Reach & Impact

Over the last 20 years, Green Impact has had a huge impact on the attitudes and behaviours of staff and students across thousands of organisations

A timeline of Green Impact and beyond, beginning in 1969 with the beginning of NUS

Organisations have run Green Impact

Positive actions have been taken

People have been reached

“Participating in Green Impact offers invaluable insights into the collective impact of small, sustainable changes, fostering a supportive community dedicated to addressing the urgent challenges of climate change. Sustainability schemes like Green Impact empower universities to lead by example, inspiring future generations and other institutions to adopt sustainable practices.” Saroj Saurya Sir William Dunn School of Pathology University of Oxford. Background image of the team receiving an award.

“I particularly enjoyed working with students that I otherwise would likely never have got the chance to meet. Green Impact has given me the chance to work with students collaboratively and they bring so much to the project such as their social media skills, creativity and enthusiasm. It's always lovely to offer our students the opportunity to go to the awards ceremony and be involved in the celebratory side of things.”. Helen Goodwill, Green Goodricke University of York, Background image of two people receiving an award.

“Without the Green Impact toolkit I wouldn't have known where to start. Although gaining the award is an achievement for my department, the real impact is seeing how the seeds are being sown which encourage staff to think about their actions during their working day.” Lisa, Learning Resources Oxford Brookes University. Background image of Lisa wearing sunglasses

“We were concerned that Green Impact would require lots of time and administration to complete, but were pleasantly surprised to find out that this was not the case. The toolkit is well thought out and intuitive to use. We are really excited to be working with students on Green Impact this year who provide help and support.” Beck Sinar, Norwegian Study Centre University of York. Background image of a computer showing the Green Impact toolkit

“Participating in Green Impact has been a rewarding and effective way for students, academics and staff to work together on a shared collaborative sustainability journey. By having a clear list of tasks, everyone can find something they can help with and students can learn about what is involved in making a college or university more sustainable. Having Green Impact Teams allows for a more inclusive approach to sustainability, which means different voices are heard and new ideas can be formed and implemented. Overall, I highly recommend Green Impact for anyone trying to increase engagement around sustainability as it is a great way to drive and direct energy into positive change.” Peter, University of Oxford Exeter College, Lincoln College and Corpus Christi College. Background image of Peter.

“Green Impact plays a vital role in helping our team achieve our sustainability goals by offering a structured approach. It provides resources, tools, and support to identify areas for improvement, set targets, and track progress. It’s also great to see other teams within the University contributing and how they are placing within the leaderboard. Through our Green Impact work, our team morale has improved as we work towards a common goal of sustainability. Additionally, our reputation has been enhanced, attracting environmentally conscious clients and partners who value our commitment to sustainability.” Katie Lewis, The Venue@DMU, De Montfort University. Background image of Katie holding Green Impact awards outside the Venue.

“We were keen to get involved in Green Impact as we’re aware we need to do more towards thinking and acting more sustainably and the scheme is a good way of getting ideas for simple but effective actions we can take that can collectively make a difference.” Matthew Jarron, Museum Services University of Dundee. Background image of a computer showing the Green Impact toolkit

“Apart from what we achieve, we also have some fun together as we work on the various projects and we have started to meet monthly (or sometimes more) to work on mindfulness and wellbeing as well as the sustainability side of things.” Angela Arnold, Osney One team, University of Oxford. Background image of people maintaining trees.

“Green Impact is a fantastic programme supported by our senior leadership team enabling opportunities for staff to network across departments with likeminded colleagues they may not otherwise have interacted with through their role. Each action focuses on ways to make sustainable improvements within the organisation. I have learned a lot about allotments, bees the importance of wellbeing and so many good new vegan recipes! I have also shared a lot of my own knowledge recommendations and realised the importance of information sharing.” Victoria, Kingston University London. Background image of a group of people with awards.

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of organisations report they’ve seen positive changes in pro-environmental behaviour amongst staff

Students gain invaluable skills and experience in leading for a sustainable world

Auditors feel their experience will have a positive impact on their employability 79% 79%
Auditors feel a sense of being part of something 86% 86%

students have been trained as auditors and project assistants

“I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and it was fantastic to collaborate with two fellow students, support the University’s sustainability efforts and develop plenty of skills throughout the day. ” Student Auditor, 2021

“It was a very positive experience that allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and managed to teach me a lot about sustainability.” Student Auditor, 2021

Participants take meaningful actions that empower them to do more

Teams have taken part

People have led Green impact teams

Tonnes of carbon dioxide have been saved*

* At least, estimated from available data. Many of our actions have a holistic focus and are not limited to affecting carbon emissions, while others are deemed too inconsistent to measure accurately and so are not included in this total.

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feel good about themselves as a result of taking part in Green Impact

%

gained new skills or knowledge as a result of taking part in Green Impact

%

know more about how to use their knowledge to make changes to their daily life

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