Sustainability Strategy
Last reviewed: February 2026
1. Vision and Principles
Our vision for sustainability at Blackfriars focuses on providing comfortable, affordable, heritage sensitive buildings and accommodation that ultimately will operate on a net zero and circular basis, enhance student wellbeing, protect biodiversity where relevant to our estates footprint, and contribute positively to the local community.
The guiding principles of this vision are:
- Integration with our parent’ charity’s currently early stages of formulating a strategy on sustainability, beginning with site surveys of all English Province of the Order of Preachers properties.
- Fabric?first: we will work to reduce energy demand before switching technologies.
- We are looking to employ a whole life carbon approach, and a circular economy ethos.
- Our approach to improvements will be evidence led and heritage sensitive when we make interventions.
2. Scope and Boundaries
Assets covered by this local strategy include the Blackfriars Hall’s directly managed buildings and accommodation at 16 and 17 St John St and 33 St Giles, and utilities, waste, supplier systems, and outdoor areas. Emissions include Scope 1, 2, and priority Scope 3 categories.
3. Governance and Accountability
The Local Executive Board (Moderators) of Blackfriars will act as the Sustainability Steering Group for the Hall, supported by the Bursar as the facilities sustainability lead. Key requirements for capital works and operational procedures will be identified or delegated by the Board as work is due to proceed.
4. Targets (2026 to 2035)
Blackfriars is aiming to achieve at least 50% emissions reduction by 2035, in light of an already low carbon footprint in our site at 33 St Giles. This figure is driven largely by financial feasibility for our small organization in the context of our heritage properties, and we will aim to achieve further steps towards net zero within this period as fundraising is successful. Alongside this aim, we will work towards energy and water intensity reductions, waste minimisation, and positive wellbeing indicators for our community.
5. Baseline and KPIs
Our baseline, which is currently being developed by our parent charity, the English Province of the Order of Preachers, will include analysis of our utilities, carbon, waste, occupancy, biodiversity, and procurement. KPIs that the Hall will seek to track quarterly include energy, carbon, waste, water, and procurement compliance.
6. Carbon and Energy Strategy
Our approach to carbon and energy will be fabric-first. This includes measures such as assessing and revising our management controls, upgrading lighting, applying insulation and secondary glazing where feasible, low?temperature heating transitions, and BMS systems. Many of these measures have already been applied in one of our two managed sites, 33 St Giles.
7. Water Stewardship
We aim to steward our water efficiently, and seek to apply interventions to improve our use of water (especially in the accommodation) that may include low flow fixtures, leak detection, night flow audits, rainwater harvesting feasibility, and laundry efficiency protocols.
8. Waste and Circularity
We aim to provide clear bin systems that encourage our community to recycle in line with statutory and local authority guidelines and food waste collection. Our approach will include moving in /out reuse programmes, circular procurement rules, and requiring contractors to report on their emissions.
9. Procurement and Supply Chain
Our approach to procurement will include a Supplier Code of Conduct, sustainability weighted tenders, circular furniture procurement, and ‘plant forward’ catering standards.
10. Travel and Transport
Blackfriars will continue to be a strong supporter of active travel incentives; our sites at 16 and 17 St John St and 33 St Giles already have a zero on site parking footprint.
11. Health, Wellbeing, and Inclusion
As part of our sustainability approach, we will continue to be mindful of standards (including minimum amenity standards) for air quality, thermal comfort, low VOC materials, and accessibility.
13. Data, Monitoring, and Reporting
Our approach to data, monitoring, and reporting will include periodic operational reviews, and annual sustainability review by the Local Executive Board.
14. Finance and Funding
The funding model for sustainability at Blackfriars is largely derived from external funding and reinvestment of savings. We will seek out grant opportunities and look to reinvest savings from reduced energy use into our sustainability roadmap, using a whole-life costing approach.
15. Heritage and Compliance
Our approach, which touches on listed buildings, must be heritage sensitive and follow both appropriate planning and heritage guidelines. Available interventions may include (for example) heritage retrofit with a view to maintaining reversible measures, and moisture?safe insulation. Thorough engagement with the planning process is essential to this approach.
16. Engagement and our Organisation’s Culture
Our engagement with students will be at the core of our strategy. We will seek to include student input at every level and consider opportunities such as a ‘Green Move?In’ and ‘Green Move-Out’, training for students, a tailored communications calendar, and recognition schemes in coordination with the University of Oxford’s Green Impact scheme.
17. Risks and Mitigations
As we consider different interventions, we will produce risk registers addressing issues such as heritage constraints, resident / building user comfort expectations, supply chain delays, data gaps, cost overruns for projects, and potential late buildings under UUK Accommodation Code of Practice guidelines.
18. Phased Action Plan
Our approach will be a long term improvement pathway, looking to achieve year by year foundations and deepening our actions step by step.
19. Measuring our Success
Key measures of success will include advances towards our goals using operational measures for heating, air quality, water use, and waste contamination.