Home / News, events and more / Our vision / Sustainability at Hertford

Sustainability at Hertford

We’re making steady, practical changes across the college – from buildings to operations, behaviour choices to nature – to reduce our environmental impact and move towards net zero. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re currently working on. To read more about how we’ve calculated our impact and where we need to reduce our emissions, see the summary of our sustainability goals.

Towards a sustainable estate

Understanding our emissions 

To make the right decisions, we need a clear picture of where our emissions come from. This helps us focus effort where it will have the biggest impact. 

  • We’re tracking our greenhouse gas emissions each year 
  • We’re improving how we measure indirect emissions, including those linked to suppliers 
  • We’re building a better system for monitoring energy and utilities across the college 

Cutting energy use 

  • We’ve installed LED lighting across large parts of the estate with the aim of becoming LED-only 
  • We’re trialling smart heating systems in selected buildings 
  • We’re moving towards site-wide heating controls  
  • We’re tackling heat loss through simple fixes like draught-proofing 

Improving our buildings

  • We’re surveying our buildings to identify where upgrades are most needed 
  • We’re running feasibility studies for low-carbon upgrades 
  • We’re underway with our pilot decarbonisation project, the ‘All Out House’, with major refurbishments including an air source heat pump and solar panels 
  • We’re setting water saving benchmarks and exploring water saving measures 

Beyond buildings: wider sustainability work

Food 

  • We’ve upgraded our food waste stations in the dining hall 
  • We’re exploring more sustainable sourcing and identifying practical ways to reduce food-related emissions 

Waste 

  • We’re trialling new bin systems in the library, café and hall 
  • We’ve rolled out clearer signage to improve recycling 
  • We’ve removed plastic cups and disposable takeaway containers from the dining hall and servery 

Procurement 

  • We’ve made initial changes to key supplier relationships 
  • We’re planning a broader review of purchasing to prioritise sustainable options and to embed sustainability into procurement decisions 

Travel 

  • We’ve completed a student travel survey to better understand patterns and impact of transport choices

Communications and engagement 

  • We’ve delivered sustainability campaigns on recycling and heating 
  • We’ve started to roll out Carbon Literacy training for students and staff 
  • We’ve supported student-led initiatives, such as clothes swaps and reusable period products 
  • We’re incorporating nature/sustainability into welfare activities 

Biodiversity 

  • We’re encouraging student-led initiatives such as installing bird feeders in college spaces 
  • We’re expanding dedicated wildflower or pollinator friendly areas 
  • We’re identifying opportunities to improve biodiversity across college sites 

How we’re organised

Our full-time Sustainability Manager Ellen MacDonald leads on the analysis of the college’s environmental impact, working to improve our data and reporting. She also manages the college utilities (Electricity, Gas and Water) and creates programmes of work to improve efficiency. 

The Sustainability Working Group, a collaborative group of staff and students, meets regularly to discuss ongoing projects, review progress against the Sustainability Action Plan and approve relevant policy and strategy changes.