A returning initiative is encouraging a more sustainable standard of living around Salford University as part of the ‘Go Green Salford’ campaign.
Last week marked the start of ‘Go Green Salford’, a series of events over a four-week period to get students and staff alike actively interested in looking after themselves and the world around them.
Neva Mowl, Environmental Management Coordinator for Salford University, said the main purpose of the events is to ‘engage people and show them how to reduce their environmental impact’ as well as ‘providing some fun events.’
Early events have been hugely successful, with Ms. Mowl reporting ‘94% of tickets sold’ for the first event, The Green Tea where the Environmental Team set out their ideas and goals with input from esteemed guests.
#GoGreenSalford Wildlife #MSc students contributing to discussions on how to improve #sustainability here @SalfordUni #universitycommunity @UoS_Sustain pic.twitter.com/pc5o1NIoA3
— Katherine Yates (@Yates_KL) February 12, 2018
The upcoming events are varied and exciting, Ms Mowl pointing out a trip to the flood basin at Castle Irwell in particular.
However, she said: “They’ve just contacted me to say we’ll have to move it to another day because the weather’s made it too boggy”.
(Sadly, that has since been postponed until later in the year, but you can follow the latest from all the other events on the Go Green blog.)
Other events include free bike maintenance sessions from ‘Dr Bike’ to encourage cycling as a sustainable alternative form of transport and ‘Throw-Less Thursday’, a series of days seeking to teach people how to dispose of litter and recycle responsibly.
Graduate intern Jasi Ahmed talked through these and the rest of the upcoming events, and you can listen to her guide below. (The ‘DSAS’ mentioned stands for the Directorate of Student and Academic Support).
Speaking about the progress of Salford’s environmental program, Ms. Mowl was positive, but made the point that ‘there’s always more that we can do’.
But on her hopes for the future she said: “We’re working towards the international standard for environmental management systems through Eco Campus (a university -specific program).
“Using this system will give us the ability to really concentrate and step up our improvement.”
The university’s environmental program is underpinned by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a set of global targets drawn up in 2015.
Ms. Mowl said they provided ‘a really good framework for what the university should be working towards ’.
And she prai
sed the environmentally aware Mayor of Salford, saying ‘having that figurehead for sustainability is really encouraging.’
The long term aim of these events seems to be to change the mentality of students’ approach to protecting the environment permanently, and Ms Mowl agreed.
She said: “It’s about building a culture of sustainable behaviour.
“We want students to leave the University with the skills and knowledge to help towards a more sustainable future.”
Recent Comments