Sustainability Action Week is back this year, 13-17 March 2023!
Join us for a dedicated week of activities and events to raise awareness about environmental and social issues. There is something for everyone across our UK campuses as we focus on sustainable careers, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in teaching and actions we can all take to make a positive change for the planet. Find out what the university is doing to address climate change on campus covering topics such as waste, travel, energy and much more.
Find out what we have planned below.
Free NCT bus ticket for all university staff
NCT is the largest public transport operator in Nottingham, servicing both University Park and Jubilee campuses. To support staff commuting more sustainably this week and beyond, NCT are offering a free unlimited 24 hour ticket to all staff.
To claim your free ticket, complete the online form here and register on Green Rewards - the university's online sustainability rewards platform by Friday 17 March 2023.
Ticket must be used before 30 April 2023.
Find out more here.
Careers in sustainability
Tuesday 14 March, 12-2pm,University Park, Engineering Science Learning Centre (ESLC), C01
Book onto this event to hear STEM graduates talk about their careers in Sustainability. All disciplines welcome.
Wednesday 15 March, 2-4pm, University Park, Engineering Science Learning Centre (ESLC), A09
Book onto this event to hear STEM graduates talk about their careers in Sustainability. All disciplines welcome.
Thursday 16 March, 12-1.30pm, Online
Book onto this event to hear how Arts and Social Sciences graduates carved their careers in sustainability. All disciplines welcome!
Monday 13 March: Focus on waste
Litter picks with Hedgehog Friendly Campus Group
University Park: 12:30pm - 1:30pm Meeting at Portland steps (lake side) - POSTPONED UNTIL WEDNESDAY DUE TO WEATHER. This will now merge with the Wellbeing Walk 12-1pm.
Sutton Bonington: 12.15pm - 1.15pm Meeting outside the cafe
Hedgehogs are covered in thousands of spines, making them vulnerable to becoming trapped in litter. Unfortunately, many hedgehogs die every year because of this.
Join the Hedgehog Friendly Campus group and the Sustainability Team to help clean up campus, making it safer our hedgehogs and other wildlife.
Just turn up on the day. Litter pickers, gloves and bags provided but wear appropriate clothing.
Making art from waste at Sutton Bonington
10:30am Upstairs in The Barn
Make a giant turtle out of household waste plastic to bring attention to the volume of plastic and ocean plastic pollution.
Plant pot pick up and plant swap at Sutton Bonington
10.00am - 3.00pm In the outdoor octagon
Give some unwanted plants and plant pots a better home, or pick up some new ones!
Tuesday 14 March: Focus on energy
Guest lecture: Sustainability initiatives at the British Geological Survey
10:30am, Room A46 Main Building, Sutton Bonington
Hear about some of the environmental projects and initiaves implemented at the BGS. Refreshments provided.
The future of energy and carbon at the university
12:00pm - 12.30pm, Online
Join the university's energy and carbon managers, highlighting the future changes and projects associated with our energy supply and carbon emissions.
Book on
Movie night with the Enviromental Science Society - open to all students
6.00pm - 8.00pm Hallward Screening Room
EnviSciSoc are showing a BBC David Attenborough documentary with free Dominos pizza! Pop along to meet some new people who share a love for the planet.
Wednesday 15 March: Focus on nature and green spaces
Green spaces have been proven to have a positive impact on our mental health, reducing levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue. Univeristy of Nottingham is lucky to have one of the greenest campuses of any UK university with a rich variety of habitats and wildlife.
Wellbeing walk
12.00pm - 1.00pm, Meet on Portland Building steps (Lake side)
Take some time out to explore our beautiful University Park campus. Visit some spaces you might not have been before, see what wildlife you can spot and talk to members of the sustainability team about environmental and biodiversity activities.
Now with the option for litter picking along the way as part of Hedgehog Friendly Campus Group postponed activities. All equipment provided.
Since 2000, hedgehog numbers in rural areas have plummeted by as much as 50% and in urban gardens by 30%. They are now classed as being vulnerable to extinction. But there are things we can do to help to reverse this.
Hedgehogs: Facts, Threats, Actions - CANCELLED
1.30pm, Microsoft Teams
Join Hannah Constantin from the university's Hedgehog Friendly Campus Group who will be talking all things hedgehog. Covering general facts, the threats they face and activities the HFCG have undertaken to, well make campus more hedgehog friendly! Plus find out what you can do at UoN and at home.
Join the meeting
The science of sewage - Talk by Severn Trent Water - CANCELLED
10.00am A46, Main Building, Sutton Bonington
Can CT imaging be used to investigate microplastics in sediments? Talk at Sutton Bonington
11.00am A46, Main Building, Sutton Bonington
Thursday 16 March - Focus on: Sustainable travel
The UK Government reports that transport is the largest emitting sector of Green House Gas emissions, producing 24% of the UK’s total emissions in 2020. Find out how easy it is travel to the university sustainably with our events.
Free NCT bus ticket for all staff
NCT is the largest public transport operator in Nottingham, servicing both University Park and Jubilee campuses. To support staff commuting more sustainably, this week and beyond, NCT are offering a free unlimited 24 hour ticket to all staff.
To claim your free ticket, complete the online form here and register on Green Rewards - the university's online sustainability rewards platform by Friday 17 March 2023.
Sustainable travel fair at Jubilee
10am-1pm Derby Road Entrance to Jubilee Campus
Nottingham Bikeworks will join Dr Bike with a refurbished bike sale. Fully serviced, second hand bikes are available for as little as £80 to help you travel to campus sustainably and save some money too.
Super-pedestrian (Nottingham e-scooter provider) will be offering demos for all levels of experience, answering questions and giving the opportunity to get free in-app credit.
Ahead of the launch of a new Nottingham hire scheme Lime will be demonstrating e-bikes. Plus speak to NET to hear about offers on the tram network.
Climate-conscious commuting - online talk
11.30am-12pm, Microsoft Teams
This talk will cover how the university’s Sustainability Team is working with others to enhance the accessibility of our campuses by more sustainable modes of transport. Plus understand what you can do as staff and students to reduce your carbon footprint from transport.
Register here
Sustainabilty at Sutton Bonington
Upstairs in The Barn
Come and find out about initiatives in labs, reducing waste and more. With information from UniGreen, Alpha Labs, StarLab, Plant Sciences, LEAF, Love Recycling Project Kitchen and homeware for international students.
Friday 17 March - Focus on: Taking Action
Laboratories are some of the most resource-intensive places at the university. But all lab users can take positive actions to reduce the environmental impact of their work.
Improving sustainability in labs - online talk
11.30am, Microsoft Teams
Lee Hibbett, Technical Manager, is currently on secondment in the Sustainability Team and on a mission to make UoN labs more sustainable. In this talk he'll explore the practical solutions that are being implemented and the impact they are having on the university's carbon footprint.
If you work in a lab, or even if you don't, join this talk to find out more and see how you can get involved.
Register here
Green Rewards
Green Rewards is a desktop and mobile app (search UoN Green Rewards) where you record your sustainable activities. In return you’ll earn Green Points and the chance to win vouchers for yourself and charity donations for your team. Plus, many of the actions are not only good for the planet but good for your pocket too!
So far, users of the app at UoN have saved more than 130,000 kg CO2 and raised £1,500 for charity.
If everyone at UoN used Green Rewards, together we could save 423 tonnes CO2!
Sign up.
There are new activities as part of Sustainability Action Week that start on Monday 13 March and for every friend you refer, earn 1,000 points! A great start to earning points and winning prizes this month.
Free NCT bus ticket for all staff
NCT is the largest public transport operator in Nottingham, servicing both University Park and Jubilee campuses. To support staff commuting more sustainably, this week and beyond, NCT are offering a free unlimited 24 hour ticket to all staff.
To claim your free ticket, complete the
online form here and register on
Green Rewards - the university's online sustainability rewards platform
by Friday 17 March 2023.
Sustainable Development Goals Teach In
During March, we're asking educators to link teaching and learning to local and global concerns by incorporating the UN Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG's). The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable development across all subjects.
We'd like schools in all five faculties to link relevant teaching to one or more of the UN's 17 SDGs. All you need to do is include a slide indicating which SDG is relevant to the topic at hand. E.g. a lecture on asthma on the medicine course draws attention to Climate Action (SDG13) in relation to the high carbon footprint of commonly used inhalers.
Get in touch to take part or find out more about the SDG Teach In here.