The Carbon Offsetting Working Group is a fixed-term sub-committee of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy Committee tasked with developing an internal carbon offsetting scheme.
Organisation
The organisational arrangements are as follows:
- The working group is chaired by the Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy Committee.
- The working group reports to the Environmental Sustainability Strategy Committee.
- The secretary of the working group is a member of the Sustainability Team.
- The working group is a limited life group, which will be disbanded once it has met its objectives. In the first instance, it is expected that this group will exist for up to one year.
- The working group will meet as often as is required to meeting its objectives. It is expected that this will be up to six times a year.
- The unconfirmed minutes of the meetings will be circulated to the Environmental Sustainability Strategy Committee and the Ecological Advisory Working group.
- Each nominated representative will serve for the duration of this working group.
- The working group may invite non-members to attend a meeting to report on or discuss specific matters.
Membership
The working group consists of the following members:
- The Chair of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy Committee (Chair)
- A representative of the Ecological Advisory Panel (EAP)
- The Director of Cambridge Zero
- Up to four University members with expertise in carbon offsetting or a discipline relevant to offsetting
- Up to two external members with expertise in carbon offsetting
- One undergraduate student representative nominated by CUSU
- One postgraduate student representative nominated by the Grad Union.
Members are proposed by the Chair in discussion with existing members, to be confirmed by the ESSC.
Officers in attendance:
- Head of Sustainability
- Head of the Research Office
- Carbon and Energy Manager
The terms of reference are to:
- Oversee the development of a robust and transparent internal carbon offsetting scheme and recommend appropriate policies relating to carbon offsetting.
- Consult with relevant stakeholders to agree the principles of the scheme.
- Make recommendations on an appropriate price of carbon to be used within the scheme.
- Advise on which sources of carbon should be included within the scheme.
- Advise on which types of offset project should be supported through the scheme and arrangements for verification.
- Make recommendations on appropriate governance arrangements.
- Oversee initial implementation of the agreed scheme.
- Provide advice to relevant University Committees and groups on carbon offsetting.
- Act as ambassadors for carbon offsetting at the University.