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Sustainable venues

51Âþ»­ is the only higher education institution in Britain to be a global hub for one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, to promote peace, justice and strong institutions. The 51Âþ»­ vision is to champion a fair and sustainable society and the 51Âþ»­ Venues team are committed to supporting that vision through our key sustainable initiatives.

Plant and Protect

Plant-and-Protect-logoWe feel strongly about protecting our planet. As part of our committment to reduce our carbon footprint, we will make a donation to The Woodland Trust for every booking made with us. Our Plant and Protect scheme is a direct and simple way to give back to nature, supporting the work of The Woodland Trust to create, protect and restore the UK’s native woodland. Not only do trees play a vital role in tackling the climate crisis, the natural world provides a place of sanctuary and wellbeing for many, supporting communities and wildlife. So, when you book with us, you’re giving back to our planet too.

Food for our future

Our catering partner Chartwells are dedicated to creating a more sustainable world for our future generations. Alongside the wider Compass Group UK & Ireland, they’ve pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. To meet the climate promise, Chartwells work with to support local suppliers, source seasonal ingredients and develop plant-forward menus – making sure menus are much more than a combination of ingredients, but a tasty representation of their commitment to social change.

We’re partnered with Foodsteps to categorise all food on our menus according to it’s carbon intensity. Highlighting the carbon footprint of the dishes on our menu provides knowledge and understanding of the impact that different foods have on our environment, allowing customers to make informed choices. We’ve also developed a Green Meetings package to support our sustainable goals and actively reduce the impact on the environment. 

 

Green Impact

We are proud to have achieved gold standard in the Green Impact project, a scheme run by the university to encourage greener habits in the workplace. Each year we are audited and scored on the impact we have made towards becoming more sustainable. Here are a few of our key Green Impact achievements:

  1. Becoming carbon literate

    Our team is committed to becoming carbon literate. This means we know how to make a difference and we understand what our impacts are. The Carbon Literacy project has been recognised by the UN at COP21, in Paris, where it was awarded as a TAP100, one of 100 worldwide Transformative Action Programs.

  2. Hosting sustainable events

    We are lucky to have hosted the Leicester Vegan Festival, an event that showcases amazing plant based products as well as amazing ethically crafted and tested cosmetics and toiletries. Some of of the other great sustainable events we've hosted include the Worth The Weight vintage clothing fair and the Bat Conservation Trust conference.

  3. Our 1% change plan

    At 51Âþ»­ Venues we are committed to change. We have initiated a 1% change plan to help us achieve our goal of becoming even more sustainable. Through these small changes we hope to make a big impact to the overall sustainability of our operation. These changes include re-using old paper, litter picking, going digital and the removal of single use catering products.