2013

Queen's Students' Union retains gold environmental accreditation

The Students’ Union has continued to make significant progress during 2012-13 in terms of embracing a low-carbon future and promoting recycling initiatives.

Much of this work is delivered by its team of environmental champions, who have worked to replace energy-inefficient equipment, to measure and reduce resource consumption, to raise awareness amongst staff and students and to expand Fairtrade and ethical investment.

The Union has worked extensively with external stakeholders including Belfast City Council and Fairtrade Belfast (as well as our own Estates Department) to promote environmental issues all year round. In addition, a team of ‘student environmental champions’ has been set up and a successful ‘Green Week’ was staged.

The Environmental Champions set up GAWP – Green Awards Working Party – in order to work towards making the Union a more sustainable place, achieving a Gold “Green Impact – Students’ Unions” award in 2011-12 from NUS Services in the process. Building upon this success, the Group has recently retained the Students’ Union’s Gold Green Impact accreditation for 2012-13.

The Union’s team of environmental champions comprises elected student officers, support staff, senior management and casual staff ensuring that, throughout the building, there is always someone working to make the Union a more sustainable place. One of the environmental champions also sits on the University’s Carbon Management Steering Group, linking the Union’s efforts to campus-wide efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

If you’d like to get involved in the Students’ Union’s environmental and ethical activities, please contact Niall McShane (Vice President Clubs and Societies) at su.vpcs@qub.ac.uk or Joanne O’Neill at su.vpwelfare@qub.ac.uk