The Green Impact Students’ Unions Programme (GISU) awarded the University of York Students’ Union with an “Excellent” award for green impact for the year 2021-2022.
GISU is designed to help students’ unions nationally create a lasting impact for social and environmental sustainability.
YUSU was one of five Russell Group universities who participated in the scheme this year.
Plans to sign up to the programme in the 2022/2023 academic year are underway, to continue to improve sustainability within the University.
YUSU joined the Green Impact Students’ Unions Programme in Autumn 2022, aiming to learn the tools required to become a sustainable organisation.
The award requires environmental consciousness and identification of methods in which the Students’ Union can promote social change on a wider scale, as well as within campus.
The Students’ Union has secured the Sustainable Development Grant, which will fund staff and student-led sustainability projects, which will be introduced in October.
The Union has also created a permanent position for a sustainability staff member in a bid to further their long term commitment to positive social and environmental change.
Hannah Nimmo, the Community and Wellbeing Sabbatical Officer, spoke of the award:
“Over the past year, YUSU has made a more conscious effort to become a more sustainable organisation in all aspects of our operations, so to be recognised in this way is a huge step forward for the Union.
“We will continue to strategise to be a more environmentally aware organisation, and to enable student action and facilitate changes on campus and in our student community into the next academic year and beyond to further drive our sustainability efforts.”
Rohan Ashar, Student Activities Sabbatical Officer said:
“This is a fantastic achievement and mark of recognition for the work that we are doing and the significant progress that we are making on sustainability here at YUSU.
“I look forward to seeing and contributing to what our brilliant students and staff do over the next year, as there are exciting plans and room for even more improvement.
“I am very glad that YUSU is leading the way on the crucial (worldwide) issue of sustainability and congratulations to everyone involved thus far!”
The auditor for the Green Impact Report commented on YUSU’s strive for sustainability, noting that:
“The steps put in place to enable student action (e.g. through the YorCup grant fund), and the plans to embed sustainability at all levels through specific strategies should lead to an exciting year ahead for sustainability at York”.
YUSU continues to identify areas that still need to be improved for the upcoming academic year. This includes developing a long-term sustainability strategy, and working collaboratively with student groups, community campaigns, and colleagues at the University of York to deliver these values.