Sustainability Week 2012

Broadcaster, writer, comedian and environmental advocate Griff Rhys Jones will lead a celebration of the work of Cardiff's flagship Sustainable Places Research Institute during the University's 2012 Sustainability Week.

Griff Rhys Jones, who became patron of the Institute in 2011, will speak to guests at an event to mark the second anniversary of the Research Institute, along with Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan and Carole-Anne Davies, Chief Executive of the Design Commission for Wales.

Bringing together University academics and other leading figures involved in sustainability work in Wales and the UK, the event will highlight the Institute's pioneering work in the field of sustainability science.

Since its creation, the Institute has had a significant impact on research into sustainable place making, generating new ideas around the management and policy needs for integrated solutions to sustainable living.

Professor Terry Marsden, Director of the Institute said: "We are privileged to have Griff Rhys Jones, our patron, attend our anniversary event. It gives us chance to share progress so far and to look to the future including the £3.5M award of DURESS, a NERC-funded project on ecosystem services led by Research Fellow, Dr Isabelle Durance. We also want to continue to build our networks and partnerships and are studying both local government and community-led sustainability action. This includes the Cardiff city-region, where we are working collaboratively with members of Cardiff Council and Welsh Government.

The Sustainable Places Research Institute aims to come up with novel solutions to tackling current levels of consumption and to reduce pressure on the environment – we have ambitious plans for the years ahead that will further cement our place as a leading force in sustainability science."

The event is part of the University's 2012 Sustainability Week which gives staff and students an opportunity to come together and make a concerted effort to reduce our impact on the planet.

Running between Monday 29th October and Friday 2nd November, other events planned for Sustainability Week 2012 include:

• An exhibition showcasing the University's conservation work in Kinabatangan (all week, VJ Gallery, Main Building)
• A charities fair highlighting volunteering opportunities for staff and students on projects in the community and further afield (Thursday 1st November, VJ Gallery, Main Building from 11am – 3pm)
• Bike doctor surgeries at the Cathays and Heath Park campuses and bike security marking (Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd November)
• Locally-sourced lunch menus in Main, Trevithick and Julian Hodge Building restaurants. Chefs will also be using herbs grown by Cardiff students in their allotments in selected dishes during the week
• An exhibition in the Students' Union reception area (from Tuesday 30th October) focused on the Cardiff University student allotment projects
• The launch of the University's Travel Plan. Staff from Campus services will be giving out free pedometers to the first 300 staff and students visiting their stand at the charities fair.
• The full list of events for Sustainability Week is available here