A fantastic month of environmental sustainability engagement
The Environment Team would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s Go Green Fortnight and Fairtrade Fortnight a great success. Over 350 staff and students engaged with events across the four weeks, helping raise awareness of the two initiatives.
Go Green brought colleagues from across the University and local organisations together, providing staff and students with a fortnight packed full of events that explored ways to take action on environmental and sustainability issues. This year’s focus was on the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with activities promoting good health and well-being, decent work and economic growth, sustainable cities and communities, and responsible consumption and production. Highlights included seasonal, vegan cooking with MetMunch and The Vegetarian Society, a sustainable fashion event with the Manchester Fashion Institute, student society BOYCOTT and charity Smart Works, and an inspirational talk from designer and Manchester Met graduate, Ibukun Baldwin. Participant evaluations found that 84% of attendees agreed that their understanding of environmental or sustainability issues had increased, which is fantastic!
Fairtrade Fortnight focused on Fairtrade cocoa and the special role of women cocoa farmers in the journey to a living wage. This gave us the perfect excuse to have fun with Fairtrade chocolate! The student Sustainability Ambassadors ran events across campus, giving away 1000 Fairtrade bananas and highlighting the benefits of Fairtrade and the potential for staff and students to support Fairtrade as consumers. Staff and students got involved, making cocoa pod piñatas, delicious Fairtrade microwave mug cakes with MetMUnch, and indulging in the Fairtrade chocolate fountain.
Thank to everyone who collaborated, making the events a success and helping to increase participation across the University. Special thanks to MetMUnch and the Catering Team for making the events possible!
Plans are underway for 2021, so if you would like to get involved or have any ideas of what sustainability engagement you would like to see at Manchester Met then please get in touch: environment@mmu.ac.uk
Friday, 3rd April 2020