Climate Action trains and supports teams of university students to create and implement climate action plans with local businesses and groups.
What is Climate Action?
Students learn about sustainability initiatives, connect as teams with local organisations and do work creating and implementing climate action plans to make change. Ultimately students develop key skills for life and gain professional experience whilst making a difference.
We work with a range of partners from local businesses to university departments to community groups. They are supported to work with a group of students on the plan, providing strategic guidance on the planning and implementation. The student consultants receive training in a wide range of topics from consulting skills to environmental expertise, and receive regular support from staff. The Climate Action Plans are explored with support from NETpositive Futures.
Over the course of a year the climate action plans evolve into projects which have included writing policies, auditing equipment and researching alternative energy.
What’s the impact?
Climate Action supports reduced environmental impact in the local community, as well as student skill development. To meet this aim we ensure our partners benefit from:
- The new perspectives and energy students can bring to their organisation
- Added capacity to new and existing sustainability activities
- Connection to the university and student community
In 2022-23
81%
students agreed they gained useful insight into the sustainability sector or workplace sustainability
100%
partners agreed that the students allowed their organisation to innovate and explore new ideas
100%
partners agreed the programme positively changed their perception of students
I also feel as though it has made me become more aware of my own potential to affect change. It has helped highlight to me that I can make changes to systems and develop myself as a person with growing confidence.
Shivali Agrawal, Bristol Hub student consultant