We understand the importance of engaging with our staff, students and the wider community to support our environmental improvement objectives. We also recognise the benefits of sharing best practice and better publicising our aims and achievements. As a specialist, postgraduate research institution we are in a unique position to truly practise what we teach.

Annual environmental report

To raise awareness publicly about progress against our University environmental objectives, we publish an annual environmental report. Reports from past years can be downloaded on our Environmental Policy and Governance web page.

Green Gown Awards

We are proud to have been shortlisted in various categories of the Green Gown Awards over the past four years. We are particularly pleased to have been awarded 'Highly Commended' recognition for the following entries:

Staff and student engagement

The University is lucky to have dedicated Green Champions and Green Teams who are committed to supporting our environmental targets and helping us to engage with our staff and student bodies. We run a series of events throughout the year, including Green Week, carbon savings campaigns, Fairtrade Fortnight and the end of year student move-out scheme.

We are extremely proud to have been awarded the Behaviour Change/Employee Engagement Award at the 2014 Energy Awards, in association with ZapCarbon, which is great recognition for the hard work of our staff and students.

Green Week

This is an annual event where we celebrate the environmental research we do on campus, and run awareness raising campaigns. Internal staff and students should book via the intranet. If you are interested in getting involved in Green Week in the future, please email green@cranfield.ac.uk.

Green Team

We have active staff and student Green Teams who get involved in supporting us with events, initiatives and campaigns on campus, and act as an important liaison between the staff and student body. Examples of activities the Green Teams support us with include carrying out waste and recycling surveys, supporting communications, wildlife monitoring, and being actively involved in volunteering events such as tree planting.

If you are a student and wish to become part of the Green Team, please go to the CSA website for information on joining. If you are a staff member, please contact green@cranfield.ac.uk to register your interest.

Staff/student environmental awareness induction training

All staff and students are invited to complete environmental induction training sessions using our internal platforms, Canvas and CUTE. Staff and students learn about their roles and responsibilities in supporting sustainability on campus, including energy saving, sustainable transport, waste reduction and recycling, IS014001 and IS050001, biodiversity and grounds, and drainage/pollution prevention. Both modules end with a short quiz and detail further information about how they can get involved.

Additionally, new students are given in-person environmental induction presentations during their course's induction weeks.

We work with SystemsLink to host a live dashboard where staff and students can monitor and compare their buildings'/accommodation blocks' energy usage to save energy. This helps to support energy saving campaigns and contests we host between buildings and halls of residence blocks.

All contractors are given environmental awareness inductions upon their arrival at Cranfield University before commencing work.