The University takes seriously its responsibility for best practice in sustainable management. In particular, its landscapes should be specified and maintained so as to maximise their habitat value for wildlife.
In December 2022 at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), the University of Oxford and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced the launch of the Nature Positive Universities Alliance. The alliance is a global network of nearly 600 universities that have made an official pledge to advance efforts to halt, prevent and reverse nature loss through addressing their own impacts and restoring ecosystems harmed by their activities.
University pledges include four key elements:
- Carrying out baseline assessments;
- Setting specific, time limited and measurable targets for nature;
- Taking bold action to reduce biodiversity impacts, protect and restore species and ecosystems, while influencing others to do the same;
- Transparent annual reporting.
The University of Oxford has an Environmental Sustainability Strategy with targets of net zero carbon and a net gain in biodiversity by 2035. Any initiatives implemented as part of improving and maintaining the University’s estate should self-consciously seek to contribute to these targets.
The University aspires to have spaces around its buildings that are wildlife-rich and ecologically functional, as well as being welcoming and beautiful places. In general, therefore, planting should support biodiversity, quite apart from any mandatory requirement for biodiversity net gain.
The Parks Service has an explicit target to achieve an observable increase in biodiversity in the University Parks and across the functional estate, and has committed to:
- Adopting an approach to establishing a diverse plant community, where every plant choice has considered the benefits to wildlife of the selection made
- Planting trees and other plants that will tolerate the expected change in climate
- Selecting new plants that that will secure ecological enhancement that is appropriate for the specific conditions and use of each of the sites it maintains
- Considering connecting up areas of habitat to create corridors for wildlife
- Exploring connectivity with Park Farm on the other side of the Cherwell to ensure joined-up management for biodiversity across the river
- Increasing the complexity of planting schemes in terms of both structure and taxa, particularly when gapping up borders and shrubberies
- Installing, where possible, features that will benefit fauna
- Contributing to the University’s target of 20% net gain in biodiversity by 2035
For more information on our approach to climate change, reversing biodiversity loss and biosecurity issues, see the Oxford University Parks Landscape Succession Strategy: 2025-2050.
