Engaging with students is key to our work on sustainability, and it's our students' passion and commitment that drives us to achieve our social and environmental goals. 

Bristol SU sustainability

Bristol Students' Union (Bristol SU) is actively engaged in improving its environmental impact, as well as supporting students to create a more sustainable Bristol, whether through lobbying for change, or taking part in volunteering projects. Students can lead campaigns and help shape University and SU policy by joining the SU Sustainability Executive Committee, the University's Sustainability team, or one of the many societies and action groups campaigning on environmental and social challenges.

Bristol Hub

The Bristol Hub brings together student-led social, environmental and voluntary societies, providing a way of getting involved in sustainability or social action projects.  The Hub also provides funding and training to help students develop essential skills, further their engagement with the issues of today, and increase their future employability.

Green Impact

The Green Impact Awards are a practical way of helping staff and students become greener, whilst celebrating the small steps individuals are taking to reduce our collective negative environmental impact.

As well as contributing to the awards by taking actions to green their residence or department, students support the project by becoming project assistants and auditors – helping staff unlock their sustainable potential and holding them to account, whilst gaining hands-on experience of project management, alongside training from the NUS and Change Agents UK.

Education for Sustainable Development

Our Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project is an ambitious, University-wide venture which aims to enable each and every one of our students to gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to create a sustainable future.

Undergraduate students can explore issues beyond their curriculum by choosing to take a sustainability-related open unit, including our highly-acclaimed and truly interdisciplinary Sustainable Development unit, taught by expert staff from across the faculties of Science, Engineering, Arts, and Social Sciences and Law.

Skills for sustainability

The Sustainability team runs expert-led training in waste management, energy and carbon, and auditing, offering students the chance to gain invaluable experience in the workplace, whilst developing the skills and understanding needed to kickstart a career in the sustainability sector. 

Opportunities

 Bristol PLUS awards

The Bristol PLUS awards, run by our Careers Service, recognise students who have gained significant professional and life skills through work experience, volunteering, and other activities beyond their studies.  Many sustainability-related activities count towards the award, including attending in the Bristol International Development Conference, becoming a Green Impact project assistant, and taking part in the RISE Social Enterprise Conference.