LSSC - Leeds Student Sustainability Consultancy

We are very proud to work with Compost-It and celebrate their incredible achievements in reducing food waste! Congratulations to our student volunteers and the Compost-It team 👏

Celebrating our successes during Term 2 🎉 It has been a busy few months for LSSC with some amazing progress made on our current projects, just a few of which are highlighted below! From visiting the head quarters of Revive! to understand their operations and explore short- and long-term recommendations, to supporting market research and content creation for Leeds' Compost-It , our student consultants have worked hard produce valuable project outcomes that will help further sustainability. It was also a term of firsts for LSSC, as we attended our first student fair at LUU, held our first Give It A Go in collaboration with Nørlo Outdoor, and received our first award at the RYCA Awards 2024! 🏆 We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in LSSC this term whether this be through contributing to our news bulletin, coming to a social or working on a project! With some events already in the works for Term 3, we can't wait to see how LSSC progresses next term! 🌳 💚

LSSC's green-sight news bulletin gives students the opportunity to share sustainability insights and thought pieces. In our latest issue, Harriet Ann Adjabeng (Akuvi Adjabs) explores the use of Living Labs to tackle feelings of eco-anxiety, highlighting the importance of accessing the right spaces and opportunities to turn these challenging emotions into positive change instead of allowing them to impede sustainability efforts. Click here to read the full article: https://lnkd.in/eQbuDtxn #lssc #greensight #newsbulletin #sustainability #sustainabilityconsulting #universityofleeds #ecoanxiety #livinglabs

This weekend LSSC attended the Yorkshire & Humber Regional Youth Climate Assembly (RYCA)'s Youth Climate Champion Awards! We are thrilled to have been nominated on behalf of the work of our project teams and student consultants. It was great to meet many other groups and individuals in the Yorkshire & Humber area who are advocating change towards climate action and championing young voices! We are proud to receive an award in the 'Green Skills and Jobs' category. As a society, we aim to give students the opportunity to experience sustainability consulting and build relevant skills, working with local businesses on a voluntary basis to create real value! The success of our completed and (5!) live projects is a testament to the hard work of our student consultants, the incredible businesses who have collaborated with us to leverage students' expertise and enthusiasm to help improve their sustainability ambitions, and our committee who have worked hard this year to expand LSSC and ensure students have access to as many opportunities as possible! Thank you to RYCA for hosting this event and to our LSSC community for your amazing work! 💚 🌳 #lssc #universityofleeds #sustainabilityconsulting #environmentalconsulting #ryca #greenskills

LSSC's green-sight news bulletin gives students the opportunity to share sustainability insights and thought pieces. Here's some tips for students on incorporating sustainability in your study routines, by Abi Kajendran. What if I told you there were ways to ace your exams while reducing your environmental footprint?    As we hit the books, let's consider how our study habits can contribute to a greener future. By adopting simple eco-friendly revision practices, we can not only boost our grades but also reduce our environmental footprint.   So, what exactly does sustainable studying entail?   We all need to start somewhere. For starters, rethink traditional study methods and incorporate eco-conscious habits into your routine. Consider going digital with your notes and revision sources. By utilising note-taking apps and online resources, we can significantly reduce paper usage and minimise waste.   Additionally, let's prioritise energy-efficient lighting and power down electronic devices when not in use. A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that not leaving your devices on standby could reduce 44 million metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution each year. Simple actions like switching to LED bulbs and unplugging chargers can also make a big difference in conserving energy and lowering our carbon emissions.   But sustainable studying goes beyond just reducing paper and electricity usage. It's also about connecting with nature and incorporating green spaces into our study routine. If you have the chance, take your books outdoors and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and natural sunlight while you revise.   And let's not forget about the importance of reusable study supplies. Investing in items like refillable pens and notebooks made from recycled materials can help minimise waste and promote a more sustainable approach to learning.   By embracing sustainable studying practices, we're not only investing in our academic success but also contributing to a healthier planet for future generations. So, let's make a commitment to study smarter, greener, and with the environment in mind.    Together, we can make a difference, one study session at a time. #greensight #newsbulletin #sustainability #lssc #universityofleeds #sustainabilityconsulting #environmentalconsulting #studytips #students

LSSC's green-sight news bulletin gives students the opportunity to share sustainability insights and thought pieces. This is 'Education for Sustainable Development' by Nicole Mwaura. Perhaps, the issue lies in how we articulate our ideas. Sustainable development (SD), often seen as the perpetual preservation of our world's resources, serves as an encompassing term. However, could the use of such overarching terms hinder progress? Let's consider a specific aspect of SD - Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). So, what is ESD? Introduced in 1992, ESD can be defined as the cultivation of skills, values, knowledge, and agency to address global challenges and inspire both individuals and collectives to proactively care for the planet. While an admirable concept in theory and policy, ESD grapples with a significant challenge: the gap between awareness and practical application, which is its fundamental goal. Despite its intended purpose of guiding individuals or collectives toward solving the SDGs, studies indicate it has seen minimal success. How can a thirty-year concept have little to no success to show for it? The effectiveness of ESD encounters the same hurdle as sustainable development in general – the reliance on broad, umbrella terms. Words like 'skills,' 'values,' 'knowledge,' and 'challenges' may have objective definitions in the Oxford dictionary, but they remain subjective in reality. Resultantly, inertia in change being affected is occurring. Looking ahead… Could the key setback in bridging the awareness and application gap be traced back to the initial definition of concepts? How can this be rectified? As humans, consciously or not, aiming for universality in an inherently complex world might set us up for failure. And, while there is potential for the future success of ESD through new emphasis on considering contextual factors, nearly three decades have passed with little progress; primarily because people still grapple with understanding a supposedly 'defined' phenomenon. We simply do not have another three decades lying around to understand our definitions. #sustainability #education #sustainabledevelopment #lssc #sustainabilityinsights #sustainableconsulting #universityofleeds

Last week LSSC hosted their first Give It A Go Session, designed as an opportunity for students to gain insight into what working on projects with LSSC is like and have a go at being a sustainability consultant! Our client, micro-sized outdoor clothing brand Nørlo Outdoor, came to LSSC looking for advice on ways they can improve their sustainability credentials and expand their business while continuing to place nature at its heart. Students worked in teams to provide business recommendations following a 'Think, Plan, Act, Do' framework, addressing all aspects of the business model. Ideas focused on both the short- and long-term, encompassing marketing and customer engagement, local procurement, product development and future business collaborations. Teams pitched their presentations to the group and it was clear to see that all attendees had understood the client's core value of being a genuinely sustainable brand! We would like to thank our client for providing this opportunity and to all the students who came along and shared their brilliant ideas! We were so impressed by the turnout and high level of engagement with the client brief. We will be continuing this work to provide a formal deliverable to the client capturing all of these recommendations. Our projects offer a valuable opportunity for both students and your organisation to learn together, and take a step towards a more sustainable future. If you would be interested in organising a project with us, please get in touch. #lssc #universityofleeds #sustainabilityconsulting #environmentalconsulting #sustainablebusiness #businessdevelopment

Happy New Year from LSSC! And what better way to kick off 2024 than with a summary of our most recently completed successful project partnering with the West Leeds Activity Centre! 4 of our student consultants have assisted the WLAC in carrying out habitat and tree identification on their 17-acre site. From September to November 2023 our team gathered data as part of a Phase 1 habitat survey, and used QGIS to present findings in map form. Recommendations were then provided on how to re-wild this area as well as improving understanding of the species and habitats on their site to facilitate future monitoring and conservation of biodiversity. WLAC will continue working with LSSC to help implement these recommendations and we are looking forward to progressing further in partnership with them! Congratulations to our student consultants who have worked hard to achieve this result. Our projects offer a valuable opportunity for both students and your organisation to learn together, and take a step towards a more sustainable future. If you would be interested in organising a project with us, please get in touch. #lssc #sustainability #sustainabilityconsulting #universityofleeds #environmentalconsulting #rewilding #biodiversity

As the year comes to a close, we want to say thank you to everyone who has been involved with the LSSC so far this term. 2023 has been marked by record success, as we welcomed over 100 new members into our society. Among them, many have participated in our socials, our projects and have shown a keen interest in the importance of sustainability consultancy. Alongside our socials, four ongoing projects, led by teams of senior and junior consultants, have garnered significant interest. These projects have not only been impactful for local businesses and communities but also a testament to the enthusiasm of our students. We are excited to see what project successes are achieved in the new year, as well as welcoming new project teams! Our initial goal was to create an inclusive society for undergraduates and postgraduates, encouraging participation and learning in sustainability consulting. It's safe to say we've achieved that goal. The dedication of our members has made the LSSC successful. Thank you all for contributing to our positive journey. Here's to continued growth and success in the coming year! #universityofleeds #sustainability #sustainabilityconsulting #environmentalconsulting #lssc

Introducing the Leeds Student Sustainability Consultancy Committee for 2023/24! 🎉 🌳 The team has been working hard in preparation for our kick-off event tomorrow, and we can't wait to see what incredible projects our members get involved in this year! Welcoming... Director: Maeve Flatley Vice-Director: Max Jones Secretary: Pulkit Dhakolia Treasurer: James Wooding Outreach Manager: Victoria Lynn Engagement Officer: Freya Lees Events Manager: Eleanor K. Leeds Student Sustainability Consultancy is a student-led initiative aiming to create positive social and environmental impact in our local community, through offering pro bono sustainability advice to businesses and organisations. Our team of student consultants spans a wide range of degree backgrounds, each with one thing in common: a drive to make real change! Our projects offer a valuable opportunity for both students and your organisation to learn together, and take a step towards a more sustainable future. If you would be interested in organising a project with us, please get in touch. #universityofleeds #sustainability #sustainabilityconsultancy #environmentalconsulting #lssc