Welcome to your November newsletter
Find out more about Sustainability at York in November 2024.
Green Impact action spotlight: November
We are really excited to see 26 teams are already taking part in Green Impact this year from across the University, and those teams have completed 73 positive actions so far to make their department or college more sustainable.
This month we are highlighting action General 022 in the Green Impact toolkit. This action asks you to organise a team activity to experience the biodiversity around campus, which could be done through the campus tree trail.
As the days are growing darker, now is also a great time to try action Labs 010 which is all about making use of natural lighting in the lab, and action General 015 which asks you to maintain a Lighting and Equipment Responsibility Plan.
Go to the toolkit now to try these actions in your team! If you are not yet involved in Green Impact, get in touch with GreenImpact@york.ac.uk to find out more and set up a team in your department!
SOS-UK Webinar: Whose footprint is it anyway - contextualising the blame game
Tuesday 12 November 2024, 12:30.
Sometimes it can be confusing to see the whole picture when we talk about carbon footprints. You may have heard ‘but [country] has a much bigger carbon footprint than us' or 'It doesn't make a difference what we do when [country] is so much more polluting' - but do these kinds of statements accurately reflect global responsibilities for climate action?
This webinar explores the concept of responsibility with the context of history and habits, and will empower you to understand the bigger picture of carbon footprints with a climate justice lens.
National Tree Week: 23 November - 1 December
National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration to mark the start of the annual tree planting season. This year, the Tree Council is inviting everyone to get their family, friends, and neighbours involved to celebrate this National Tree Week with a Tree Party! Find out more on the Tree Council website here including this page with some resources to have a Tree Party!
Thank you to our new Green Impact Project Assistants
On 23 November, SOS-UK trained 42 student volunteers on how to become Green Impact Project Assistants (GIPAs). These dedicated students will now be assigned to support staff teams from across the university in implementing positive sustainability actions and projects, through the Green Impact programme. Thank you to all the students who completed the training and we’re looking forward to seeing how you get on!
If you are part of a staff team who could benefit from working with a student to progress your sustainability activities, please contact GreenImpact@york.ac.uk to request a GIPA!
University of York research spotlight
Earthworms are considered vital creatures that help keep soil healthy by eating and recycling organic matter, but they face an uncertain future due to climate change. Now, University of York researcher Professor Mark Hodson will look at how predicted increases in the intensity, frequency and duration of flooding is impacting the population. Read more here!
Green shoots in chemistry (7 November, 3pm, Sustainability Clinic)
The Royal Society of Chemistry is inviting undergraduates to share their views on climate change and sustainability in the school curriculum. If your students studied A level chemistry and have chemistry in their degree, please invite them to join this one-hour discussion. Sign up for the chemistry discussion.
York SU Student Sustainability Survey: tell us what you think!
How do you feel about sustainability issues on campus and beyond? We want to know!
The Student Sustainability Survey for 2024 is live and it’s your chance to have your say and make sure that our work on sustainability represents your priorities and needs. Your response to this survey will help shape our approach to sustainability and how we work with the University to improve Sustainability across York more broadly.
Plus, enter the survey prize draw to be in with a chance of winning one of two £25 York Gift Card vouchers! Click here to fill out the survey.
Join our next Climate Fresk Workshop: 4 December (1.30pm - 4.30pm, Sustainability Clinic, mince pie special!)
Interested in joining a climate science workshop? Our next session will take place in the Sustainability Clinic on 4th December (with mince pies!).
Climate Fresk is a 3 hour interactive workshop based on the IPCC reports. This collaborative workshop will teach you the fundamental science behind climate change and empower you to take action through small group discussion, reflection on emotions and collaborative action planning.
Upcoming Play for the Planet sessions (20 and 22 November)
Play for the Planet monthly meet-ups is a unique series that brings together game designers, researchers, educators, and enthusiasts from the University of York and beyond. We're on a mission to explore how games and playful materials, ranging from digital and table top games to interactive narratives and simulation, can help us understand and address planetary crises.
Pipelines or Pipedreams: Seeking Consensus is a Slippery Business (20 November, 1pm-3pm, Sustainability Clinic)
Join us for "Pipelines or Pipedreams: Seeking Consensus is a Slippery Business", an interactive stakeholder simulation, where you’ll tackle real-world sustainability challenges like the fate of a controversial fossil fuel pipeline.
Navaroud (22 November, 2pm - 4.30pm, Sustainability Clinic)
What does colonialism have to do with boardgames? How can boardgames teach you history? How can boardgames make you rethink history?
Game designer Anukriti Gupta brings her single player trading and survival-based boardgame for a play session that puts you in the shoes of the zamindar or landowner. The game will be conducted by Anukriti and followed by a discussion on decoloniality. Sign up by emailing: katie.heffron@york.ac.uk
Carbon Literacy Training, Friday 22 November and Friday 29 November 9am to 1.30pm online
Access free carbon literacy training (two half-day sessions) covering climate change, the science, its impacts and the action we can all take to reduce it. If you can make both sessions email sustainability@york.ac.uk to sign up.
Sustainability Week 2025
Sustainability Week offers staff and students the opportunity to organise or join a range of fun and engaging activities, taking place in the first week of March 2025 (w/c 3 March).
Following on from the success of last year, which featured 32 free events, we are now looking for expressions of interest for SW25. Send your ideas and help us to celebrate sustainability across the University.
Colleges Sustainability Challenge
Back for a second year, the College Sustainability Challenge is the on campus sustainability competition (formerly Student Switch Off). The College accommodation that is the best for saving energy and water and reducing waste will win an end of year prize.
Across the year we will run competitions, quizzes and master classes to support you on your sustainability journey as well as giving you chances to win prizes along the way.
As a Green Campus Volunteer, you can help spread the word in your College with opportunities to create engaging articles and social media, promote the activities, review your College accommodation performance and run awareness events. What are you waiting for? Get involved today!
Links and further information
Don’t forget to follow UoY sustainability on social media.
You can also check out UoY Sustainability on our wordpress blog, or click the links below to find out more!
- UoY Sustainability pages
- Our Sustainability Plan 2021-2030
- Staff can join the Green Impact slack channel: #green-impact.
- Green Impact toolkit (registration code: 40238)
- Green Impact google site
- SOS-UK webinar series