The first Student Sustainability Council session took place on 1 December 2022. It brought Councillors together in person for the first time to agree on priority topics to be discussed in the future Council meetings. Students also got to know each other, their Council staff leads, and found out more about how UCL and the Students' Union UCL work.

Introduction: how do UCL and the Union run?

This year's Union Affairs Officer, Deniz Akinci, was the chair of the first part of the meeting. Deniz introduced the formula for the meeting and reiterated the threefold aim of the Student Sustainability Council:

  • Ensuring projects and policies run by UCL and the Students’ Union have a meaningful positive impact on people and planet from a student perspective.​
  • Bringing students ideas and concerns around sustainability into our university's plans, projects, and visions. ​
  • Enabling students to learn about sustainability decisions within a large- scale organisation.​

Hannah Biggs of Sustainable UCL and Deniz also introduced the governance structure of UCL and the Union, respectively, and explained how institutional change happens.

The Council is lead by elected student representatives: Union Affairs Officer, Deniz Akinci, and Sustainability Officer, Vaania Achuthan, with staff support from Sustainable UCL and the Union

What does sustainable university look like?

Students worked in groups to brainstorm the most important areas that make a sustainable university

After an ice-breaking exercise, Vaania invited students to work in groups on the question of "How does sustainable university really look like?". The students presented the following topics in response:

  • Education for sustainability for all, especially international students
  • Tackling food waste in UCL halls
  • Farmers' market in the university
  • Access to UN SDGs research for undergraduates
  • Easier access to carbon literacy training
  • Sustainability managers across all faculties
  • Universal implementation of PALS 'No Fly Zone'
  • Introduce mandatory sustainability induction training
  • Cycling and more safe bike parking on campus
  • More biodiversity onto the campus (e.g. Student Centre rooftop)
  • Investing in renewable energy
  • More water fountains
  • Tackling e-waste
  • More green walls
  • Incorporating sustainability into any career
  • Disclosure around carbon

Topics suggested by students were grouped into broader themes that then were voted on by all students present.

The poll results for most important topics to be addressed by the Sustainability Council this year

Next Council meetings

In line with students' preference, the next Council meetings will be themed as follows. The theme of communication will be woven into all meetings, with relevance to the main theme.

  • Tuesday 13 December - Careers​
  • Tuesday 24 January - Education​
  • Tuesday 21 February - Waste

Last updated 1 year ago Read time 2 mins