Over the past few years we have taken part in the Green Impact Universities Award. This year we achieved GOLD! We completed as many criteria as we could through the NUS Green Impact Workbook. The criteria is ranged from the simple tasks like setting our PC's to print double sided through to the auditing of energy that we use in our workspace but also includes activities that go over and above the criteria (bonus points)!

As a Union we try very hard to have a positive impact on our environment and hope that students at Anglia Ruskin University will join in with us too. Over the past year we have developed the Plan G microsite, set up "The Plot" which is a student and staff led allotment, built a bug hotel, bid for £300k to invest in sustainability within the Union, invested in a more efficient vehicle for us to travel across the four campuses, and increased our environmental campaigning. We also changed our fresher’s bags to cotton not plastic and building connections within the local communities. We have even ensured sustainability is a feature in our new 3 year strategic plan! For the second year running we have held the Green Pitch competition where students put forward ideas and can win up to £1,000 to make improvements on campus, run campaigns or other creative ways to make an impact during their time at Anglia Ruskin. This year Nadia and Douglas won – find out more here.

We have also be heavily involved in the development of the Go Green Project, Student Switch Off, partnered in the HEA Green Academy program and also built strong relationships with our Global Sustainability Institute. We also worked closely with our Estates & Facilities department on the implementation of the Beehive on the top of Lord Ashcroft International Business School (LAIBS) building. Our involvement and support on the sustainability agenda also helped our University win the Excellence in Integration Award for International Sustainable Campus Network Award which was presented in Singapore this year!

More recently, we have seen and supported the increase in societies linked to sustainability and the environment and we are working with them to help build membership and deliver campaigns and events. Societies including: Global Responsible Leadership Institute (GRLI), Roots & Shoots, Wildlife, Vegan Society, and Greenpeace. If you would like to set up a similar society we can help! Get in touch with Daryl Sharpe (Experience Officer – Cambridgeshire) or Jack Goodwin (Essex) or you can speak to me too!

Future projects involve Romsey Gardens and Rooftop allotments. If you have any ideas you want us to work with you on, please do get involved!

Feel free to contact me: f.rust@angliastudent.com

Fran

President 2012-14