The University engages with the student body, and its representatives in the BedsSU, to advance sustainability through various institutionalised and informal processes and activities.

The following opportunities are available for students to engage with sustainability and develop related competencies.

Student sustainability leadership projects for 2024-25

Partnering with Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) and the British Academy, the University of Bedfordshire will continue next academic year to create applied learning opportunities to students from across the disciplines. Students will work in small interdisciplinary groups to problem-solve local ‘Living Lab’ sustainability challenges and will be able to:

• Develop and demonstrate transferable professional and academic skills, and earn a digital badge to show your participation.
• Understand more about how your discipline can drive sustainability solutions.
• Receive training and development opportunities from SOS-UK to support you throughout the project.
• Present your project to a wide range of stakeholders at the end-of-project SHAPE conference, gaining valuable presentation experience.
• Work on an extra-curricular project, voluntarily, in a flexible way around your studies and other commitments.
• Working with the University’s Careers and Employability Service you will also gain a Gold Bedfordshire Career Development Award (Beds CDA).

Student Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) SHAPE initiative

Following the University of Bedfordshire’s successful “Student Sustainability Leadership” projects, it has been invited by Student Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) to participate again in the 2025-2026 round of its British Academy support SHAPE initiative, and to mentor projects in 5 other UK universities. Dr Diana Pritchard and Vicky Morris are again taking this forward, supporting colleagues at Bedfordshire and in other universities to implement co-created projects that address the UN SDGs.

Student Sustainability Leadership projects 2025/26

For Academic Year 2025-26 the following projects Student Sustainability Leadership will be running. Students who are interested to join these projects, please contact the corresponding academic

Pop-up clothing sale

Getting off to an early start with one of this forthcoming year’s Bedfordshire Student Sustainability Leadership project (with SOS-UK), Dr Farzana Choudry and a group of students from the (UBBS) Business School, have launched their pop-up clothing sale to promote awareness of the environmental and social impacts of the clothing industry and provide students and the community with good quality clothing made of natural fibres.

BedsSU Awarded 'Excellent' standard NUS 'Green Impact Award'

"Green Impact is a United Nations award-winning programme designed to support environmentally and socially sustainable practice in your organisation."
Source: National Union of Students

"Green Impact is a learning and awards programme that supports environmentally and socially sustainable practice within organisations. It suggests what people can do in their workplace to make a difference and guides them how to do this in an accessible but meaningful way, creating a widespread culture of sustainability.

Green Impact follows a cyclical process over approximately 12 months, which can be adapted to suit the needs, objectives, and culture of the organisations we work with. Teams will form across your organisation to take practical steps towards sustainability, challenge unsustainable processes, enhance their knowledge on sustainability, and gain local and national recognition for their progress." Source: National Union of Students

Academics are encouraged to bring along students they see as interested in the topic.
Information about the forum is circulated through student distributions.