Friday, 26 February 2021
Nottingham’s two universities are bringing together sustainability expertise from across Nottingham to run a week of events to raise awareness about environmental and social issues.
Sustainability Action Week is a Universities for Nottingham initiative, and in partnership with NTSU, UoNSU and Nottingham City Council, experts from both universities will share thoughts for more sustainable ways of living and working in the City and how to make positive changes.
The flagship event of the week is the Nottingham Sustainability Action Panel Discussion and Workshop - a collaborative discussion between Nottingham City Council, Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham and representatives from both students’ unions addressing the global challenge presented by climate change and what we, as civic institutions, plan to do reduce carbon emissions.
Individual and collective action
The discussion will look at actions already taken by all institutions as well as plans to further reduce carbon emissions, in support of Nottingham’s Carbon Neutral 2028 target. The panel will also explore steps we can also take as individuals and how this supports wider efforts.
The virtual, live, interactive session is open for all to attend, and participants will be able to submit questions for the panel. Following the panel discussion, workshops will take place where participants can share their ideas and explore pathways to net zero carbon through individual and collective action.
Nottingham is leading the way in terms of sustainability; our two universities are ranked among the most sustainable in the world, and our City Council leads the UK through a commitment to being carbon-neutral by 2028.
She added: “But this is not the time to rest on our laurels, there is so much still to do, we are in the midst of a climate emergency and ecological crisis, and we all need to take responsibility and action to reduce negative impacts on the environment and deliver on net zero carbon. Collaboration is key, and it is hoped that we can all learn something through this event, as individuals, institutions and city wide – to make Nottingham the truly sustainable, low carbon city it has the ambition to become."
Rewarding sustainability
The University of Nottingham is launching a new sustainability app, Green Rewards, on Tuesday 2 March for staff and students to earn rewards for their sustainable habits. Users can earn points by logging their actions, such as walking or cycling instead of driving, taking part in quizzes on clean air or energy, and even spending time outside on their lunch break or growing their own vegetables. Each month top performing staff and students will win a £20 voucher and every term, users can vote for a charity to receive a £200 donation. Since Nottingham Trent University launched their version of the Green Rewards app in 2019, more than 136,000 sustainability actions have been completed, resulting in more than 150,000 kg of avoided carbon emissions.
We are really excited to be launching Green Rewards during Sustainability Week. Our staff and students have told us they want to reduce their environmental footprint and the app will empower us all to make the small changes that are necessary in working towards Nottingham’s carbon target.
He added: “We’ll also be launching a new University campaign during the week which will bring together all our sustainability work and encourage and support staff and students alike to be more sustainable. Even the smallest actions add up to big impacts. Every sustainable change we make takes us closer to our goal, and change is possible when we all work together.”
Ambitious plans
Wayne Bexton, Head of Energy and Sustainability at Nottingham City Council said: “We’re extremely proud to be the leading core city in the UK in relation to our carbon reduction, energy and sustainability agenda, with an ambitious plan to build on our work in recent years by achieving carbon neutrality by 2028. Our ambition is Citywide and we therefore need everyone to play their part in helping us achieve this goal. We are extremely fortunate to have two fantastic Universities, with sustainability embedded at the centre of their operations, and I’m delighted they have both joined in our commitment to be carbon neutral. This collaboration will undoubtedly be a cornerstone in enabling us to achieve this ambition for Nottingham.”
For more information on the event and to register to attend, visit https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/events/events/2021/03/nottingham-sustainability-action-panel-discussion-and-workshop
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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