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When we think about sustainability at university, it’s usually the visible things that come to mind: reusable coffee cups, second hand clothes sales, or a poster reminding us to recycle. All good stuff. But honestly, those things are the tip of the iceberg.
Behind all the eco-events, there’s a whole hidden system running the show: everything from how food gets sourced for campus cafés, to the way our building lights are programmed, to the actual stuff that gets taught (or left out) in our lectures. These are the deep levers where real climate action starts, or, if we’re not careful, quietly fizzles out. Too often, students get locked out of these decisions entirely.
Over the last few months, I’ve been working to crack open that system and let more students in. As a Geography student, sustainability has always fired me up. But it wasn’t until I started working as a Sustainability Project Organiser with the Guild that I really saw how hard it is to turn all that passion into action. Not because students don’t care; it’s because, honestly, the system wasn’t built for us to be inside of it.
Who do I email?
Can I even change that?
Is anyone actually listening?
I’ve heard these questions so many times and felt them myself. Students see the gaps: bins that don’t separate waste properly, lights burning all night in empty buildings, climate-focused lectures that seem a million miles from day-to-day campus life. We care deeply but figuring out how to make change can feel like playing a game where no one’s told you the rules.
So, my first step wasn’t to start a campaign, but to start talking; to map out the maze and connect students with the people and processes we didn’t even know we could influence.
Change Doesn’t Always Need a Megaphone.
When people think of student-led climate activism, it’s often about planting a tree, running a freshers’ fair stall, or organising a protest. But there’s so much more. We live the day-to-day of university life, so we know what works and what needs fixing. And that awareness is often invisible to those working behind the scenes, making it that much more valuable. When students get into the nuts and bolts of sustainability, be that planning, policymaking, or even helping pick suppliers; we bring urgency, ideas, and the guts to ask hard questions.
But here’s the tough bit: student power can be fragile. We’re on the clock, spinning plates, completing deadlines, then graduating and leaving big plans behind. Amazing projects can disappear into folders no one remembers to open next year. It’s not about a lack of passion. It’s a system that expects students to drive change, while offering little to keep it alive.
That’s why continuity is everything. We need staff who’ll remember what came before, tools that keep good ideas visible, and proper recognition for student effort. The Guild is starting to do this: paying students to lead campaigns, funding real projects, and hiring students (like me!) to connect our energy with the staff and processes that carry it forward. We’re already seeing projects last longer and make a bigger impact. So it’s clear… support students, and we deliver.
And funnily enough, that constant student turnover? It’s also our strength; it means no one gets stuck in the same ways of doing things for too long. There’s always someone new pushing boundaries and asking why. Because, as the saying goes: if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.
Your Small Wins Matter, Because They Ripple.
What’s amazed me most this year is how far students can push things. Sometimes we come up against a brick wall, but not always. We do win.
There’s now a community fridge in the Forum Library, a repair café in the pipeline, and student reps sitting in faculty decarbonisation meetings they were never invited to before. Change isn’t always quick, but when students are in the room, ideas stick. We live, study, and work in these spaces, and that gives us a power to know exactly what needs changing.
Even more important? When you learn to help change systems here, you’re not just working for a better campus, you’re getting ready to push for progress out there, wherever you go next. You learn to question why things are done a certain way, and how to influence the systems you inherit. That’s real climate action, and it doesn’t stop after graduation.
You’re Already Making a Difference. Keep Going.
If you’re reading this and you’re pushing for sustainable change, maybe you’re lobbying or asking awkward questions in a meeting, keep going. If you’re tired of hearing “not yet” or “talk to someone else,” I get it. But you are being heard; and things are moving, even if it feels slow.
We need more students, not just showing up, but shaping the way decisions get made. Not just reacting but actually building a more sustainable university from the inside out. This stuff can be messy and frustrating and imperfect. But it matters, and you make it matter.
If we’re going to create real change students don’t just deserve a seat at the table, you make the table stronger.
So, find your way in and know that even the smallest wins stack up to real progress. You’ve got more power than you realise, and the system needs what you can bring.
Want some inspiration to help make change?
We’ve got some workshops coming up and some sustainability focused events! Take a look at what’s on (select the changemaking and volunteering filter).
Written by Maria Kenworthy, Sustainability Project Intern