Key topics discussed in this blog:
- Why is sustainability important, and how does it impact our lives?
- University’s current sustainable efforts.
- Sustainability week, what is it, and why could this be relevant to students?
- The university offers Additional sustainability activities to its students.
The University of Westminster has made modest progress in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and fostering a more sustainable environment for students to learn and thrive. From encouraging their students to take more sustainable approaches to their work to offering sustainable learning experiences and reducing water waste. In this blog, we will explore the efforts of universities to become more sustainable, what it means for us as students, and how we can all benefit from improving our sustainability.
So what exactly is sustainability, and how is it related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals? As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, sustainability is “The quality of being sustainable by argument; the capacity to be upheld or defended as valid, correct, or true”. In simpler terms, it means that meeting today’s needs without ruining the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (University of Bath, 2025). In response to global warming, and a need to create a sustainable future for generations ahead, the United Nations created 17 goals for participating countries to aim to achieve. This sets clear guidelines for both countries and business on how they should operate to create a safer and more sustainable future ahead for individuals everywhere.
How does sustainability impact us as students? Why should we even care? With global warming becoming an ever increasing reality in our lives, ensuring we do our part to create a more sustainable future allows us to be positive global citizens, ensuring a safer future not only for ourselves but the neighbours we have around us. Being sustainable can help build structured and fair communities, improve our well-being, and promote healthier habits. Its changes as simple as taking public transport, dietary changes (such as eating less meat) and taking part in community events such as beach clean-ups or taking part in community gardening that can be the first step forward we as students can take to create a healthier lifestyle for ourselves. We should also advocate for larger organisations, such as our university, to focus on achieving net zero carbon emissions as they have a larger impact on the planet than us and therefore have more responsibility in helping reduce global warming and being sustainable.
With all this information, how does the University of Westminster uphold these goals? The university has signed the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges’ (EAUC) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Accord and the London Higher sustainability pledge. This means that they have pledged to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into their everyday operations by adapting their modules, introducing new teaching methods, conducting regular research, and exchanging sustainability knowledge with professionals to enhance their efforts. They also encourage students to participate in sustainability initiatives.
What are some of the events that you can get involved with through the university to improve sustainability and help them achieve their goals?
In February, the university hosts a sustainability week for its students. This week provides students with the opportunity to attend various lectures and workshops on sustainability, where they can learn how to make a positive impact. Throughout this week, you have the opportunity to go to three of the university’s key campuses and engage in stimulating and educational experiences, in particular workshops that allow you to explore living sustainably in London. Apart from expanding your knowledge of living sustainably and interacting with industry professionals, you also have the opportunity to gain points towards your Westminster Employability Award, which will look amazing on your CV and show recruiters that you are willing to put the effort in to educate yourself on key changes happening in the world and expand your knowledge and skills without being asked.
Additionally, the university regularly posts external opportunities on its career zone portal to educate and engage with the local community, thereby improving its sustainability efforts. This can be achieved by promoting talks on sustainability that occur externally or by promoting volunteering opportunities. One such opportunity that was offered this year was to attend LSSC 2025 at the Little Titchfield Street campus in February 2025. The university was given the opportunity to host and invite its students to attend London’s Students’ Sustainability Conference 2025. This gave students the opportunity to learn more about sustainability, discuss potential solutions and discuss how they feel their universities should do more to achieve these sustainability goals with fellow staff and students from eleven different universities based in London. Additional events and opportunities can be found on the Westminster University website and Career Zone.