Green Week aimed to engage students and staff with a variety of sustainability activities and environmental practices on campus. Over 1200 staff and students attended 16 events, stalls, workshops, talks and webinars. These included environmental debates, upcycling clothes, webinars and litter picks.
On Monday 13 November, at ‘Taste the future!’ over 700 staff and students enjoyed samples of plant-based foods offered in retail outlets on campus and discussed the University’s to make food and beverages on campus more environmentally friendly. The event provided a platform to showcase the meat-free and dairy-free products currently available on campus, and the opportunity for visitors to talk directly to suppliers.
Meanwhile students took to upcycling at the ‘T-shirt to Cushion Upcycling’ workshop hosted by the Guild’s Community Wardens. This event gave students a break from studying while saving old clothes from going to landfill.
Another highlight of the week was the sustainable business pop-up market held by Hazaar in the Student’s Guild, which provided a platform for students to sell their pre-loved items and creations to over 400 students. The event brought in an impressive profit of just under £2,000.
Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) also received a visit from students and staff. This was an opportunity for the group to understand this large-scale free air experiment and learn about the impact of climate change on our woodlands and forests. For those who did not visit, BiFoR was brought to campus with the Take a Walk Among Time-Travelling Trees: Virtual Reality Workshop, where staff and students enjoyed a virtual tour of the woodland while finding out more about the research happening in forest laboratory.
Green Week demonstrated the university community’s commitment to environmental responsibility. There are a number of further sustainability initiatives for staff and student to get involved in, including:
- The Sustainability Open Forum
Wednesday 6 December 2023, 13:30 – 14:30
Come along to Alan Walters Building, Room G03, or join online via Zoom to find out about the University's progress on sustainability, hear the latest announcements, and discover how you can get involved. Sign up via Microsoft Forms to attend in person, or via Zoom to attend online.
- Green Impact Challenge
All staff are encouraged to enter their department in order to encourage more sustainable working practices. Students can also get involved during the auditing process (more details on this to follow during Spring). To find out more about Green Impact at UoB, visit Green Impact webpage.
- Sustainability Champions
Please complete the questionnaire if you would like to participate in the University of Birmingham's Sustainability Champion scheme. The role of the champions will be to drive sustainability initiatives by seeking opportunities aligned with the University's agenda and promote sustainable behaviours. Champions will act as a key contact for sustainability inquiries within their departments, disseminating information, and actively engaging in collaborative projects as part of the sustainability champions network.