Blueprint

Blueprint is our exciting sustainability engagement programme which supports Schools and Services to understand their sustainability impacts and what they can influence or change to support the University’s sustainability goals.

Working with the Sustainability Service, your team sets priorities and goals, along with an action plan to achieve these.

As well as supporting local change, Blueprint is designed to encourage collaboration with other Schools or Services – all teams are encouraged to join the Blueprint community to share ideas and advice. Every year, your progress will be recognised and celebrated at the University’s annual Sustainability Awards.

How does Blueprint work?

Blueprint teams are formed at a School or Service level. All staff and students can play their part in delivering the activities.

There are five phases of creating a Blueprint:

  1. Scoping session  –  first up, we work with you to identify the key impacts and opportunities of your School/Service.
  2. Workshop  –  here we work with your team to really focus on the areas where you can make the most difference, have the most impact, and that are relevant to your work.
  3. Create your Blueprint – the first draft of your Blueprint is produced, including all the actions you have discussed in the workshop. Once you’re happy, it’s signed off by your Head of School/Service.
  4. Deliver your Blueprint  –  this is where the real work starts! Working as a team, and supported by the Sustainability Service, you’ll deliver the action and initiatives in your Blueprint.
  5. Celebrate achievement  –  Blueprint progress is self-assessed and then audited internally. You’ll also get the chance to have your work recognised and shared across the University community.

Once live, Blueprint is delivered through a 5 year detailed action plan with support from the Sustainability service. The progress will be reviewed annually against your own prioritised targets, the degree of collaboration both within your team and across the blueprint community. Teams then have the opportunity to move through the blueprint levels:

Working towards: You are in the final stages of developing your blueprint.

Explorer: Your blueprint is live and some progress has been made.

Change maker: Your team have met at least one action from each priority level and you have begun to collaborate with other teams to achieve your actions.

Leader: You have completed 80% of your set blueprint actions and your highest priority actions have been achieved.

Visionary: All your blueprint actions are complete and your team are looking ahead to develop a new, more ambitious blueprint.

The Blueprint community

The Blueprint community brings together teams to share ideas, challenges and successes. We hold events throughout the year and online through Microsoft Teams.

Developing teams - Scoping completed & workshop planned

  • School of Philosophy, Religion and the History of Science
  • Research & Innovation Development
  • Faculty of Biological Sciences
  • School of Performance and Cultural Industries
  • Lifelong Learning Centre
  • Clinical Skills Team in the School of Medicine
  • Libraries
  • Wellbeing, Health and Safety
  • The Advancement Team

Explorer - ​Blueprint developed and actions started

  • Educational Engagement
  • SPA (sports & physical activity)
  • IT Service
  • Business Change
  • NIHR
  • Facilities Support Services
  • LUBS  (Leeds University Business School)
  • School of Computing
  • Student Lifecycle
  • Dentistry
  • The Print and Mail Service

Change maker - Progressing through actions

  • Cleaning Services
  • Catering Services
  • Food Sciences and Nutrition

Leader - 80% complete, collaborative approach

Visionary - Fully embedded, looking ahead

  • Residences

Interested in creating your own Blueprint for sustainability? Great! Email sustainability@leeds.ac.uk.

 

Latest news and blogs

View all News

We’re pleased to announce that the Sustainability Service has recently welcomed nine new Blueprint teams to our engagement programme which supports Schools and...

more

Blueprint teams at the School of Food Science and Nutrition and Residential Services have progressed to the next stage of...

more

The School of Computing’s Blueprint team made a huge impact during their recent building move, saving over a tonne of books from going to waste. ...

more

The past two years have been an exciting time for Sustainability at the University of Leeds, and the progress made...

more

View all Posts

Perhaps you carry a refillable water bottle in your bag, pack your shopping into reusable bags at the supermarket, or...

more

In May 2022 the Big Plastic Count came to the University of Leeds, and we asked students and staff to...

more

Leeds University Business School (LUBS) are making significant impact in driving sustainability across the school. As part of their LUBS...

more

Ashley is a PhD student in the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and a Student Sustainability Architect investigating sustainability...

more

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our Blueprint work is linked to the following SDGs:

  • Goal 3: Good health and well-being
  • Goal 4: Quality education
  • Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
  • Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
  • Goal 13: Climate action
  • Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions

Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.