What a difference an Environmental Manager makes!
After just a year of campaigning students at the University of Leicester are seeing the difference that going green makes. University of Leicester's environment team, headed by newly appointed environmental manager Emma Fieldhouse, and Leicester People & Planet worked together to put on an amazing Big Green Week.
The week marked the official launch of the Environment Team, raised awareness of environmental issues on the University of Leicester campus and introduced future environmental projects that will be taking place in the next few years. There was a different theme for each day of the week; these included: travel and transport, which saw the closure of the central car park, making way for testing a range of bikes and promotion of sustainable transport methods. Climate Change and Energy day and Waste and Recycling day which featured a ‘recycled fashion show’.
During the week 1286 pledges were collected: these asked all staff and students to make a small change to their lifestyle that will benefit the environment. The week of celebration was concluded with a 600 person human banner — now that’s big!
Harry from the group described the difference that an environmental manager made to the week:
“The University of Leicester’s Big Green Week would have been impossible without the hard work of the environmental manager and her team. An environment manager is essential to maximize the environmental performance of your uni, so start campaigning!”
If you want to emulate Leicester’s success then get involved with national Go Green week — taking place from the 16th-24th February 2008. A great way to find out about the event is to attend the Go Green week planning workshop at Shared Planet. A nationwide local action will be chosen by the People & Planet network during the session — so get thinking of a great, creative action that both sixth-form and university students can take part in. To see what the rest of the network is suggesting look at the online discussion forum