Our Climate Action Month 2025 will take place in March. Take a look at the variety of events we have planned, available for BU students, staff, and our community to get involved with.
In February 2021, we published our Climate & Ecological Crisis Action Plan (CECAP), which is our roadmap to a 50% emissions reduction by 2030/31. You can read our CECAP Annual report on the BU website.
Community action will play a huge role in achieving this target, which is why we have put together a series of events designed to engage, educate, and develop sustainability leadership across the entire BU community. We hope that taking part in Climate Action Month will inspire you to take climate action, whether it be through attending a workshop, supporting BU sustainability initiatives, or even just taking the leap to learn something new.
What events are happening?
Embedding and Embracing Sustainability at Work with Efeca (Graduate Skills Programme Masterclass) - Wednesday 26 February, 1:30-3:30pm – Inspire Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus
Open to BU students, join this session led by the environmental organization Efeca and the BU Sustainability Team to learn about how sustainability affects both organizations and individuals, and how you can have a career in sustainability. What policies, legislation, and accreditations should businesses be aware of? How can companies take meaningful action to integrate sustainability into their core practices? We’ll explore how you, as an employee, can make a tangible difference at work.
Whether you’re already passionate about sustainability or just starting to explore its potential, this session is for you. Book your space through MyCareerHub.
Being a Sustainable Student at BU - Thursday 27 February, 12-1pm – F109, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus
Did you know that BU are an EcoCampus? As a BU student, you have a key role to play in making sure that we reduce our environmental impact as much as possible. This means displaying good environmental stewardship by remembering your reusable items, walking, cycling, or using our UNIBUS service, and learning about the climate crisis while studying at BU.
Come along to learn about how to be a sustainable student at BU! Book your space through the Academic Skills Hub.
Renewable Clothing Sale - Thursday 27 February, 10am - 4pm - Student Centre Ground Floor, Talbot Campus
Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions annually? The Vinyl Renewable Clothing Store work to stop garments from ending up in landfill by reusing, mending and giving second-hand clothes a new lease of life. Come along to be part of the change, and get your hands on some fabulous new clothes at a fraction of the original cost!
Avoid Waste Week - Monday 3 March - Friday 7 March - all BU campuses
Did you know that we use over 100,000 disposable coffee cups on BU campuses each year? Did you know that disposable coffee cups cannot be recycled? Did you know that plastic bottles take around 450 years to decompose? At BU, we are committed to reducing single-use plastic, so we have decided to implement an ‘Avoid Waste Week’ between Monday 3 – Friday 7 March. How can you help?
1) Bring your own reusable water bottle and coffee cup
2) Drink-in using crockery
3) Join BU’s Cup Exchange Scheme.
For this week only, join the Cup Exchange Scheme for a one-off low cost of £2. Save 30p for every drink you buy and earn 2 stamps on your loyalty card.
Climate Fresk Workshop for BU Students - Wednesday 5 March, 1-4pm - F201, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus
Come along to learn the fundamentals of climate science in an interactive, collaborative workshop. Based on the IPCC reports, the Climate Fresk workshop involves arranging a set of cards from the causes to consequences of climate change, followed by some time to reflect and to explore how you feel about it. Learn something new, meet like-minded people, and be part of the change!
This Climate Fresk workshop is for BU students. Book your space now.
Being a Sustainable Student at BU - Thursday 6 March, 12-1pm - online
Did you know that BU are an EcoCampus? As a BU student, you have a key role to play in making sure that we reduce our environmental impact as much as possible. This means displaying good environmental stewardship by remembering your reusable items, walking, cycling, or using our UNIBUS service, and learning about the climate crisis while studying at BU.
Come along to learn about how to be a sustainable student at BU! Book your space through the Academic Skills Hub.
Carbon Literacy training for BU Students - Friday 7 March, 10am-4pm - P222, Poole House, Talbot Campus
BU are an accredited as a Carbon Literate Educator, which means we are committed to providing quality climate education. The Carbon Literacy course will give you an overview of climate change as well as an understanding of the actions required by governments, businesses, universities and individuals in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and set us on a path towards a more sustainable future. Upon completion, you will be certified as Carbon Literate, which is an international recognised certification.
Register for the Carbon Literacy training.
BU Climate Assembly: Sustainable Finance - Wednesday 12 March, 2-3:30 - F112, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus
The financial sector is powerful, and a major contributor to the climate crisis and social injustice. The Higher Education Sector and BU have been exploring ways to improve the sustainability of our banking and future investments. Come along to BU’s Climate Assembly on Sustainable Finance to learn more about this topic, and have YOUR say on how you think the Higher Education sector can better invest its cash to avoid supporting fossil fuel extraction and to support more environmental and socially sustainable activities.
Our Climate Assemblies are open to all BU students and staff. Register through this link.
Climate Fresk Workshop open to the public - Thursday 13 March, 4-7pm - F105, Fusion Building, Talbot Campus.
Come along to learn the fundamentals of climate science in an interactive, collaborative workshop. Based on the IPCC reports, the Climate Fresk workshop involves arranging a set of cards from the causes to consequences of climate change, followed by some time to reflect and to explore how you feel about it. Learn something new, meet like-minded people, and be part of the change!
This Climate Fresk workshop is open to the public, and BU staff and students. Book your space now through Eventbrite.
Student Village Food Waste Event - Monday 17 March, 12-3pm - Student Village, Talbot Campus
Did you know that 1/3 of all food produced is wasted globally? If your food waste is sent to landfill, it breaks down and produces harmful gases that go straight up into the atmosphere and contribute to climate change. It is far better to separate out your food waste so it can be collected and sent for anaerobic digestion. This means these harmful gases can be captured and used to generate electricity and heat. From March 2025, all BU students living in our Student Village will need to separate out their food waste from the rest of their waste.
Feeling unsure of how to do this? Come and learn from the BU Sustainability Team about what can and cannot go into your food waste bin!
‘My Climate Action’ webinar - Thursday 20 March, 12-1pm - online
Join us for a casual and informative webinar, hosted by the BU Sustainability Team and open to all BU staff, where you will have the opportunity to hear from colleagues across BU on what they are doing on a personal level to take action for climate change. To start the conversation, we will be hearing from the members of BU Estates team listed below, on their experiences with solar panels, batteries, Air Source Heat Pumps, and general energy management at home.
Dave Archer – Energy Manager
Carey Hamilton - Planned Preventative Maintenance & Compliance Manager
Lois Betts – Sustainability Manager
By sharing best practice and working together, we can maximise our climate impact. This webinar is open to all BU staff. Join the conversation by registering to attend through this link.
Running Club - Tuesday 18 March, 12-12:30pm - SportBU Reception
Open to BU students and staff of all running abilities, come and join us for social and mindful run to Slades Farm. Running does extraordinary things for your mind and body, ever more so when you can run with other people in nature. This is a great opportunity to meet people, move your body, and spend time in nature. This running group meets at this time every Tuesday, so you are more the welcome to join this group permanently too. Meet at SportBU reception, ready to run from 12pm.
BU Big Bike Fair – Wednesday 26 March, 12:30-4:30pm – Talbot Campus Courtyard
Cycling is a great way to get around Bournemouth, both for your commute to campus and to explore our beautiful surrounding areas. Our Big Bike Fair is here to help you get into cycling, and feeling safe on a bike. We’ll have a variety of stalls for you to engage with including Beryl, Dorset Police, and Cycle Solutions. If you are a BU student or staff member, come along to the Big Bike Fair to learn about the support available to you. This Bike Fair will lead into the ‘Sustainability Screenings’ event, where we will be screening a film all about cycling (see below).
Sustainability Screenings: Chasing the Sun - Wednesday 26 March, 4-7pm – Marconi Lecture Theatre, Talbot Campus
Join us at BU for a screening of Chasing the Sun, a documentary film about the power of the bicycle to improve public health, build community, and help save the planet. This event will include film screening, followed by panel discussion with experts including:
Phillipe Webb – Producer of Chasing the Sun
Professor Tom Wainwright – BU Professor Of Orthopaedics, and Deputy Head Of the Orthopaedics Research Institute (ORI)
Joesph McMullen – BU Lecturer in Law, specialising in air quality management and environmental law.
Amanda Shorey – Travel Planning Officer at BCP Council, Bikeability instructor and Chasing the Sun film contributor
Prior to the film, there will also be an exhibition of BU research and work being done by local organisations, businesses, and community groups to support our community to get into cycling and feeling safe on a bike.
This event is open to the public, and BU students and staff. Book your free seat through Eventbrite.
Renewable Clothing Sale - Thursday 27 March, 10am-4pm - Student Centre Ground Floor, Talbot Campus
Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions annually? The Vinyl Renewable Clothing Store work to stop garments from ending up in landfill by reusing, mending and giving second-hand clothes a new lease of life. Come along to be part of the change, and get your hands on some fabulous new clothes at a fraction of the original cost!
Fairtrade Fun Run - Wednesday 2 April, 1-3pm - Slades Farm, Talbot Campus
Did you know that BU are the only 3-star Fairtrade University in the UK? Fairtrade works with farmers, businesses and governments to make trade fair. To show our support, BU will be hosting a Fairtrade Fun Run at Slades Farm as an opportunity for BU students and staff to complete a 1, 2 or 3 lap run, in aid of supporting Fairtrade and the environment. You can choose to walk or run 1, 2 or 3 laps of our course. 3 laps equates to 5 kilometres, and there will be the opportunity to win Tony's fairtrade chocolate! The £5 entry fee goes towards supporting the event, and all profits will go to the Fairtrade Foundation.
Be part of the change, and register for the Fairtrade Fun Run through Eventbrite. This event is for BU students and staff only.
