EPRC has a sustainability policy which involves minimising CO2 emissions associated with travel, maximising energy efficiency, and ensuring environmentally friendly waste management.
Specifically, EPRC has the following objectives:

• to minimise CO2 emissions associated with travel;
  
  
• to maximise energy efficiency in the purchasing of goods and services and by reducing electricity consumption;
  
  
• to maximise opportunities for waste management and recycling;
  
  
• to engage with the University on sustainability issues which are not within the control of EPRC.

As EPRC’s research activities are undertaken throughout Europe, a key issue concerns travel, where EPRC takes the following steps:

• Air travel is minimised as far as possible with, for example, rail travel being preferred;
  
  
• Public transport is used in preference to car travel wherever possible;
  
  
• Video-conferencing is used in preference to face-to-face meetings where practicable;
  
  
• From 2007, a contribution has being made to carbon-offsetting projects via Carbon Passport
  (http://www.carbonpassport.com), in order to compensate for flights undertaken in each calendar year. These offsets are approved as Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) under mechanisms developed to support the Kyoto Protocol. The offsetting charge is calculated using the Carbon Passport business CO2 calculator.