Green Gown Awards 2015 – Community Innovation - University of Leeds - Finalist

Becoming Positive Partners in Society; Sustainability Service and Leeds University Union Partnership Initiative

The University of Leeds is responsive to the needs of its stakeholders and wider community. They asked the University to make a more positive impact on society, so it made a serious, strategic commitment to embed sustainability across all its research, teaching and operations. 

This project, or rather series of projects, demonstrates how the University is doing this in partnership with staff, students and the wider community. 

The award helps us to demonstrate to its community and student partners that working together makes sense. It shows they take their commitments to social, environmental and economic sustainability seriously, and that by working closely with others, you can continue to have a positive impact on society.

Top 3 learnings

1 Developing effective relationships between community, students and our institutions is an ongoing process; it takes time and commitment and recognition that legacy is important

2 We recognise that we don’t always agree!  The partnership approach, recognising common ground but also acknowledging differences in practices, opinion and priorities, is important to success of the projects.  There is more we can and will do, but we’re off to a good start

3 It has been great to hear, listen to and act on student and community voices as well as institutional ones.

Videos

• Becoming Positive Partners in Society; Sustainability Service and Leeds University Union Partnership Initiative (click to hide)