Get involved
We provide opportunities for students and staff to get engaged in activities that promote sustainability within campus and in broader communities.
Staff and student engagement strategy
Read our Staff and student engagement strategy.
Sustainability innovation prize fund
Achieving net zero and furthering our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development goals (UN SDGs) requires the imagination, commitment, and action, of student and staff across the University.
What is the fund?
Have you got an idea about how the University can be more sustainable? Do you need money to make your idea a reality? Do you like a competition?
To give your plans a boost, the University has created a prize fund to reward staff and students who can find innovative ways of making the University more sustainable.
You can win up to £500 to put your idea into practice – and be recognised as a sustainability champion!
We are looking for ideas on:
- Carbon and energy reduction
- Biodiversity
- Waste Reduction and promotion of a circular economy
- Water use reduction
- Sustainability education and awareness
- Sustainable and ethical procurement
- Food and drink
- Travel and transport
- Service to society
- Any project aligned with the SDGs
Innovations can relate to the University campus, or beyond the borders of the University to the Bradford district, or indeed wider, in keeping with the University’s ambitions to make an impact on society.
For more information about how to enter, see the application form below.
Application for the Sustainability Innovation Prize Fund (DOCX, 56.7KB
Send your application now.
Tree planted, and ideas shared to save water on campus during World Environment Day
As part of its celebration of World Environment Day, the sustainability society planted a tree sapling in addition to other incredible activities.
The importance of trees in maintaining our environment cannot be overstated, as they are essential for carbon sequestration, vegetative cover, and biodiversity conservation. More than fifteen students and staff members participated in this initiative, led by Professor PB Anand and the Head Gardener, Simon Padgett.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
Students painted pictures based on a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on World Environment Day
Students painted pictures based on a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) that they were most passionate about. Then the artists presented their art to the audience and the judges and shared why they believed what they painted was important in protecting our planet’s environment.
The results of the recent Water Survey campaign at the University of Bradford was shared to discuss water-saving opportunities in the University. An annual water-saving opportunity of 5,05,125 litres was identified, equivalent to two Olympic swimming pools.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
Panel discussion
On World Environment Day, a global panel discussion with Sahar Vardi, an anti-occupation activist from Jerusalem, Evie Marshall, a student at the University of Exeter, promoted the cause of Plant-Based Universities as the newest and biggest wave of student activism, and Natalia Amoedo, from Brazil, has 20 years of experience in sustainable brands and businesses. Sahar highlighted the responsibility of the militarism and war industry on climate change worldwide. Her thought-provoking ideas bought the focus on the importance of peacebuilding for sustainable development. Evie spoke about how universities must source responsibly to ensure sustainability. Natalia, mentioned that one of the biggest challenges while working for companies is dealing with the need to achieve goals and seek sustainable solutions, which can be difficult due to higher prices.
Dr. Pedi Obani, Associate Professor, School of Law requested the participants to think about what was missing in the SDGs and emphasised the need to come together as a community to explore a sustainable environment. She also suggested considering the implications for those not in the room, the most vulnerable individuals.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
Electrical items with stickers to help us recognise what we can do to help save energy
Please keep your eyes open for some stickers that you will be seeing on electrical items around the campus. These stickers are to help us recognise what we can do to help save energy, and do our bit to help.
• The Green ones are on items that should be turned off if you can see they are not being used. If it has a Green sticker and it’s not in use, please turn it off.
• The Amber stickers are on things that it may be OK to turn off if not in use, but please ask before you do.
• The Red stickers are on things that for one reason or another, need to be left on.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
Allotments for planting fruits and vegetables on campus
If you want to get involved with planting your fruit and vegetables on campus, then we have got a place for you. University has allotments, a space for staff and students to plant, harvest and eat the produce. It is run by students and staff and are allocated by UBU and guided by gardening team. Open to anyone at the University who wants to get involved and learn about planting seeds, find out how to make the best compost, dig beds, as well as gain knowledge about different plants and the ecosystem.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
Bradford collaborative
Bradford Collaborative is an initiative by procurement team with the support of sustainability project team to bring sustainability in supply chain. The first event of the initiative was held inviting suppliers, anchor institutions and academics to sit together and share good practices, discuss challenges and fears and move towards more sustainable practices. Suppliers were asked about the support that they need from university to be more sustainable.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
University of Bradford launches Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) project
LEAF provides the guidelines to more sustainable laboratory practice. It focuses on small changes that can decrease the environmental impact of the laboratory whilst not compromising research quality and output. The framework focuses on waste, people, procurement, equipment, IT, sample & chemical management , research quality and ventilation.
University has provided laboratories to sign up to take part in the initiative from 28th March 2023. Laboratories are awarded either a Bronze, Silver or Gold level depending on how many sustainability actions they take.
If you want to get involved please contact [email protected]
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Collaboration with Friends of the Earth
Sustainability Society collaborated with Friends of the Earth for the Bradford and District launch event organized on 23 February, 2023. The objective of Friends of Earth was to bring people together from Bradford who are interested in tackling the climate and nature emergency. 25 members of the UoB Sustainability Society joined their efforts that ensure that our community is more climate and nature friendly, by protecting what we value and challenging policies that threaten those values. Apart from learning about the initiatives by the organization on climate action, students were engaged in discussing some pressing concerns of Bradford with ambassadors of Friends of Earth from West Yorkshire. Through the insightful activity certain themes such as waste management and waste segregation issues due to poor infrastructure; lack of green spaces; energy leakage; unsustainable food consumption and need for cheaper public transport emerged for common interest. Students tried to offer solutions for the pressing concerns. It was an interesting collaboration to tap the knowledge and enthusiasm of members for a sustainable city development.
Fume cupboards are tagged with 'Close the Sash' stickers
All the fume cupboards in labs 'Close the Sash' stickers are in place. Stickers were placed bringing the attention of users to close the sash if fume cupboard is not in use considering fume hoods are one of the largest energy users on campus. In fact, laboratory ventilation systems can account for half of all energy used in a lab. Their high-energy consumption is due to the fact that air is constantly exhausted to the outdoors. The best way to reduce energy consumption from fume hoods is to close the sash when the hood is not in use. The sash is also a safety barrier, so the fume hood sash should only be opened to set up or modify an experiment.
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Chef Skill Academy
Chef Skill Academy is an initiative by Food and Drink of University of Bradford and is free to university's students. These cooking classes are held for students and staff where they learn butchering skills, cooking, bread and baking, pies, vegan and healthy foods, desserts that includes addressing sustainability by planning their meals, cooking in bulk, reuse, support local, eat seasonal crops, use all you can and cut down dairy and meat.
These classes are offered 6 times a year.
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Fairtrade fortnight
Fairtrade Fortnight was marked by a number of events on campus from 27th of February to the 12th of March 2023. This involved selling Fairtrade products such as food and drink in retail and catering outlets and campaigning for Fairtrade. Events include:-
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February 27: The ‘smoothie bike’ Come and have a go at using pedal power to make your own healthy drink - also an information stand in the Atrium
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March 1: Fairtrade golden ticket event: find the golden ticket hidden somewhere on campus and win a prize
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March 3: ‘Bake off’ in the communal hall
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March 5: Students attended Fairtrade Breakfast at Bradford Cathedral.
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March 7: Games in the Atrium, followed by a lecture discussion by Professor PB Anand.
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March 8: 10% off all Fairtrade Products in Student Central and Atrium shops
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March 12: The Big Brew, Bradford Cathedral from 11.30am to 12.30pm.
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Fairtrade games
During Fairtrade fortnight, Sustainability Society and Food and Drink organised Fairtrade games. Society members engaged with students and played games like snakes and ladders, board games, blind folding and draw Fairtrade logo. Winners of the games were awarded prizes.
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Fruit tree pruning
Sustainability Society
The University of Bradford Student Union (UBU) provides opportunities for the students to form activity groups that could represent them or any theme they want to work on. Students from the degree program for Sustainable Development registered activity group with UBU with the title Sustainability Society. The group is represented by students and organizes different activities involving students, faculty and staff. Society works to disseminate awareness regarding sustainability and practices that could bring change. Society organizes lectures, talks, visits and events that could give students a chance to participate and learn about sustainability. The membership for the society is open to all the current students. Society is supported by UBU for funding of activities if required.
Sustainability Pledge
PSID department has set up a voluntary pledge where anyone can sign up and pledge to commit, in taking sustainability of our fragile planet seriously. You can also take this pledge.
Tree Planting in Wyke
Sustainability Society took members for tree planting on Trees for Cities and Bradford Metropolitan District Council to help create a long-lasting green space for all the community as part of the Tree for Every Child initiative. The Society collaborated with BEES Bradford to take part in the initiative.
Students planted more than 400 trees in Wyke community Sports Village. Planting new young trees would help to increase tree canopy cover in the area, which will improve habitats for wildlife, increase natural biodiversity and support the health and wellbeing of everyone in the surrounding area. Students also brought back 8 fruit trees which were planted on campus.
Visit to Ilkley Moor
A trip to Ilkley Moor was arranged by the Sustainability society for its members for a scenic walk along the trail to spend time in nature and raise awareness on SDG15 as well as waste management through cleaning up during the walk (litter picking). The visit remained successful in raising awareness on waste management and the importance of Life on Land while exploring biodiversity.
Lecture on Trade Justice and Climate Change
The discussion forum on Trade Justice and Climate Change was organised by Sustainability society and was attended by 52 students and staff and was held on 1st March 2022. The forum discussed that everyone cares deeply about injustice and likes their spending to benefit the poor farmers in the Global South but has Fairtrade been effective? How much of the share of the £2.50 we pay for coffee actually reaches the coffee farmers? Is Fairtrade conflicting with other local and global priorities? How can we rebalance the world trade to share benefits more equitably?
Contact us
Have you got some ideas you’d like to see implemented? Are you an external stakeholder wanting to contribute? We want you to get involved!