Green Gown Awards 2016 – Student Engagement – Swansea University – Finalist

The Student SWell

How will the students of today tackle the biggest global challenges facing us now and in the future?

At Swansea University, through a comprehensive Sustainability and Wellbeing engagement programme (SWell), students have made a multitude of contributions to become part of a community for sustainable change. Student partners have helped the University improve performance in areas including waste, recycling, energy, sustainable commuting and wellbeing.

SWell encourages students to consider ‘health’ - their own and that of the environment. The programme has made a significant impact in the community, including an annual reduction of 32.7 tonnes of CO2 from 65,204 Kwh of energy savings, £28,356 savings, 170.5 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill, volunteering activity including local beach cleans, and a visible and active contribution to the University’s Sustainability Strategy.

SWell improves the knowledge, skills and confidence of students, enhancing employability and influencing approaches to sustainability and wellbeing for the future.

Top 3 learnings

1 Students are the greatest asset of any University. They are an amazing source of creative ideas, energy and skills which needs to be seen and utilised to meet sustainability objectives.  

2 What has worked well is an integrated approach that creates a connection between academia and estates & facilities whilst giving practical working experience and skill enhancement to students

3 Recognition of the student’s potential contribution to the local community and low carbon economy to create a sense of achievement in our future practitioners.

CO2t Savings: 104
Actual/Estimated: Estimated
No. of yrs: 1

Videos

• The Student SWell (click to hide)