Green Impact

Green Impact is as much about changing behaviour as it is about making physical improvements. It is a way of thinking and acting in our everyday lives

Green Impact is a United Nations award-winning programme that provides simple and effective ways for staff and students to improve the sustainable practices of their building, department or college. We have tailored the online workbook to align with the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

Green Impact celebrations at the Sustainability Showcase

Every year we celebrate Green Impact at our Sustainability Showcase event

So whether you are part of a small team, or work on a really complex site, everyone in the University can help to make a difference. Why not start your Green Impact journey today?

Did you know?

The University has been involved with Green Impact since 2013. To date over 100 teams have taken part. Actions range from changing the type of paper used and introducing a bike pool scheme to creating a biodiversity garden. The list is endless! 

Sign up to get involved today! 

REGISTER TODAY

 

Take part in Green Impact

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Create a team. Encourage your colleagues and peers to join your team. Green Impact is open to teams of all sizes: any office, building, department, laboratory or college – whatever suits you.

Head to the Oxford University page on the Green Impact website and click “Register” in the right-hand menu. Add your team name and contact details. You will then receive a welcome pack.

Start to complete actions from the toolkit. Tick them off as done and upload comments and evidence on the way so you can keep track of your progress.

Green Impact actions align closely with the Environmental Sustainability Strategy. The workbook includes actions relating to our ten priorities identified in the Strategy, which was approved by Council in March 2021

Green Impact is flexible. It can adapt to the size or complexity of your site and how much time you or your team want to give. Green Impact is voluntary, fun and has no fixed commitment.

The outputs are real and result in tangible positive changes. 

All staff and students can form teams or join existing teams. Teams can be all staff or all students - though having a mix of both staff and students usually works best.

There’s a huge variety of activities: some teams carry out a number of quick, small actions. Others prefer to take on longer term projects focusing on one or two areas.

The Green Impact teams receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze award as part of their accreditation.

Green Impact achievements and awards are celebrated as part of the University’s annual celebratory Sustainability Showcase event.

 

Small is beautiful too! The actions you commit to don’t need to be giant sized. For instance, if all staff and students at the University saved just one piece of paper a day over the three eight week terms, we would save 8,215 reams of paper a year.

 

Whether you are staff or student, we hope you will really enjoy your Green Impact experience. The scheme is a great way to meet new people, find out more about environmental issues at the University and play a practical part in making a difference.

Green Impact also provides training for students to become Green Impact auditors and project assistants. Both opportunities enable you to bring about change today while equipping you with valuable employability skills and experience for tomorrow. 

All in all, Green Impact is a fantastic way to enhance your CV and potentially kick-start a career in the sustainability sector.

Support and resources are available:

See what others are up to at:

 

Beyond Gold Award

  • Kennedy Institute
  • Lady Margaret Hall 
  • Osney One
  • OUP Environment
  • Oxford Chemistry
  • Oxford University Innovation

Gold Award

  • Big Data Institute
  • Careers Service
  • Earth Sciences
  • Foster Lab Zoology/Biochemistry
  • Green Templeton College
  • Kellogg College
  • Oxford Biochemistry 
  • Primary Care Health Science
  • St Anne’s College
  • The Old Bodleian and Weston Libraries 

Silver Award

  • Trinity College 

Bronze Award

  • Department of Zoology
  • GLAM Divisional Unit
  • Oxford Martin School
  • Research Services - 5 Worcester Street Team
  • Social Sciences Divisional Office
  • Wood Lab (Department of Paediatrics)

Getting Started

  • Botnar Research Centre

  • Wolfson Building

Special Citation

  • Saïd Business School – special continuous improvement award 

We're here to help

If you are not sure how you can make the most of Green Impact or what might suit you best, please contact the Environmental Sustainability team at sustainability@admin.ox.ac.uk for an informal chat.

 

Student Switch Off and Green Impact promotion

Green Impact and Student Switch Off are key engagement programmes

 

Green Impact auditors

Students receive training to be Green Impact auditors or project assistants

 

Green Impact call to action

 We are always communicating the benefits of joining Green Impact

 

 

Want to join Green Impact?

Sign up below

REGISTER TODAY

 

Be part of something great!

DOWNLOAD GREEN IMPACT POSTER

 

Working with Green Impact

This guide offers you instruction and tips to start working with Green Impact.

DOWNLOAD OUR GUIDE

Get in touch

+44 (0) 1865 6 14605

sustainability@admin.ox.ac.uk

 

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