Sustainability

St Hilda’s is one of the most beautiful and biodiverse colleges in Oxford, with the highest number of bees and the second highest number of insect species. Our new satellite properties have added more green spaces, and we even manage our own woodland for public use. Many of our academics, students, and alumnae are also leading research on global sustainability.

We are committed to the University’s goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 and have made good progress towards this. However, energy costs still take up a quarter of our student fee income, and we face some big challenges.

We need your help to establish a £10 million Sustainability Fund that, combined with College resources, will help us to:

• Modernise our historic buildings.
• Improve insulation, especially by upgrading old and draughty windows.
• Install new, more efficient energy systems.
• Maximise waste management.
• Research and measure our impact on biodiversity across our college sites and supply chains.

Our current project highlights Garden Building, which requires crucial renovation to bring us within our net zero target. Despite its remarkable architectural heritage and Grade II listed status, Garden's window glazing is no longer fit for purpose and urgently needs replacing. The total cost of the project is £1.8 million. Thanks to matched funding from the University and early-stage gifts, we have already secured £250,000 towards this goal. We are now inviting our alumnae and friends to come together by March 2027 to help make the restoration possible during the summer of 2027. To read more about the project, visit our Shared Views webpage.