Those smart folk at People & Planet have agreed with a suggestion from EAUC and AUDE that data should be collected by EAUC / AUDE for use in post-2014 green league tables. How many micro-seconds did it take P&P to decide to accept, I wonder, and could they keep a straight face as they did?
EAUC / AUDE is passing this off as a bit of a triumph, which it may well prove to be, of course, if all goes well. However, it also might mean that current institutional angst with People & Planet becomes focused on EAUC / AUDE – which is something neither of them would wish, and a considerable risk. All this must be saving People & Planet quite a bit of ready cash. A triumph all round then.
Here's a note from EAUC explaining it all:
EAUC, AUDE and People & Planet met in early September to discuss a range of issues related to the current collection and options for the future. It was a constructive meeting. We all agreed on the benefits of supporting and further improving the sustainability agenda across all our institutions. An unconditional offer was made at the meeting to devolve responsibility to EAUC and AUDE for the setting of the measures and collection of the data for the Estates aspects of future (post 2014) Green Leagues. This offer has been subsequently accepted by both EAUC and AUDE Boards.
EAUC and AUDE will lead on developing a set of environmental metrics that relate specifically to estates and facilities that will hopefully better meet our needs in the future and smooth out the variances in the current collection. Our preference at this stage is that the HESA EMR process is used as the basis of this sector-led approach. Independent verification of the data will be necessary. The output data from this annual review will be made available and we understand that People & Planet are likely to choose to use in order to produce a League table.
Sustainability extends beyond environment and estates and at the meeting People & Planet agreed to the principle of delegated responsibility for other areas covered by the Green League such as education for sustainable development and social aspects of sustainability to name two. The EAUC commits to working with People & Planet and the appropriate sector bodies to this end.
People & Planet will continue with the 2014 survey and have offered that, if necessary, institutions may use the appeal window time to complete their submissions in lieu of using it to appeal. AUDE and EAUC support individual institutions and the decisions that they make in relation to participating in this year’s Green League as set out in previous statements.
4th October Postscript
I'm told – by those who know about these things – that all is not as it seems with this. I'm told that the volition lay entirely with P&P who made EAUC / AUDE an offer they could hardly refuse.
Respond