Green Gown Awards 2014 - Student Engagement - University of Bradford - Highly Commended

Our Green Energy Challenge (OGEC)

‘A building is only as green as the people are’. This motto, created during the year, epitomises OGEC. There will always be a limit to a buildings effect on a sustainable agenda. People, however, can continue on to achieve greater things.

Our Green Energy Challenge achieved these things. Combining Energy Efficiency competitions with high levels of engagement around monthly environmental themes with games, activities, videos and competitions.

Achievements include:
Carbon Reduction
• Carbon reduction from September to May 2013/14 - 436,099Kg
• Cumulative reduction against 2012/13 figure - 15%
• Relative road miles - 1.5 million
Engagement
• Students that said they know more about sustainability - 90%
• Number of Facebook Likes - 200
• Number of students reached through events - 500
• Percentage of residents reached at The Green - Virtually All

Top 3 learnings

1 Getting the fun into sustainability; a fun initial engagement gets people on the hook and ready for the serious message
2 Just living in a green building is not enough; universities need to teach the residents to live green elsewhere too
3 Keep it simple; the call to action must be easy to deliver so the message doesn’t get lost in the detail.

What the judges say ...

A well structured thematic approach with quantified impacts. Good use of creative ideas designed to appeal to students.

What it means to win ...

“We have a world-leading eco-campus, with the most sustainable student halls of its kind. Being shortlisted for our student engagement project and reaching the finals for the eighth year running and being recognised is testament to the University’s commitment and hard work in improving our sustainability performance.”

Professor Brian Cantor, CBE, Vice-Chancellor

Videos

• Our Green Energy Challenge (OGEC) (click to hide)