This is a guest blog, by Katie Edwards, the new student Campus and Sustainability (CAS) representative for Robert Bakewell hall. This blog was written as part of the hustings process, where new representatives are elected for hall committees, and will contribute to the Green League rankings.

There are many reasons why we need to be more sustainable here at Loughborough University. Some of the main reasons are creating a healthier environment, slowing climate change, and preserving our planet. Studies show that the Earth’s biocapacity is declining, and many of the resources we currently rely on are not infinite. Therefore, it is extremely important to be more sustainable to preserve the number of resources we are using up. We need to be able to save and protect these resources for ourselves and future generations.

 Loughborough University is well known for having a green and biodiverse campus which has many social and environmental benefits. This is extremely important because nowadays so much of our waste ends up in oceans and landfills where it is affecting the environment and its biodiversity. We are unconsciously destroying our planet.  

Here at the university, we need to act in a more socially responsible way to be able to make a positive impact against climate change and striving for net zero. We can achieve this by spreading climate change awareness and helping people to become more sustainable. As a community we need to adapt to create a better future. 

We can easily become more sustainable by introducing a few simple elements into our lifestyle such as:

• Recycling
• Taking shorter showers to save water.
• Turning off lights when not in use to save energy.
• Travelling using the bus to reduce carbon emissions.
• Limiting food waste by meal planning and not over buying food.
• Shopping sustainably by buying second hand clothing because the textiles & fashion industry is the second biggest contributor to climate change (Sustain Your Style, 2024).

There is no better time to act than now, because waiting only limits our options.

Please visit this link to watch a video which inspired some of the points discussed in this blog post. https://youtu.be/EbZcQe9J-EE?si=I-NQEZKK0IMg7PVI

This article is in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action. To read more click here.

If you’d like to write a blog for us to support the Student Green League, email enviroassist@lboro.ac.uk with your topic suggestion.