UWE Bristol celebrates sustainability and climate action in 'Green Fortnight'
The annual event aims to highlight climate issues and explore what can be done - through a series of activities for students, staff and the public
The annual celebration of environmental issues at UWE Bristol is well under-way - with the 2022 'Green Fortnight' focusing on sustainability and climate action.
The University - working in tandem with their Students' Union - are hosting a range of events to tackle climate change and protect nature, and are encouraging everyone to take part to explore fresh ideas, meet new people, and do something new.
Vicki Harris works in the Sustainability Team at UWE, and said: "We've run a green week for a long time - at least 15 years. This year, it's the first time we've had two weeks of events because there's just so much going on across the University - and that's a good thing.
"The demographic of people here tends to be sympathetic to the issues, and with our full range of activities offering a range of ways to engage with them, we're keen to attract more than those who are just interested in helping the environment... because we need everyone - staff and students - to get involved with climate action."
It started on Monday, October 31 and runs until Sunday, November 13, with a number of events to get people proactively thinking about the environment, and how to make a positive impact in our world.
Some of those include:
- Seminars - exploring the future of roads; plastics in our air; biodiversity and rewilding; Passive Haus and saving energy in student accommodation; and diversity and inclusion in environmentalism
- Sustainable food - with a vegetarian/vegan challenge and cook-along; looking at carbon footprinting of menus in their Onezone restaurant; and exploring their new plant-based food cafe
- Sustainable fashion - mending and up-cycling clothing; swap shops; charity shop trawls; and an alternative fashion worlds workshop
- Climate change - showcasing the UN climate change conference, COP27; climate justice events; and learning about fossil-free careers
- Gardening - with sustainable gardening sessions; beeline and foraging walks; sustainability talks; nature rambles; and litter picking events
Vicki added: "One of the main focuses of this fortnight is to engage students and staff in what is happening at UWE and what they can do to get involved.
"At the University, we have these very impressive and ambitious targets for 2030 to be carbon net zero. This means to completely minimise our impact on the planet, both in terms of being on-campus and off-campus, too, with our waste, building materials, the food we buy, and the travel of our students to get around to lectures.
"We also want to embed sustainability into all of our teaching and learning - so there are big ambitions, and this fortnight plays a small role in contributing towards that. However, we can't meet those without getting everybody on board."
Away from the fortnight, the University say that from day one of being a student, they try to get across the meaning of sustainability - and why it's so important. They have a student induction film by the Students' Union - all to try and instil trust and transparency with what they're trying to do as an institution.
Vicki added: "We've got practical things across the university - from a plant-based cafe, all the way to recycling points... but that's not to say there aren't problems. For instance, with travel, across Bristol there's a lack of bus drivers, so those wanting to get on the buses have suffered.
"In terms of feeling that this fortnight, and all our other efforts are not really worth it - this does sometimes come up with students, and I think we try and counter that with this positive culture, like through the facilitation of hosting events where people can talk about climate action, for instance, because what inevitably happens then is that the discussion turns to what people can practically do to help - it's an energising process.
"But I do think teaching it in the curriculum is very important - despite us not having all the solutions to change want we want to just yet."
The University may not have all the solutions to solve the energy crisis, but these two weeks - in a similar way to the world coming together for the COP27 climate summit - is all about focusing minds in an institution where so much happens during the course of an academic year.
Vicki said: "These two weeks is all about going back to basics. From things like travel, all the way to our free bike repairs, having information stalls, providing a place where people can raise concerns, looking at plant-based food more closely... so it's all about trying to push people in the right direction. We all know we need to act differently, and that's exactly what we're trying to achieve between now and the middle of November."
There is a gathering on College Green on Saturday 12th at 12pm in support of the COP27 conference, demanding change as part of the fortnight - in their 'Mass Mobilisation for Justice'.
If you're interested in getting involved with the Green Fortnight, you can see the rest of the timetable here.
You can learn more about the Green Fortnight here.