Sustainable Essex
The Sustainable Essex Awards is an environmental accreditation internal programme run by the Sustainability Team. It brings staff and students in a department together in a team and provides them with a tangible framework to make their department more sustainable whether that is in the office or at home.
What's involved?
The programme runs each academic year. Each team is provided with a workbook which is accessed through Moodle. The workbooks provide achievable, easy to follow and fun actions directly linked to the themes of the University’s Sustainability Policies. Each team decides whether to compete for a Bronze, Silver or Gold award.
Student volunteers will receive training from the Sustainability team to be Sustainable Essex Auditors to check that teams have completed all of the necessary actions.
An annual awards ceremony is held every year to recognise the achievements of staff and students who take part.
How to join in
Email Rebecca Rudd - rmossa@essex.ac.uk, (Sustainability Engagement Officer).
Benefits of taking part
For students
- Gain practical skills and experience through training approved by the IEMA and by leading Green Impact audits.
- Gain experience in project managing sustainability behaviour change across an entire academic year.
- Learn how large organisations deal with sustainability challenges and implement change.
- Develop key transferable skills including communication, team-work and time-management skills.
- Get the Big Essex Award (Bronze) if you complete 25 hours of Green Impact volunteering.
For staff
- Learn more about environmental issues.
- Build professional and personal skills.
- Have a big impact in your department.
- Achieve and gain recognition at the awards ceremony.
- Encourage your colleagues to think about sustainability.
- Work with others from across the organisation.
- Meet new people within your department.
For departments
- Demonstrate environmental commitment to prospective staff and students.
- Recognition for environmental actions already completed.
- Opportunity to save resources and money.
- Increased staff collaboration and morale.
