Staff and student engagement

Supporting meaningful action

We make it easier for people to contribute where they are - whether that is in a lab, an office, a teaching space, a student society or a professional services team. We provide clear routes, guidance and practical tools to help staff and students make changes that add up to real impact.

This includes:

• practical guidance, templates and toolkits that translate University priorities into everyday action
• opportunities to collaborate on shared goals and learn from what works in other areas
• ways to recognise and celebrate progress - helping good ideas spread and become normal practice

Local sustainability action plans

Sustainability is delivered locally as well as centrally. Every academic school and professional services department has a Sustainability Lead (and in many areas a local sustainability committee) that helps coordinate activity and connect it into University priorities.

Local Sustainability Action Plans bring staff actions together in a clear, joined-up way. These plans:

• focus effort on the changes that matter most in each area
• provide a clear line of sight between day-to-day actions and University-wide targets
• help teams prioritise sustainability alongside other operational and academic objectives

Local plans are informed by Sustainability Impact Reports, which bring together evidence and data (for example on energy, travel, purchasing and waste) alongside suggested actions. Priority actions are then embedded into the annual planning cycle, so sustainability is part of how we plan, deliver and report as an institution - not an optional add-on.

Student voice and influence

Student voice is a driver of innovation and accountability at Sheffield. There are clear routes for students to influence decisions and see the results of their input.

Student representatives play key roles in sustainability governance, including the Sustainability Sub-Group and the Sustainability Network. Students also contribute through wider University committees such as University Council, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Finance Committee. We involve students in project groups for major developments too, so lived experience and disciplinary insight shape design and delivery.

We also maintain constructive dialogue with student campaigns and student-led activity, and we value the role campaigning has played in accelerating progress. Recent examples include work linked to fossil fuel divestment and the shift to fully renewable electricity.

Working together through the Sustainability Network

The Sustainability Network brings together staff and students from across faculties, schools, departments and professional services to share insight, align activity and support problem-solving. It helps connect local action to University priorities, and provides a practical forum for collaboration, learning and momentum.

Funding for staff and student sustainability projects

We support staff and student ideas with small pots of funding for sustainability projects that meet our criteria. This funding is intended to help people test and deliver practical improvements - from small pilots through to scalable initiatives that can be adopted more widely.

Staff and students can find out more about applying for funding here