Dear all,

today, the 25th of July, is the deadline to respond to the social sciences building consultation that we emailed you about previously. We hope many of you have sent your thoughts to the consultation and we hope you will be heard. However, as you also know, We have written an open letter (see below) from this network to submit as part of the consultation. The letter outlines our concerns with the aim of engaging with Estates and Facilities Management (EFM) in a positive way on this issue. This letter has been submitted today - on the last day of the consultation, and we will keep you up to date with their response.

For now, thank you to all that have signed the letter as of today (40 signatures) and please send us your name if you would still like to add to the signature list below.

Thank you!

Link to consultation with details to the social science building (note this link might expire after the 25th):  http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/efm/estatesdevelopment/projects/social-sciences-building

Sustainability of the proposed Social Sciences Hub at the University of Sheffield
 
The University of Sheffield is a dynamic, growing institution at the forefront of research and learning in the UK and worldwide. We, the Carbon Neutral University network and the undersigned, appreciate and support the continual need to update and improve our facilities to maintain this high standard. We also recognise the important role of our many iconic campus buildings, from Firth Court, to the Arts Tower to the best Student Union in the UK, in representing the University community.
We have therefore viewed the current plans for the Social Sciences Hub with great interest and welcome the opportunity to engage with Estates and Facilities Management through the ongoing public consultation.
Several aspects of these plans we have support for. The provision of publicly accessible green spaces, including through pocket parks, will promote biodiversity and allow the building to both benefit and better integrate into its immediate surroundings. Similarly, plans for a sustainable drainage system including rain gardens and swales are very positive.
However we also wish to raise major concerns with regard to the sustainability of this building. While we raise specific queries in response to these plans, our concern and interest in appropriate and ambitious sustainability targets is applicable to development across the University more generally. We hope that this consultation will (a) facilitate clarification and (b) engender an ambitious response to the concerns below.

• No sustainability targets are mentioned in these plans. Such targets are key to ensuring any proposed measures to improve sustainability are maintained throughout construction. Are targets for energy and sustainability currently being considered for this building?
• How will these targets relate to recognised sustainable design standards, such as BREEAM, LEED or Living Building Challenge?  The My Sustainable Campus webpages state “The University of Sheffield has committed to developing low carbon buildings, setting ourselves the ambitious target of BREEAM excellent as a minimum for all new capital projects ─ the most widely used environmental assessment for buildings.”  Is that the case for this building?
• We recognise that some commonly used standards may not always reflect effective and innovative sustainable design, particularly in relation to energy. If EFM feels this is the case, will an alternative, ambitious target appropriate for such a flagship build (such as zero carbon) be set?
• What efforts have so far been made to include carbon positive design features? Is there potential (for example) to develop the use of carbon positive building materials such as timber?
• How has prominent research and expertise at the University of Sheffield, such as that in solar and other renewable technology, and in green roofing, been recognised and incorporated into this design? Could use of this expertise be developed further?
• We support the consideration of renewable energy solutions described in the plans, but would welcome clarification as to what these solutions are and how much they will contribute to the overall energy use of the building.
• Finally, in plans to improve traffic flow and pedestrian access in the Northumberland Road area, how have the needs of cyclists been considered?

The precedent for sustainable, low or zero carbon University buildings exists across the University sector. At the University of Nottingham, the Jubilee campus features green rooves, photovoltaic cells and passive ventilation. The striking Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia achieved the Passivhaus standard and also makes extensive use of renewable energy.  
Setting and meeting aspirational sustainability targets will enable this building to be forward-looking and competitive. We hope the Social Sciences Hub will reflect our leading research in sustainability and serve as a flagship for both the campus and the ethos of the University community.

We look forward to your response.

We hope you are enjoying your summer and we thought you might be interested in a short update about what is going on at CNU.

Firstly, we very much apologise for not updating you very regularly (albeit with the noble intention to do so), but there was so much happening that we did not always find the time to write it all down.

Still, you may have seen our recent blogs and videos for the ‘Delivering on 2 degrees event’ held in April, and our Social Science Building consultation campaign to ascertain to you that things are happening. You may have even been taking part in the renewable energy tour guided by our co-chair Christian during renewable energy week.
More details on these June-July happenings:

• Delivering on 2 degrees blog including Kevin Anderson YouTube videos: http://carbonneutralshef.weebly.com/news/delivering-on-2-degrees-event-summary
• Social Science building consultation – ensuring maximum sustainability on new campus buildings: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/efm/estatesdevelopment/projects/social-sciences-building
• Renewable energy tour through three sustainability labs at the University: http://grantham.sheffield.ac.uk/visitors-explore-sheffields-sustainability-research/

So here is a brief summary of projects we are looking into, and that you might find interesting enough to get involved with. Just contact us or come to our next open meeting on 28 July, 5-7pm, in the Diamond Workroom 1.

• Our Behaviour Change (BC) subgroup has organised a sustainability forum lunch for the 21st of July with the aim to bring operational staff at the University together and network.
• Paul, as part of the Buildings Efficiency (BE) subgroup, is looking into the feasibility and benefits or wildflower meadows around campus with the aim to increase biodiversity.
• Our Renewable Energy (RE) subgroup including Christian, Danial and James are looking closely at the development of more wind turbines at the AMRC, with the aim to lower the carbon footprint of the AMRC and thereby the whole campus.
• We will be having our first meeting with CiCS to learn and discuss how to put more computers into hibernation mode to save energy. Mike from the buildings efficiency group has been organising this.
• The Buildings Efficiency subgroup also has a strong interest in investigating areas around campus where lights are left on unnecessarily. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
• Further, we are looking currently to organise a sustainability tour to the Sheffield City College, and a Green Buildings event in autumn that could really benefit from more people getting involved to make this more fun.
• Our Student Society is organising our stall at the Fresher’s Fair in September. We need to design flyers and are looking into running our stall on renewable energy.
• It is all for a good cause and to protect the environment of course, but we also want to come together, socialise and have a bit of fun. So our Thursday socials (5pm, Uni Arms) will continue, and we hope to have a number of film evenings set up over the autumn.

 
These are just a few of the things that we can do together at our University, and we would like you to join us with your ideas and your energy to help our University of Sheffield to become a sustainable place fit for our future.
 
Don’t forget to check out our website and Facebook page for news and sign up if you want to receive reminders and information via email.
 
Your lovely CNU coordinators ;)