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At Lucy Cavendish College we are passionate about tackling the pressing issues of the twenty-first century. Accordingly, we want to lead the way in college climate action. Here are some of the things we are doing to become more sustainable as we progress towards net zero:

Travel

College staff are auto-enrolled into the bike-to-work scheme. The College owns two motor vehicles (two all-electric vans).

Food and Drink

We don’t sell single-use plastic water bottles. Instead, we have free water refill stations and we provide students with free reusable water bottles. We also run 'green nudge' experiments such as displaying the carbon footprints of meal options, and we are experimenting with various methods to reduce waste.

Biodiversity

We have installed new bird boxes and bee hotels, we have relandscaped to increase biodiversity, and we have a number of environmental policies (such as no hedge cutting during nesting season).

Initiatives

The College community has launched various sustainability initiatives, including a biodiversity event, clothes swap, sustainability bingo, and a litter-picking marathon.

Societies

We have two student Green Officers and our students created the Lucy Cavendish Cycling Club, the Lucy Sustainable Fashion Society, and the Lucy Cavendish Climate Society. Our alumni have created the Lucy Alumni Climate Network.

Investments

We have fully divested from direct investments in fossil fuels and we pursue positive investment opportunities (such as renewable technologies).

Buildings and Energy

Our new eco-friendly building meets and exceeds the Passivhaus standard. To avoid fossil fuels, it uses air-source heat pumps to provide heating and hot water; a first for Cambridge College accommodation. 100% of the electricity for all our buildings is supplied by renewables (with over 80% generated from solar farms within 20 miles of Cambridge).

Awards

Lucy Cavendish College has received the Platinum Award for Green Impact which was thanks to the great progress made with infrastructure and procurement, our new building won Best Project at the RTPI East of England Awards for Planning Excellence and the Architects’ Journal Award for Best Higher Education Project Award. The College's research labs have received three awards for leading-edge sustainability research: the 2023 and 2024 Excellence Award, and the Regional Innovation Award and the National Innovation Award.