Our commitment
We’re committed to supporting and encouraging our colleagues in all their environmental sustainability-related work.
Our Environmental Sustainability Team offer personal support and guidance to catalyse activity across the University, along with creating a culture of sharing and learning.
We also keep colleagues updated on the latest sustainability initiatives through our strategy, webpages and social media, along with communicating our progress against sustainability targets in a way that encourages active participation.
Opportunities for colleagues
We offer a wide range of opportunities for colleagues to get involved in sustainability initiatives.
Colleagues can access funding for environmental sustainability projects from each of our Faculties.
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
- Up to £2,000 available for initiatives covering social responsibility in the curriculum, engaging our communities and outreach. Find more information on the funding opportunities page.
Faculty of Humanities
- Up to £2,000 available for initiatives covering social responsibility in the curriculum and engaging our communities. Find more information on the social responsibility funding opportunities page.
Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Better World funding – up to £3,000 for projects that ‘make a difference’ and support the University’s social responsibility agenda.
Colleagues are encouraged to join our regular Active Travel Breakfasts, organised by Faculty colleagues. These events are designed to encourage staff from across our University to embrace active travel methods such as walking, wheeling, cycling and running for their commute to campus.
Active travel not only promotes mental and physical wellbeing but also contributes to environmental sustainability.
During these breakfasts, colleagues can make new friends, explore new commuting routes and cycle paths, and often find renewed motivation to get more active.
Featuring a free breakfast and raffle prizes, it’s a great opportunity to become part of our active travel community.
Make sure you don’t miss our next event by signing up to The University of Manchester Bicycle Users' Group (UMBUG) (cycling), MCR Strollers (walking), or emailing umrun@manchester.ac.uk (running).
For more information about active travel, visit the staff travel page.
Once a year, staff from different departments join forces to engage staff, students and our community in sustainability.
Throughout our busiest month of activities, everyone is invited to host an event or take part. From workshops on seed bomb making and clothing repair to informative talks and guest lectures, there’s something for everyone to get involved in.
Join us in shaping a more sustainable future by contacting ES@manchester.ac.uk.
Our University’s Sustainability Squad (PDF, 225KB) meets monthly to drive our staff and engagement strategy forward.
Together, we identify key behaviour changes needed to drive sustainable action and create a calendar of monthly sustainability topics. We then develop engaging campaigns, events and collaborations to inspire action and make a meaningful impact.
If you’d like to join our Sustainability Squad, contact ES@manchester.ac.uk.
LEAF, the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework, is a structured programme aimed at evaluating and improving the sustainability and operational efficiency of laboratory practices.
University staff are encouraged to engage with LEAF to actively contribute to our institution's sustainability objectives. By participating in LEAF assessments and implementing recommended improvements, staff can directly influence our laboratory operations, fostering cost savings, enhancing efficiency and promoting a campus-wide culture of environmental responsibility.
This involvement not only supports our commitment to sustainable practices but also provides valuable hands-on experience in implementing impactful initiatives across our academic community.
Staff at the University can download the full LEAF user guide (Word Doc, 812KB) to find out how to get involved.
To encourage more staff to get involved with sustainability initiatives we provide a comprehensive set of guidelines to integrate environmental sustainability into our policies, processes and procedures.
By following this code of practice (PDF, 2.5MB), our professional services staff can incorporate these principles into everyday operations.