What is Transition University of St Andrews
Transition University of St Andrews is part of the UK-based Transition initiative, which has been expanding worldwide over the last 5 years. Transition operates within community groups on a grassroots level, founded and operated by the communities themselves, in response to the threats of climate change and peak oil. Through working on practical projects with different community groups, the initiative helps communities minimise their impact on the planet, become more self-sustaining, and strengthens community ties. It also benefits individuals by developing their skills and encouraging re-consideration of the aspects of life which truly promote happiness and wellbeing.
The Transition initiative at the University was launched in 2009 by a group of students and has since gained momentum, with both academic and non-academic staff being involved. This year the group was awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund to employ three full time staff members for 10 months to work on specific identified projects with staff and students in the four key transition areas – energy, waste, transport and food. This funding runs until the end of March 2012.
Because the University is such a fundamental part of the local community we would also expect to engage with a significant proportion of community members over the course of the project, and really hope this will strengthen ties between the university and town around the vital issue of localised sustainability.
Our aim: To engage the community at the University of St Andrews and beyond in collective carbon-emission reduction activities in response to the challenges of climate change and peak oil.
To find out more about what we do, go to: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/transition
