Meet Kellogg's new Sustainability Fellow

Meet Kellogg’s new Sustainability Fellow Professor Chris Pugh, and find out how you can get involved with College’s sustainability plans.

I am delighted to have been appointed as the College’s second Sustainability Fellow and look forward to building on the important foundations laid by Sandie Byrne, and those who prepared the College’s approved Sustainability Policy

I would describe myself as an ‘interested amateur’ in the sustainability arena; in acknowledging my own lack of specific knowledge, I am keen to help bring together expertise both from within and outside the College to make a difference in this area. So, I was delighted when the College recently received grant funding to engage professional consultants to work on the decarbonisation of our buildings. I believe that the best way of reducing heating costs (both carbon and fiscal) is by reducing need through good insulation of both buildings and people – our loft at home is well insulated and I am normally attired in thick woollen pullovers in the winter months – and I look forward to learning what measures are thought to be most relevant in College.

Whilst admiring those who make big changes, I am a great believer in the benefits of multiple incremental changes. In this regard, we hope to survey people’s transport habits next term to see how we can facilitate carbon reductions, whilst promoting the collegial activities we all benefit from so greatly. In my own day-to-day activities, I became a cycling commuter as soon as I was able to abandon the school run and typically clock up 2-3000 miles per year on my ~45-year-old second-hand bicycle (although many parts have been replaced!) between home and work.

The Sustainability Committee, which I chair, is keen to hear from people who want to help or have specific ideas on things that can make a difference; we will then work with the MCR and others to achieve these goals. If you are interested in getting involved, please email sustainability@kellogg.ox.ac.uk In the meantime, I would encourage all to contribute to simple behavioural changes that can reduce our carbon footprint.