As a digital organisation at the forefront of research and knowledge, our institution has a duty to prioritise sustainability in our long-term preservation efforts. As such we are committed to making our activities more sustainable in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

As a member of the University of York, the ADS benefits from the university’s strong focus on sustainability. The University’s Sustainability Plan outlines our institution’s approach to addressing current and future challenges, including our role in promoting sustainability on a global scale. The plan aims to integrate sustainability into our core functions of teaching and research, while also setting ambitious targets for achieving net zero carbon emissions, establishing partnerships, reducing consumption, and improving health and well-being. To learn more about the University of York’s sustainability efforts, please see the Universities Sustainability pages. 

As a leading repository in the digital preservation sector the ADS is dedicated to implementing sustainability plans that address the challenges of climate change and promote environmental stewardship. Good digital preservation practices not only involve successfully preserving and providing access to digital content, but also taking into consideration the broader context in which our work exists and our responsibilities to both society and the environment. We must strike a balance between the risks to digital content and the environmental cost and consider ways to reduce the environmental impact of our work while preserving valuable digital content for future generations.

At the ADS we are developing strategies and initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint, conserve resources, and promote sustainable practices throughout our operations. These initiatives will be undertaken in addition to participating in university-wide initiatives, to aid the university in achieving its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

To ensure the successful implementation of our sustainability plans, we have established a dedicated Working Group that oversees our environmental initiatives. This team is responsible for setting goals, monitoring progress, and identifying areas for improvement. A dedicated team focused on sustainability ensures that we can effectively integrate sustainability into our day to day activities and long term strategies.

Our current projects include: 

• Sustainability Action Plan

We are currently developing an ADS specific Sustainability Plan to complement the University of York Sustainability Plan.

• Carbon Literacy Training

We aim to have all ADS staff trained in carbon literacy by 2026.