Sustainability news

The Festive Season is a magical time of the year. The lights and decorations, the food, and of course spending time with friends and family. But while we all enjoy the festivities that season brings, the environment is not. The increased energy usage, waste, and consumption during can create a significant carbon footprint.

There are things we can all do to reduce our impact on the planet during the festivities. Here are few tips and hints to think about:

Season’s Greetings

The EAUC (Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges) conference, held in Winchester from 24-25 July 2024, brought together more than 230 attendees, including 81 presenters and 20 exhibitors, under the theme "Accelerating Ambition and Impact." The conference celebrated its 20^th anniversary and this year there was a distinct sense that action had to be taken. The opening remarks by Laurence Frewin, Principal and CEO of South Devon College, and Gavin Hunter, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Winchester, set an optimistic tone.

The OU was once again a proud sponsor of Net Zero Week (6-12 July) and this year hosted an event entitled ‘Driving change: Imagining a different transport future’.  The event saw Dr Miguel Valdez, joined by Professor Steven Potter and Dr Öznur Yurt, alongside two OU alumni Chinedu Nevo and Dr Paul Hodgson.

Willow Neal (They/Them), a postgraduate researcher and Associate Lecturer at The Open University in the school of Earth, Environmental and Ecosystem Sciences wrote for Climate Perspectives magazine’s Summer 2024 edition.

The Open University (OU) has participated in the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Changemakers programme. This initiative partners students with academics from aligned disciplines to co-create innovative approaches to integrating ESD into our teaching and learning practices.

The OU’s Walton Hall campus has recently been presented with a Gold Award in the Regional ‘Thames and Chilterns in Bloom, large parks’ category 2023.

The catering team at our Walton Hall campus has achieved the Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification from the Soil Association, for serving food that is good for our climate, nature and health.

In a remarkable display of community spirit and dedication, the OU CAN campaign has not only made a significant impact on our local communities but also set a Guinness World Record. The OU Can campaign, which began in August, united our teams across all four nations, resulting in the collection of over 1,000 cans for local food banks. 

The OU in Scotland Social Club organised two highly enjoyable clothing repair workshops for staff with funding from The OU's Go Green Team. Twelve staff attended the workshops in the first two weeks of June run by Jen Skedd of Artisan Stitch www.artisanstitch.co.uk. We learnt how to repair seams, a revelatory new way to hem, top tips for sewing on buttons, some darning and making a hole in your jeans into a piece of art!