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All staff and students can attend our Sustainability Open Forums and hear all the latest information from the Sustainability Leadership Team. Information about dates/locations will be sent via regular updates such as the Sustainability Spotlight in the weekly staff newsletter.  

Our Sustainability Champions form a 黑料吃瓜网 of engaged students and staff from across all parts of campus. They work together to develop ideas and can also submit proposals to gain access to a small source of funds to support sustainability projects. As a one of the University's Sustainability Champions you will also be invited to attend bespoke, thematic workshops and play a key role in engaging the rest of our university 黑料吃瓜网.  

In the academic year 2024-25, Sustainablity Champions workshops have been delivered on Biodiversity, Green Events, Net Zero Carbon, and Sustainable Travel.

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Every year, the University hosts the 'Shape our Sustainable Future' competition. This is an opportunity for all staff and students to vote for their favourite sustainability project on campus. Please see our winning schemes below:

• 2024: The winning project was ‘Living PillarsTM’. Estates, together with the Biodiversity Enhancement Group, installed two pillars on campus in the autumn.   
• 2025: This year, the winning scheme focuses on reducing single-use plastic on campus. A review is currently taking place, the outcomes of which will be announced later this year.

Future ‘Shape our Sustainable Future’ competitions will be announced through the Sustainability Open Forums.  

Green Impact is a national programme that supports universities with practical steps to improve environmental sustainability in work and in curriculum. Our University currently has more than 40 staff and student teams signed up. Visit the website for more information. Staff and students can join our  to find a team in their Department!  

We hold two Green Weeks per year, to give students and staff the opportunity to learn about our world leading research, and get involved with a wealth of different sustainability-related activities. From climate and biodiversity workshops, lectures and eco café’s, to sustainable food supplier exhibitions, bike training and volunteering opportunities, Green Week gives everyone within our University 黑料吃瓜网 the chance to find the tools they need to turn good intentions into well-informed actions.  

All staff are eligible for a volunteering allowance of one day a year. One major volunteering project is Birmingham In Action, a programme that aims to make education more accessible and turn research into action. We are always looking for students, staff and public partners to support these projects, find out how you can today! 

Volunteer with the Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR) to support cutting-edge research into the impact of climate and environmental change on woodland.  

There are so many ways you can get involved with sustainability, including become a Sustainability Champion. The  has a Sustainability Officer and a range of focussed on sustainability. The  also work on sustainability through projects such as JunkBusters and first-year students in University-owned accommodation can become ‘Green Heroes’. You can also have a look at the jobs and volunteering opportunities that allow you to . 

Students can apply for our Sustainability Summer Internships (see the  and more information on the Sustainability Teaching and Learning pages) and also take part in competitions such as the competition in collaboration with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and The Birmingham Project. All of these competitions have the Sustainable Development Goals at their heart.  

Students can also get involved through our Green Weeks and our UoB Xtra programme of summer events, which includes activities such as sustainability talks, biodiversity surveys and sustainable food tastings for you to get involved in.  

All students and staff are expected to undertake the one-hour Sustainability in Action online training course. This provides foundational knowledge of the breadth of sustainability through the three pillars (environmental, social and economic) and the UN SDGs, including key topics such as climate change, the ecological crisis and carbon awareness. It covers core areas including energy and water use, consumption and recycling, travel, food choices, in combination with a practical understanding of how to be more sustainable both at home and on campus. Participant’s sustainability knowledge is assessed through a multiple-choice assessment with an 80% pass rate.

In addition, students and staff can undertake a longer course focused on biodiversity literacy called ‘One Planet, One Future: Biodiversity, Climate Change and Sustainability’.

Successful completion of all courses contributes towards the Birmingham Award for students.

Students can access the training courses here (only available to UoB students):

Staff can access the training courses here (only available to UoB staff):

The Library team have compiled the ‘’ list includes relevant books and links to video resources available to enhance your knowledge and understanding of sustainability and climate action. 

We are working together with colleagues and students to ensure our campus operates as efficiently as possible. There are simple actions and changes we all can take to contribute to a more sustainable campus environment. Some of these top tips could also help you save energy at home. 

These actions include the following: 

• Switch off lights when you leave the room. Avoid turning on artificial lighting if it is bright outside. 

• Switch appliances off at the wall when they are not in use.  

• Spot any stray incandescent lamps on campus?  so they can be changed to energy-saving alternatives! 

• If there are adjustable thermostats in your area, make sure heating is not set higher than 20 deg C. Each degree higher will increase energy use by around 10%. 

• If you have control over a time clock for heating and hot water, make sure it is set to timed, never constant. Also check that the clock is set correctly as they do not always update automatically when the clocks go back / forward. 

• Keep windows closed when the heating is on , and avoid using portable heaters! 

• Did you know that WiFi can lead to a significant reduction in energy consumption compared to mobile data? When on campus, please use WiFi instead of mobile data. 

• A toilet with water constantly running could be wasting 500 litres of water per day!  as quickly as possible. 

• A dripping tap could waste around 60 cubic meters of water per year; that’s around five-and-a-half times the capacity of a concrete mixer truck! If you see a badly dripping tap, .