UWE Bristol students say: “Incorporate sustainability into student lifestyle and make it visible on the campus”

Earlier this year, we invited all UWE Bristol students to take part in the annual Sustainability Survey and share their awareness, perceptions and recommendations on how to make UWE Bristol more sustainable. We have thoroughly read all 546 responses and will take on board your suggestions. Here is a summary of what you said about sustainability at UWE Bristol:

1. There is still a lot of work to do to make everyone aware of the sustainability agenda

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are set by a worldwide agreement led by the United Nations, which aims to improve our planet and the society between 2015 and 2030. UN member states agreed to take actions in 17 areas of development; introducing changes collectively with cities, businesses, the public sector, schools, universities and charities. Our survey reveals that 36% of participants are aware of the SDGs. For those of you who haven’t heard about this project yet, take a look at the infographic below to get the idea of the major global ambitions.

Moreover, only 24% of students are aware of UWE Bristol’s involvement with the SDGs. Read on to find out what your university has achieved during this academic year... 

2. Health, education and fighting poverty are the main priorities according to the students

When asked to select the top 3 priorities out of 17 goals for The Students' Union to engage with and take action on, you chose health, education and fighting poverty. Admittedly, the SDGs are a very broad project, therefore it widens the common definition of “sustainability”. However, for those who fear that we’re not doing our best to become “green” or “eco”, here is some good news – the other 14 priorities received a similar number of votes. This suggests that each goal has significant importance. This is something we truly agree with and will promote the notion that all major challenges are interconnected. After all, a healthy planet means happy people.

3. You want education to be sustainable

To start with, here is some great news: a whopping 90% of you agree that universities should promote sustainability and 77% of you would like to learn more about sustainability. We are working to incorporate sustainability in the curriculum of every course, because we believe that it should be a defining quality of our future world. Admittedly, we do better at showing you that sustainability is already relevant to you. At the moment 1 in 4 students don't know whether sustainability is a part of their curriculum and 1 in 5 students don't know whether sustainability is relevant to their employability.

4. Nearly all of you want to get involved in sustainability, but less than a quarter are currently involved.

We found that 92% of you are keen to get involved in sustainability. However, at the moment only 23% is engaged in sustainability activities at UWE Bristol. We urgently need to address this gap. Although we have no shortage of green events and volunteering opportunities, we want to reach every single student who would like to take part in our activities. How to do it? We have asked you about your motivations and tips for promotion…

We found that there are multiple reasons for getting involved: to do something meaningful, desire to learn, to develop skills and increase employability. We promise to link your motivations with our sustainability offer.

5. How do the results compare to the previous year?

In 2017, we conducted the Skills Survey together with the National Union of Students (NUS), which asked similar questions on students’ perceptions on sustainability. Comparing to the last year, the 2018 results have improved – 6% more students would like to learn more about sustainability and 1% more agree that universities should actively incorporate and promote sustainable development. We will use survey results when applying for funding to continue the Green Team programme, which supports student-led sustainability actions. Would you like to organise your own project, fundraising, start-up or volunteering? Find out how you could apply for funding here!

The NUS Skills Survey showed that students were most likely to engage with extra curricula activity if they receive the opportunity to learn more skills. This information is key in engaging successfully with more students.

6. Finally, here are your suggestions...

We have asked you to write your own recommendations for action. Most common suggestions were in the areas of teaching, promotion, recycling and plastic use. We have already taken action (for example, why don’t you join us in the plastic detox campaign?). We are impressed that your aspirations aim so high! You have left us so many great suggestions:

“To forbid straws and everything that is disposable (especially plastic) from One Zone, coffee shops, and the SU. Or at least charge a considerable amount for it. At the top of the water dispenser on One Zone, are plastic cups available. That should not continue.”

“I think all students need to be educated on waste and sustainable living (at the beginning of university, when students move into halls and accommodation). This could be done by giving a talk at the beginning of the year - one like the fire safety talk.”

“Highlight how Bristol does recycling for those moving into university accommodation especially when keys are given out, rather than in the accommodation information.”

“As an ABE student, I strongly believe that sustainability should be promoted and incorporated into teaching and in order to enhance my employability and engage in something different, I would like to get involved in project ideas around this topic”

Many of you would like to learn more about UWE involvement in sustainability, including: sourcing energy, destination of food waste, day-to-day actions for students. You also gave us plenty of ideas for better engagement:

“Sustainability should be incorporated into student lifestyle more, as well as more visible promotions on campus. The more areas of student life tackled, the better. This includes accommodation, societies, the SU building, academic buildings and courses. These are all channels where sustainable living can be promoted in different ways”

“I feel the university should have more visual prompts around the campuses celebrating the sustainability measures they are already taking and encouraging further sustainability actions.”

“Additional advertisement of events for sustainability would improve the knowledge of it. The new FBL building and both Student's Union buildings can do this. Free-standing extendable posters in the foyers could help to achieve this”

What next?

If you want to get more involved on what happens next, you can ask your tutors about sustainability and the SDGs in the curriculum. You couls also be part of the Green Team; contribute to future surveys, consultation events and engagement opportunities - keep an eye on our social media and join the Green Team newsletter to be kept up to date.

Congratulations to our prize winner

Many, many thanks to all the students for their answers and tips! We have randomly picked out one student who won £100 prize! We would like to announce that the lucky winner is….*drumroll*….

Maimun Hassan, a second year biomedical science student, congratulations!