and over the past year I have become increasingly fascinated with the role of the humanities in addressing environmental concerns as well as interested in sustainability more broadly, which has led me to this position. I believe that universities have a special responsibility to be leaders in this area, and this is an exciting time for King’s in this domain. I am particularly interested in the role of individuals and in the creation of cultures of sustainability.

One thing I will be working on is turning this blog into a platform for sustainable engagement. It is a valuable medium for the team to keep the university updated on its events, but we also want it to be a medium for staff and students to contribute to the discussion and share their ideas and passions. Would you like to contribute? If so, please do get in touch. Keep your eyes on this space for more regular posts about all things sustainable.

Outside of this role, I am an avid reader and enthusiast of ultimate frisbee and ice hockey, among other things. I’m a Canadian who is very much enjoying exploring the UK and learning about our subtle cultural differences, often by unwittingly embarrassing myself.

If you’ve got questions about what we’re working on or how you can be involved, please do be in touch!

And Olivia joins the sustainability team

September 4, 2014 /

olivia photoHello, I’m Olivia and have recently joined the King’s sustainability team as Sustainability Projects Assistant. After volunteering at Sussex students’ union, whilst studying for my undergraduate degree, as Ethical and Environmental Officer I have always been keen to move into a role working in sustainability within a large organisation such as a university.

Since my undergraduate degree I have worked in various voluntary sector organisations including Stepney City Farm, Forum for the Future and, FareShare, all of which have sustainability at their heart. They have all been wonderful organisations to give me a base understanding in what it takes to practically address sustainability issues in today’s world.

Last September I began a MA in Environment, Politics and Globalisation and King’s so I could gain a deeper understanding of contemporary sustainability issues. So when the job on the Sustainability team was advertised I thought what a perfect opportunity to practically apply what I had learnt during my MA and in previous roles.  I am extremely excited to be working at King’s, an organisation that I really care about and want to help become a more sustainable place for students and staff alike. I know it is going to be a challenging role, as King’s is such a diverse and large environment, but nevertheless rewarding!

On a more personal note I am passionate about organic horticulture and food production and would love to have an allotment in London, if only the waiting lists were shorter! I am particularly interested in modern day food systems and the associated sustainability issues. I am also a keen knitter, mad about cycling, book worm and, love disco and funk.

Please do be in touch if you have any sustainability ideas about what you would like to see happen at King’s, no matter how big or small; we are all ears!

Sarah joins the Sustainability Team!

September 4, 2014 /

Hi, my name is Sarah and I am the new intern joining King’s sustainability team, working as a sustainability projects assistant. I am very excited about joining the team and starting my role, and thought this would be a nice way to introduce myself to everyone. sarah

I am just about to finish my MSc in Environmental modelling, monitoring and management at King’s which as the title suggests has given me a good background in Environmental studies. I completed my undergraduate at Exeter University in geography as well.  In my spare time I set up a small cupcake business, attending the local food market in Dorset (http://www.belmontbakery.moonfruit.com) and I hope to continue this whilst here in London!

I have always been keen on working in a role which can help to make a difference for the environment, so when this internship arose I was delighted! With my background in geography I normally associated sustainability with the environment, i.e. waste and energy. Sustainability, and this role at King’s, covers a much broader spectrum than this, including ethics, culture and food and I am very eager to learn more about these areas.

Being a scientist, I like to monitor and measure things, so I decided to use a carbon footprint calculator at the beginning and end of my internship to see if I can improve my personal sustainability over the year. I used the WWF calculator (http://footprint.wwf.org.uk/) which showed my footprint as 20.9 carbon tonnes, (this means we’d need 3.31 planets to survive if everyone lived like me!). Hopefully over this year I can lower this value, by learning through the internship, and hopefully encourage others across the King’s campuses to do the same.

I am very excited about the next 12 months, working with multiple projects with staff and students across the campuses, as well as providing connections between King’s and external organisations. I am looking forward to engaging with people’s ideas surrounding sustainability and promoting projects that can create change.

I hope to hear from you all soon,

Sarah

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