Written by Vaania Kapoor Achuthan, Sustainability Officer
Between sustainability protests, a passion for David Attenborough’s work and the uprising of veganism, current students are more aware of the importance of a sustainable lifestyle than ever before. As the 2022-23 Sustainability Officer for Students' Union UCL, I posit that the burden of averting the climate and ecological crisis does not fall on individuals, rather we require large scale institutional and systemic change- after all we as individuals can only be as sustainable as the system we live within. Bearing this in mind, if you’re a UCL student looking to take more accountability for your impact on the environment, here are but a few ways you can make your university experience at UCL as eco-friendly as it gets:
Reusable Cups
UCL Student Union cafes encourage students to bring their own reusable cup by incentivising eco-friendly behaviour by offering a 15p discount on every hot drink- this not only reduces waste and saves the environment, it also saves you money! You can pick up one of our snazzy e-coffee cups from any of our cafes, and you’ll get a free hot drink when you buy one.
Your Accommodation
Most UCL students, especially after their 1st year, live in flats with their friends- meaning that oftentimes you do find yourself paying your own house bills! If the bills are in your name, that is, you actually pay the bills for the property, then legally you don't need your landlord's permission to install a smart metre or to switch suppliers. You can choose to install a smart metre that records and monitors how much energy you’re using or change your energy supplier to one that uses renewable energy- such as Octopus Energy.
Make Your Studies Count
Another meaningful way you can be eco-friendly at university is simply by focusing your studies on sustainability, climate change and/or environmental research. The UCL Student Union provides students that are interested in writing their dissertation on sustainability with the ability to connect with community partners on a research question relating to sustainability, including the ongoing climate and ecological crisis. The Community Research Initiative is the Union's very own service connecting taught masters students with community partners to create collaborative research answering real world's questions. More information on the Community Research Initiative can be found here.
Get Involved
And finally, as if the above wasn’t enough to get the ball rolling in your journey towards living more eco-friendly at University, UCL and the Student Union have several opportunities to offer for you to continue dwelling deeper sustainable living. These opportunities include Volunteering, joining the Sustainability Council, participating as a Sustainability Ambassador, joining eco hub societies and immersing yourself in environmental campaigns, including the Plant-based Universities Campaign. More about each of these opportunities can be found on the Student Union’s Sustainability Page.
