By Paul, UWE Bristol’s Head of Environment and Sustainability.
Head of Environment and Sustainability, Paul, tells us how he’s turned his passion for sustainability and tackling the climate crisis into a career. He shares how UWE Bristol is supporting sustainability on campus and how students can get involved in creating a more sustainable future. Keep reading to learn more.
How I found my passion for sustainability
My name’s Paul, and I’m Head of Environment and Sustainability at UWE Bristol. My team’s job is to embed sustainability into the fabric of the University, bringing our sustainability commitments to life.
I’ve been passionate about the environment and nature for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, climate change was already talked about and as a child I worried a lot about pollution and environmental conservation. Since then, I’ve turned this passion into a career in sustainability.
The science is clear: the climate crisis is here now. And to address it, it’s crucial we facilitate sustainable living. We must act at all levels of society, from the individual to organisations and government, adapting how we live and work to reduce our carbon emissions and restore nature.
“Universities have an important role in protecting our planet, and UWE Bristol is taking bold action in many ways to play its part. I’m proud to work somewhere that takes climate action and sustainability seriously.”
How UWE Bristol are supporting sustainability
Buildings and green spaces
We’ve built new accommodation on Frenchay Campus, designed to a low-carbon standard called Passivhaus, offering great facilities and green space, with low climate impact. In the future, we’re planning to build more low-carbon accommodation, while improving the insulation in older buildings.
We’re also improving our landscaping to bring nature closer to people. We’re growing pollinator-friendly plants on our Frenchay Beeline, and getting students involved in growing produce in our Community Gardens. Plus, our new Restoration Garden by The Farmhouse on Frenchay Campus provides an outstanding tranquil space for people and wildlife.
Public and active transport
Frenchay Campus is all walkable, and there are great bus links from the city centre to our Frenchay, Glenside and Bower Ashton sites. We work closely with the bus companies to ensure those bus links are strong, so students can easily travel around Bristol and between our campuses.
There are also great active travel options at UWE Bristol, such as the Rent a Bike scheme at the Students’ Union. What’s more, Bristol is lucky to have an e-scooter and e-bike scheme, which offers low-carbon and enjoyable ways to get around the city.
Low-impact food choices
Our students benefit from plenty of sustainable food choices across all our campuses. There are great options for healthy, nutritious and low-impact food made using fresh produce, such as the Buddha Bowl.
There’s also a plant-based, 100% vegan café in S Block on Frenchay Campus which serves great tasting, low-impact food that’s locally sourced. For home cooking, students can visit the SU’s zero-waste shop to bulk-buy their store cupboard staples, such as dried pasta and rice.
How students can get involved in sustainability
Visit our Sustainability Hub
It’s always better to reuse than recycle, as this avoids more carbon emissions. That’s why we created the Sustainability Hub: a place on campus where students can swap, share or repair their items. When you donate your unwanted kitchenware, electricals, clothing and bric-a-brac, you get a token in return which you can swap for a new item.
We often hold events at the Hub, such as repair cafes and sew and stitch sessions, upskilling people to repair their own broken items. We also work with a third party called “Fix my Crack”, an initiative which helps students with technology repairs. Whether it’s a broken phone or a laptop issue, this tech support reduces the need to buy a new device, facilitating sustainable living.
Learn and share ideas
Our academics are working to embed sustainability within the curriculum, starting with our new “Climate Education” module, available to all students from September 2023. As well as educating our students about sustainability, UWE Bristol is responsive to the student voice. If students have ideas about making our campuses greener, we’ll listen and take those ideas on board.
There are many ways students can have a say: through the SU Green Team, Sustainability Committee and Student Ideas. You can also volunteer for an environmental, conservation or sustainability cause through our Volunteering team. I’d urge anyone that wants to get involved to contact the SU Green Team – that’s a great place to start.
“At UWE Bristol, we’re careful to put in place a range of positive changes to help people conveniently build sustainability into their lifestyle.”
Three ways we can be more sustainable on campus
- Rent a bike to travel to campus, which is great for your wellbeing and reduces your environmental impact.
- Browse for new clothes and repair your tech at the Sustainability Hub, which avoids fast fashion and waste.
- Explore the green spaces across our campuses. See the bees buzzing on the new green wall by Onezone and pick Beeline produce grown on campus.
Find out more on UWE Bristol’s Change the world with us webpage.