Sustainable guidelines for Welcome events
24 Jul 2024
As we head towards the new academic year, events are being organised to welcome students. The Environmental Sustainability team has developed best practice guidelines encouraging sustainability at events offering giveaways, to reduce negative impacts on the environment and local community.
Events at the University help to engage colleagues and students, support networking, and raise awareness of specific topics, and giveaways help to attract attention to these events. However, if not managed properly, they can also cause harm to our environment.
The purpose of the document is to establish standard guidelines for selecting and distributing sustainable giveaways that apply to all – the departments, societies, groups, and organisations – involved in the planning and execution of events and in-person activities.
Further information and our sustainability strategy
The University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy was published in 2023, outlining our commitment to sustainability. We aim to achieve zero direct carbon emissions by 2038, surpassing net zero, and are committed to addressing global challenges through research, education, public engagement, and responsible campus operations.
To achieve this, we must continue to embed sustainability practices into all systems and processes across campus. There are a wide range of opportunities for colleagues to get involved in sustainability initiatives – these can be found on our “Get Involved” webpage.
The University’s Social responsibility and civic engagement plan, published in 2020, sets out five priorities (social inclusion, prosperous communities, better health, environmental sustainability and cultural engagement) to make a difference locally, nationally and internationally across our full range of activities.