Sustainability during lockdown: log your activity on World Environment Day

05 Jun 2020

We’ve updated our 10,000 Actions website so that you can record what you’re doing to help the environment while at home

As we all continue to spend large amounts of time at home, it has given some of us more time to think about what we can do to help the environment and live more sustainably. Now, more than ever, the impact we have on the world around us has been brought into sharp focus. As World Environment Day approaches on 5 June, reflecting on and recording the small actions or changes we are making are big steps towards helping our planet. 

Our 10,000 Actions initiative aims to provide all University staff members with the opportunity to engage in a programme of learning and positive action on sustainability through creating a personal action plan.

What types of activity can I record?

There are many actions you can upload – here’s a few examples from the ES Team and other colleagues:

• Record the wildlife around you on our UMAPIT app. Many people are reporting an increase in wildlife sightings in quieter environments since lockdown. What differences are you noticing?
• Delete old emails. Did you know that every old email stored in your inbox is using up energy? Take the opportunity to declutter your inbox. It’s estimated that deleting 30 emails with attachments is the equivalent of saving a lightbulb’s daily consumption. 
• Grow your own food. You don’t need a massive garden – you can grow herbs on a balcony or windowsill, and plants such as tomatoes, salad leaves and strawberries don’t need a lot of space.
• Make a plant-based meal. Even switching to a plant-based meal once a week can help fight climate change. Social media initiatives like #MeatFreeMonday can give you lots of ideas and even mainstream supermarkets now offer meat-free substitutes.
• Watch an environmental documentary. Whether it’s watching a David Attenborough classic, or catching up on BBC’s Springwatch, you can learn more about far-flung corners of the Earth - or nearer to home, wildlife from our windows that visit our gardens and open spaces.
• World Environment Day is on 5 June. The United Nations’ annual day has become a global platform for engaging the public – this year’s theme is biodiversity.

What you can do:

• Go to our 10,000 Actions website and access the online tool.
• Upload your activity.

Tell us what you’re doing

Send your photos or short videos of what you’re doing at home to uninews@manchester.ac.uk and we’ll feature them on our social media channels.