Get involved: students

Students Association Environmental and Sustainability Working Groups 

The Open University Students Association Environmental and Sustainability Working Group's (ESWG) purpose is to work collaboratively to establish the impact the Students Association has on related issues, and explore how the Students Association can engage with The Open University on this topic.

They have delegated authority to consider and make recommendations to the Central Executive Committee and/or the Board of Trustees on working practices; policy statements; and position statements.

For more information, contact ousa@open.ac.uk

Carbon Literacy Training

Carbon Literacy training is designed to support your understanding and learning about decarbonisation. You'll be joining 96,685 individuals from over 7,573 organisations who have been certified as Carbon Literate by the Carbon Literacy Project.

The course is a total of 8 hours online learning made up of:

  • four hours of self-study activity
  • four hours of interactive training
  • a final evidence task which leads to Carbon Literacy certification.

Sign up for Carbon Literacy Training here

Join our LinkedIn group

To respond to your requests for more opportunities to discuss sustainability, we have set up The Open University Sustainability Network LinkedIn Group. This network is for the whole OU family - our students, staff, alumni, and wider audiences of The Open University with an interest in sustainability. We would love for you to join the conversation.

EAUC

The Open University has membership of the EAUC – the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges which is the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education. Membership is open to all OU students and staff with benefits including a monthly newsletter, excellent online resources and communities of practice, as well as regional meetings. If you are interested in becoming a member, please email us on gogreen@open.ac.uk.

Sustainability – share your story

Do you have an interest in sustainability? Environmental or social justice? 

Perhaps you have set up a volunteering group for your local area; have an eco-project you undertake in your spare time; like to help those in need in your community or further afield; or you studied a sustainability course a while ago and have always had an interest. 

We want to hear from OU Students and Alumni undertaking work or initiatives in sustainability. We're particularly keen to hear if your OU experience informed your path to doing so. Please share your story about working in sustainability or taking action on a social or environmental topic by emailing sustainability@open.ac.uk

Sustainability courses

While some students may wish to simply demonstrate their commitment to sustainability through non-curricular activities, there are several courses related to sustainability for those who would like to study in this area. Explore the various subject areas to find the most suitable courses for you by visiting our Study page on our environment and sustainability courses. 

 

Responsible Futures (A framework & accreditation mark for embedding sustainability in learning)

Responsible Futures is a whole-institution supported change programme and accreditation mark by SOS-UK to embed sustainability across all aspects of student learning.

The externally assessed accreditation mark (audited by students) assists tertiary education institutions in helping students gain the skills and experience needed to thrive as global citizens. The OU became a member of the Responsible Futures Programme in 2022, as this framework maps out the organisational innovation and enhancement required, spanning top-down, middle out and bottom-up level change, to achieve whole institution engagement with sustainability learning.

The OU has now been awarded the full Responsible Futures Accreditation, meaning we’ve exceeded the score threshold and have demonstrated and evidenced our commitment and progress for embedding sustainability and social responsibility across the whole institution. Read this article for key findings and the score overview.