Engaging in Sustainability at Kent

The Sustainability Team is here to support all students and staff in engaging with Sustainability whilst at Kent. Scroll through our engagement projects below and follow links for more information of how to get involved. If you have your own ideas and need some support, please take a look below to see what we can offer you, your team/societies or department/school.

Engagement Projects and Activities

Engagement Programme/Area Audience and Stakeholders Objectives 2023/24 Objective 2024/25
Staff / Student induction Training

Students and Staff

Review staff induction training and work with HR to improve uptake rate to 40% Develop student sustainability induction to roll out in 2025/26 academic year
Sustainability Champions Network Staff Develop and trial new champions network model
Run year one of new model and review outcomes
Kent Community Oasis Garden
Students, Staff and the Community Complete year one of KentCOG strategy objectives and report on progress
Complete year two of KentCOG strategy objectives and report on progress
Carbon Literacy / ESD

Students and Staff

Launch Sustainability Pathway on Target Connect

Run 2 carbon literacy courses for students

Secure funding to deliver CL training to staff

Offer CL training to staff through staff connect
Sustainability network / Societies

Students

Connect with the KU sab lead for Sustainability.

Continue supporting student groups and societies on request

Connect with the KU sab lead for Sustainability.

Continue supporting student groups and societies on request

Staff consultation / Biodiversity Forum

Staff

Review and trial new model of the forum

Adopt trial results

Right to Food / Civic Mission

Students, Staff and Community

Represent sustainability on the Right to Food Steering Group

Participate in the NCIA programme

Develop the River of Vegetation Project 

Represent sustainability on the Right to Food Steering Group

Deliver River of Vegetation project 

Website / Social Media

Students, Future Students, Staff and Community

Annual review of website

Maintain Instagram

Regular internal news stories

Annual review of website

Maintain Instagram

 

Regular internal news stories

Reporting

Students, Future Students, Staff and Community

Publish sustainability round up

Publish sustainability round up

Canterbury Climate Action Partnership / Canterbury District Biodiversity Network

Community

Participate in CCAP Climate Action Awards and Festival 2023

Maintain engagement with the CDBN Coordination Committee and build on partnerships

Participate in CCAP Climate Action Awards and Festival 2024

 

Maintain engagement with the CDBN Coordination Committee and build on partnerships

Recruitment activity

Future Student

Include SDGs, Curriculum and alumni case studies on course landing pages

Embed sustainable events practice into open days and applicant days
UPP Waste Engagement Programme

Student

Support UPP to complete year 1 of SOS student residences engagement programme

tbc
Other

All

Begin development of ‘Secret Sustainability’ – highlighting the ways the University are working on sustainability that might not be immediately obvious

Personal stories from Sustainability Champions and students/societies

Celebrating sustainability successes big and small 

Deliver the Secret Sustainability Project

Support

Communications

The Sustainability Team has a number of platforms that it can use to spread the word about what you are doing. We also have a number of networks that we can utilise to share content or seek out individuals that might be able to help you with your idea or project. You can connect directly with us on our Instagram or email us your idea/project to get us involved.

Advice

We are able to provide professional advice on a wide range of sustainability topics including carbon, biodiversity, waste and recycling, sustainable transport, behaviour change, water management and much more. We also have a wide range of contacts to link you up with other experts who may benefit your idea/project. We also have extensive experience of running sustainability projects within Higher Education so could provide advice that helps save you time and connects you up with people that can get things done! Please just email us to get us involved.

Training  

We have run training in sustainability at all levels including environmental risk management; dealing with environmental incidences; introductions to sustainability; environmental auditing; sustainability ambassador training; communicating sustainability workshops and much more. We tailor all of our training to the audience it is intended for and can work with you to develop bespoke training for your audience. Please email us to see how we can work with you.

Guest Speaking

The Sustainability Team has spoken at conferences, society meetings, and as guest lecturers. We are always happy to support events, lectures and meetings by giving an insight into what we do or on a particular sustainability topic from a global and/or local perspective. If you would like to invite us to speak at something you are planning or would like to discuss possible options/topics then please just email us.

Coordination and Networking

If you are working on a sustainability project or would like to link up with others we have networks that we can get you involved with that will support what you are doing, provide facilitation and boost the reach of your work. For staff we have the FutureProof framework and for students we can put you in touch with the Sustainability Student Network and other students who we already work with on projects. For some projects we are able to provide additional resources including our coordination and project management skills.

Support for events

If your event has a sustainability element to it please get in touch to see how we might be able to support it. In the past we have offered advice on how to make running your event more sustainable, as well as sitting on steering groups for events to offer practical advice as well connecting event managers with key Estates and Safety staff who are able to make events happen smoothly. We have also provided sustainability content for events, such as guest speaking and hosting workshops/stalls for attendees to experience and enjoy.

Funding

If you are looking for funding for your idea/project we may be able to help you by utilising our own sustainability projects budget or identifying operational budgets such as biodiversity or waste budgets that may be able to be utilised. We can also help support bids for external funding. We support staff run projects through the FutureProof programme, for example, increasing the recycling rates in Biosciences with new signage and specific bin options.

Over the last few years we have supported the student led BioBlitz event with funding for printing and t shirts, funded 10 places for students to train to become Climate Cafe leaders taking on this student led project, and funded the launch of the student designed Plant Based Loyalty Cards in our hospitality outlets.

Projects we have supported

Last updated