The Environment and Sustainability Committee has established a Biodiversity Working Group whose remit is to develop a biodiversity policy and action plan for the University’s campus. The group began working on this plan in March 2023.
The action plan will establish specific targets and related actions the University will undertake to maintain and enhance the existing biodiversity. This plan will also outline opportunities for creating new habitats on our campus in line with government and expert priorities.
Key to this plan will be the collation of biodiversity baseline data and an accompanying report which will act as a reference point for the implementation plan. The group consists of key stakeholders across the University who have an interest in improving biodiversity on the campus and who are also in consultation with other parties of interest.
The group will work in partnership with the Roehampton Students’ Union in the design and delivery of initiatives to capture information on campus biodiversity and to support the work to raise awareness of climate change and sustainability both internally and externally to the University.
The specific activities of the group are listed below.
- Extend membership of the sub-group to reflect existing internal knowledge and expertise across key academic, student, and professional services strands.
- Conduct a horizon-scanning exercise to review Biodiversity plans of other providers and consider survey options.
- Agree longlist of priorities and principles and create definitions that reflect best practice and the biodiversity of the campus.
- Consult with wider stakeholders (including estates, colleges, and community representatives) to review and select defined set of priorities and principles to be reflected in the plan.
- Produce a first draft of the plan, circulate with stakeholders for review and screen for alignments with university strategy.
- Submit for governance approval and arrange wider publication.