Sustainability Champions

Our students can become Sustainability Champions and take on an additional role alongside their degree programme to promote awareness of sustainability issues among their student peers and encourage environmental action.

As a student, you can become a Sustainability Champion and take on an additional role alongside your degree programme to promote awareness of sustainability issues among your student peers and encourage environmental action. 
 
As a Sustainability Champion, you’ll have the chance to get involved in a wide range of activities from engaging students at events to helping behind the scenes with content creation, social media, organising events, and more. 
 
If you are a proactive student who is passionate about promoting sustainability this role could be for you. 

What you will do as a Sustainability Champion 

• Commit to the role: actively participate in the role for at least two academic semesters, committing one to two hours a week to the role. If this opportunity feels like too much of a commitment, explore other options on the Volunteer Hub.
• Attend briefings: join an in-person briefing at the start of each semester, with additional regular meetings, training and planning sessions as needed.
• Organise events: work in teams to organise at least one on-campus event or campaign per semester that promotes sustainable behaviour change.
• Promote sustainability within your subject area by supporting the following:
  • UoM initiatives: University Living Labs, Hedgehog Friendly Campus, ‘No Time To Waste’, the sustainability engagement app and ‘CommuteUoM’, the sustainable travel app.
  • Partner initiatives: Planetary Health Alliance, Nature Positive Student Ambassadors scheme and Bee Circular.
• Get involved in additional activities: explore other opportunities, including active travel breakfasts and creating social media content.
• Choose an area of sustainability to focus on. We can offer the following roles: 
  • Sustainability Champion in varied areas such as nature, travel, food, energy and carbon and 6R.
  • Hedgehog Friendly Campus.
  • Student Ambassadors – Nature Positive Universities.
  • Campus Ambassador Program – Planetary Health Alliance.
  • Manager of the 6R champions for the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health.
  • Environmental Sustainability advocates in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. These students will monitor and review our actions to embed ES in the curriculum and our campus/NHS premises, report back via a set structure (for example, The Planetary Health Report Card) and propose projects or make recommendations. 

What training is provided?  

No prior experience or sustainability knowledge is necessary – just enthusiasm and passion for making a difference. We also have many existing resources and campaign material to share with you.

Each champion is required to attend RoundView training. At the start of each semester, you’ll attend an in-person briefing that covers the University's environmental sustainability strategy and outlines how you can raise awareness of sustainability within your role. Additional planning sessions and training will be provided as needed throughout the year, and you’ll receive ongoing support from the Environmental Sustainability Team intern.

The role is a great way to develop skills such as leadership and teamwork, build experience for your CV and earn a certificate to showcase on your LinkedIn profile. 
 
The Sustainability Champion role can be used towards the Stellify Award, our university’s unique award to support students’ personal development and future career paths.

How to apply

Applications for 2025/26 are now open and will close at the beginning of October. 

Apply now