Make Your Mark

Aim

Students at Reading have a better experience and can feel proud as a result of improved sustainable awareness alongside the university investing ethically and sustainably.

Outcomes

  1. The university and union change their buildings/ processes to become more sustainable so that they become more efficient and the money saved in the long term can be invested into students.
  2. The university and union provide more opportunities for students to be sustainable so that students can actively make changes.

Progress

  • RUSU building review

    We have had a review carried out of the RUSU building on how we can be more sustainable and have suggested times for implementing the recommendations.

  • RUSU Environment Committee

    A new subcommittee of the RUSU Trustee Board has been created with the environment at its heart. This group will meet monthly to discuss how RUSU can become more environmentally sustainable.

  • Environment & Ethics Network

    We will shortly be launching out first ever Environment & Ethics Network. Keep an eye on our Student Networks page to find out when it will be.

  • Maya’s Refillables

    Maya’s Refillables will be coming to campus on Thursdays. Bring along your containers to the entrance to 3sixty to get your oils, washing up liquid, shampoo and more!

We need to make sure sustainability is on RUSU’s agenda, the University’s agenda, and the student agenda.

Molli Cleaver, RUSU President

So far Molli has worked closely with the Sustainability team to ensure maximum impact across campus. Keep an eye out here for the progress.

The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.

Albert Einstein

Divestment

As part of the campaign Molli is lobbying to get the University to fully divest from fossil fuels. To see Reading’s current investments see the University's People and Planet scorecard

Molli has been meeting with the VC to check on the progress of this project, which was started a few years ago as part of the Fossil Free campaign. See their letters here:

Where did the idea come from?

Climate change is a huge issue, as we know, so it’s only right that we do our bit. While we are doing a lot at Reading already and are experts on climate change research, it’s clear we can do more.

  • We are 28th on the People and Planet University League which shows specific areas we can improve on are: ethical investment, education and engagement.
  • 96% of students agree that campus should be more sustainable (272 responses on an Instagram poll)
  • Testimonies from students gave specific suggestions for improvement as well as saying a more sustainable campus would make them feel more proud to be a student at Reading and confident that they know where their money is being spent.
  • The University Environmental Report 2017/18 shows a lot of positive results but still suggests areas for improvement
  • In spring 2019, a Change It! campaign idea passed with 202 votes for RUSU to support environmentally friendly products’
RUSU President 2019/20 Molli Cleaver

President
Molli Cleaver