Keele University has partnered with Nissan to provide an electric vehicle for its staff to use for business travel.
The Nissan Leaf was unveiled by Keele University Chancellor, Jonathon Porritt, along with a Nissan charging point installed on campus, as part of the University’s Green Week. The vehicle, which has a 109 mile range, will now be made available for Keele University staff to travel to meetings and schools around the West Midlands as part of a 12-month trial.
The electric vehicle is just one of many green initiatives introduced at the University, which has a strong record of addressing and responding to the environment and sustainability agenda. Keele was among the first universities to be awarded Carbon Trust Standard and topped the government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) league table in 2011. The car will contribute towards the Keele’s target to achieve a 34 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020.
Efficiency measures implemented on Keele campus include the development of a multi-million pound sustainability hub, the refurbishment of a number of buildings to improve energy performance, the introduction of a new sustainable catering and recycling programme and the increase of Fairtrade goods made available to staff and students. Earlier this year, the university also signed an agreement with npower to install solar panels on a number of university buildings and McCamley UK Ltd has installed a prototype urban wind turbine on the University Science and Business Park.
Jonathon Porritt said: “I’m pleased that we are introducing an electric vehicle on campus; it will not only provide a green form of transport for our staff, but will also encourage car sharing for employees travelling within the region. This car is just one of a number of ways that the university is demonstrating its commitment to the sustainability agenda and during the next few years we will continue to drive forward similar initiatives.
“Universities are in a privileged position to be a test bed for new technologies and initiatives, and at Keele we are focused on introducing greener thinking to our staff and students to help educate future generations.”
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