Sustainability Report: UoNL's Environmental Impact & Initiatives

This report evaluates potential initiatives for the University of Northampton to reduce its environmental impact with limited funding. It analyzes the benefits and drawbacks of investing in solar panels, implementing an e-bike scheme, and transitioning to a paperless office. The analysis draws upon three articles discussing these options. While each initiative offers advantages, the report recommends investing in solar panels due to their long-term environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness compared to the maintenance costs associated with e-bikes and the potential data loss risks of a fully digital system. The report emphasizes raising awareness about energy consumption to maximize the impact of the chosen initiative. Desklib offers a variety of solved assignments and past papers for students.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The report is being commissioned to throw light on the ways of minimizing the
environmental impact in the University of Northampton who desires to decrease the climate
change influence; however, they have only small amount of funding for supportive any form
of initiative. the report has analysed three different articles by different authors who have
suggested that there are different possible actions such as solar panels, going paperless and
making use of e-bike scheme to improve the environmental impact. The report has to
evaluated these three options and has recommend one initiative and action to the University
that can be adopted by them for improving their environment.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................1
ANALYSIS................................................................................................................................1
Article – 1: Solar Energy........................................................................................................1
Article – 2: E-bikes.................................................................................................................2
Article – 3: Paperless office...................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION..........................................................................................................................3
RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................................3
REFERENCES...........................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Different activities of the human are resulting in the degradation of the environment
and causes environmental imbalance. Each and every individual is directly dependent on
biodiversity and ecosystem and thus, it is important to take into account measures, plans and
actions for minimizing the impact. The University of Northampton also desires to decrease
the climate change influence; however, they have only small amount of funding for
supportive any form of initiative. There are different possible actions such as solar panels,
going paperless and making use of e-bike scheme to improve the environmental impact. the
report will be going to evaluate these three options and will recommend one initiative and
action to the University that can be adopted by them for improving their environment.
ANALYSIS
Article – 1: Solar Energy
The first possible recommendation for the University of Northampton is to make
investment in the use of solar system and must create awareness in relation with the excessive
utilization of energy along with its influence on the environment which result into change in
climate. it has been stated in the article that making investment in solar panels will support
the schools in unplugging from grids being fed by the coal panel and natural gas plants which
generate specific matter, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide. in reality, these power plants
causses air pollution which in turn contributes to acid rain and smog and even causses serious
health issues encompassing decreased function of the lungs and heart attacks. making use of
the solar panels will provide different advantages to the environment of UoNL as well as
human health in the real eloquent manner (ZEN Energy, 2018). Additionally, the steady
source of energy being offered by the solar power can support in improving the quality of
lives of the students and the educators to withstand the influence of change in climate
comprising droughts, other shocks and extreme weather conditions that might impact access
to the outmoded power supply. Other than this, generation of electricity with the solar power
rather than fossil fuels will histrionically decrease greenhouse gas emissions especially
carbon dioxide plus methane discharge which are considered as one of the greatest suppliers
towards global warming and reduced quality of air. thus, it can be attributed that the
transition of the University from diesel to solar power will consequently have potential to
majorly decrease the carbon footprint on the health status of both the learners and the
educators. even though it is not possible for the University to install solar power in all the
accommodation of students because of the cost of installing, nonetheless awareness can be
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generated for cutting down the unnecessary utilization of energy by informing the students
about its effect on them and the relative environment. this can be communicated by putting
the notice on the college board regarding switching off the lights while leaving the room.
Article – 2: E-bikes
The second possible recommendation for the University of Northampton is to make
investment in the electronic bike as a means of transport within their school campus. This is
being regarded as one of the best initiatives because it supports in decreasing the greenhouse
gas emission. E-bikes as an important medium of transportation can provide other advantages
to the students above and beyond reduction in the carbon dioxide emission for example, it
might result into car free household and rewarding and fun for different users etc. This is also
been supported by the authors Newson and Sloman, (2019) in the article that around forty
percent of those who have got the grant for purchasing e-bike consequently decreased their
usage of car and other vehicles for traveling, leisure trips and shopping in Austria. In addition
to this, rising e-bikes does not impose any form of stress on the riders because it comes up
with assortment of functions that helps the users in riding safely and easily like pedal help. It
has also been reported in the article that sales of E-bikes in Netherlands and Belgium are
twenty times superior as compared to Britain. similarly, sales in Austria, Germany and
Sweden are amid seven and fourteen times more as compared to Britain. Thus, the main
reason behind this popularity of electronic bikes in these nations is that the local along with
the national governments have provided contributions for making purchase of these bikes.
further, to some level of degree electronic bikes are being regarded as the perfect means for
doing exercise for the students along with the staff members of the university who are
lethargic and avoid riding standard bike. Furthermore, it has also been confirmed in this
article that e-bikes provide different prospects to people for multiplying their advantages
previously present by conventional cycling like keeping the user bodily appropriate and
decreasing the requirement of visiting gym. this is in context of the report being presented in
the article by Newson and Sloman, (2019) that most of the people in France have a got the
grants if they have cycled an average of 200 kilometres per year on their e-bike to 1400 km
per year afterwards. even though this is very expensive for people to make investment
however still is will leads towards saving who participates.
Article – 3: Paperless office
The third possible recommendation for the University of Northampton is to make
investment in the digital platform which would involve upgrading the storage method to
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digital format which will be not so much costly and thus, will conserve the utilization of
natural resources. the author stated in this article that one can reduce the greater influence on
the environment through decreasing the consumption of paper and turning the paper
documents into electronic documents. by this manner, they will be able to eliminate huge
amount of paper-based system such as exams based on paper scripts at University (Leonard,
2019). it is also crucial to note that trees are carbon sinks which signifies that tree will not be
cut down for the utilization of paper and thus, from carbon dioxide gases will be absorbed by
them and this will certainly be going to decrease pollution in the air. furthermore, there are
different advantages of using paper less office being mentioned by the author in the article,
firstly it will help in augmenting the quality of life of the people and reduction in the
consumption of paper will ultimately help in reducing the carbon footprint. it will also result
in cost saving as the University will going to save tons and millions of pounds if they
automate their academic activities and processes and transforms into eco-friendlier workflow
solutions. this will support in eradicating the costs related to labour, paper and ink. However,
there are some disadvantages of making use of this digital technology. when each and every
single information is being stored on the digital platform, there are chances that the software
or system might crash and all the data might be lost. Thus, it is important to ensure that the
information is baked up on a regular basis for the ease of the procedure related to recover.
nevertheless, it still has some disturbances in the businesses such as outage of power or issues
pertaining to internet server. All this can halt the efficient flow of services and business
activities. Even through digital documents are regarded as quite safe in comparison with the
other paper-based document, nonetheless it is not fool proof because the drive can crash and
all the information can be lost.
CONCLUSION
Thus, from the above analysis, it can be said that there are different possible options
which are available in front of The University of Northampton for making improvement and
enhancement in the environmental impact. the report has significantly presented different
benefits and challenges of making use of solar panels, e-bikes and paperless offices. now, it is
obligatory on the part of the university to select the best options according to their funding
options as they have very limited amount to be invested in these initiatives.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the evaluation being done above, it is recommended to the University of
Northampton to make use of solar panels and system within their campus. they must make
investment in these systema and must generate awareness in relation with the unnecessary
utilization of energy and its influence on the environment. E-bikes are also good options
however the maintenance of the e-bikes involves huge costs. it will further be going to add
many expenditures related to repair, which is not affordable at the moment by the University.
in addition to this, the battery has rather a shorter period of time and even might take
extended hours to charge the same. Because of these disadvantages, E-bikes are not
considered as the suitable fit to embark on. other than this, digital storage is also a good
initiative however the issues in relation with the hardware crash might result into the lost of
all the useful information being stored in the system digitally. Furthermore, it is too pricey as
well. considering all these aspects and facets, it is important that UoNL should go for solar
panel as an important initiative for improving the environmental impact.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Newson, C. and Sloman, L., 2019. The Case for a UK Incentive for E-bikes. Transport for
quality of life. London: Bicycle Association.
Online references
Leonard, K., 2019. Advantages & Disadvantages of a Paperless Office. [Online]. Available
through: <https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-amp-disadvantages-paperless-
office-40653.html>. [Accessed on 14thApril 2022].
ZEN Energy. 2018. 5 Advantages of Solar Energy on the Environment. [Online]. Available
through: <https://www.zenenergy.com.au/blog/five-advantages-of-solar-energy-on-
the-environment/>. [Accessed on 14thApril 2022].
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