Your say / Sustainability
‘Our students are actively building a sustainable future’
At UWE Bristol, engaging students on our sustainability journey is key to achieving our 2030 climate and sustainability goals for a safer, healthier planet.
Put simply, we’re not just educating students about sustainability, we’re supporting them to make a positive impact on our environment and in the community.
With our campuses woven throughout the city, we are perfectly positioned to work hand-in-hand with local communities to tackle the climate and nature crises head-on and to demonstrate how small initiatives can collectively make a big impact.
is needed now More than ever
Campuses where sustainability in action is visible…
To raise awareness and develop skills, we’ve purposefully created an organisation where sustainability is embedded in our services, campus development and culture.
To support nature, our Grounds team have transformed our campuses into places rich with green spaces where biodiversity can thrive, and where students can study, relax, socialise and connect with the outdoors.
To change how we consume and buy things, we have developed more than 15 circular economy activities on campus whereby things are reused, repaired and repurposed rather than thrown away.
At our Glenside campus, our uniform swap shop for healthcare students has helped nearly 600 students to use second hand uniforms and save over £6,000 in the past academic year alone.
The innovative student-led tech repair pop-up, Fix My Crack, has extended the life of hundreds of electronic phones, tablets and laptops.
Launched only last year, the Sustainability Hub at our Frenchay campus has become a welcoming place where students buy or swap everything from books to shoes, challenging the throwaway culture often associated with student living.
It has been a runaway success: in nine months, we’ve swapped nearly 13,000 items, diverted more than three tonnes of waste from landfill and saved over 30 tonnes of planet-warming greenhouse gases. If we’re happy borrowing houses from people, why not share pots, pans, and clothes too?
Sustainability impact beyond the campus…
The success of our on-campus initiatives is mirrored in our sustainability efforts extending far beyond campus boundaries where we’re able to share our knowledge, time and skills.
Through local projects, we’re connecting students with communities and groups across the city, fostering mutual learning and tackling climate and nature issues at a grassroots level.
Our staff and students are actively involved in community garden projects across Bristol, learning about and taking action to address the decline in insect pollinators, which are vital for our ecosystems and global food security.
At a Kingswood nursery, children have enthusiastically created seed bombs with our students, instilling a sense of ownership and care for their local natural spaces.
This summer, UWE is involved in the Nature Rising project, which aims to bridge the gap between mainstream environmental efforts and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
Nature Rising is a WECA-funded project run by Black Seeds Network and in partnership with Friends of the Earth. Rooted in the St Paul’s community, Nature Rising will raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and improve their habitat.
UWE has also funded two student interns to carry out research into how community projects like this promote diversity in environmental actions.
Meanwhile, our partnership with Sparks, the department store in Bristol city centre which enables the public to make planet-friendly choices, will strengthen ties between our student volunteers, Sparks and its partners and local organisations.
Using our volunteer student events and community voices teams, we are helping Sparks to increase its impact and build on its diverse customer base and connections with community groups.
A city committed to climate and nature action…
Bristol’s passion for the environment has never been more apparent than in the way Bristolians voted in the recent local and general elections.
In a city that has voted for change and is ignited by climate and nature action, our hope is for every UWE student to graduate as a planet aware citizen, contributing to the sustainability of their local communities, workplaces and home.
Together, we’re not just imagining a sustainable future; our students are actively building it.
Visit the Bristol Climate Hub for ideas on planet friendly actions by people, companies and communities.
Vicki Harris is the sustainability engagement lead at UWE Bristol. Vicki’s role involves finding ways to engage and motivate staff and students to take an active part in planet-friendly living and learning.
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