QMU wins award for peddling sustainability

Queen Margaret University (QMU) has announced that it has been awarded a Cycle Friendly Employer (CFE) award for providing a “full range of incentives" for staff and students to cycle to the campus.

The award is organised by Scotland’s largest cycling charity, Cycle Scotland, and is contingent on meeting a set of 12 criteria that display a commitment to increasing travel to work by bike.

The university provides services including bike-lockers, showers, workshops and repair kits, which they claim has led more staff and students to travel to university by bicycle than ever before.

Matt Sanders, QMU’s Cycle Friendly Employer Green Travel Champion, said: “We are continuously promoting the benefits of cycling to work and it's wonderful to know that our efforts in this area are resulting in an increased level of people travelling by bike.

“We are also pleased that our drive to support cycle users by providing a range off good facilities, useful information and advice as well as group activities is being recognised in this way.”

The university campus is based on the eastern fringe of Edinburgh, near Musselburgh, and is approximately 6 miles from the city centre.

Students or staff travelling from the city centre can expect to burn around 160 calories and save almost 2kg of Carbon Dioxide emissions with a low-intensity cycle to campus, according to Cyclestreets.net, a cycle route-planning website.

The Scottish government has committed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, but Scotland’s transport alone emits enough carbon to cover the 14 million tonne total emissions target for 2050.

It is estimated that a decarbonised transport sector would have to be well on its way by 2030, and sustainable transport initiatives will have a key role to play in reaching this target.

QMU, which prides itself on its sustainability credentials, has said that it is "delighted" to win the award.