Community engagement

1.0 Summary

This Sustainability Engagement and Communications Strategy aims to demonstrate how the university will engage students, academic staff, professional services, suppliers, and external stakeholders in supporting the institution's environmental sustainability ambitions during the 26/27 academic year.

The strategy supports the university's overarching Environmental Sustainability Strategy by creating opportunities for awareness, education, participation, and behaviour change. Through campaigns, events, workshops, and communications the university will empower its community to contribute to environmental sustainability while developing valuable knowledge, skills and delivering action.

The strategy is built around three core priorities:

Awareness and Understanding

Increase understanding of sustainability challenges and the university's sustainability commitments.

Engagement and Participation

Provide meaningful opportunities for students and staff to participate in sustainability initiatives.

Behaviour Change and Impact

Encourage sustainable behaviours that contribute to measurable environmental outcomes.

2.0 Stakeholders

3.0 Methods of Communication and Channels

The University currently operates multiple channels for communication both internally and externally to relay key messaging and share stories/events with intended audiences.

The current channels are as follows:

4.0 Engagement themes

When engaging staff and students in Environmental Sustainability, the engagement plan will centre around the themes of the University Environment Sustainability Plan and are as follows:

• Energy and Carbon Reduction in Buildings
• Travel
• Resource Use
• Nature and Community
• Sustainability Education & Research
• Delivering Environmental Sustainability

For 26/27, all themes will be covered through engagement and communications opportunities however, Waste will be the central theme for activity in this academic year.

5.0 Annual Engagement Calendar

See Appendix 1

6.0 Communication touchpoints

To maximise awareness, engagement, and participation, sustainability communications will be embedded into existing university communication and engagement opportunities throughout the academic year. Rather than relying solely on standalone campaigns, key sustainability messages will be integrated into established institutional touchpoints, ensuring staff and students receive timely, relevant, and consistent communications at points when engagement is naturally highest.

Key communication touchpoints include:

• Flying Start – Sustainability will form part of the University's pre-arrival and induction programme, introducing new students to the University's Environmental Sustainability Strategy, sustainable travel options, waste and recycling arrangements, and opportunities to get involved in initiatives such as Eco Champions and volunteering. This will establish sustainability as a core part of the student experience from the outset.
• Welcome Week (Freshers') – Sustainability will have a visible presence during Welcome Week through events, information stands, campus activities, digital communications, and collaboration with the Students' Union. Activities will encourage students to adopt sustainable behaviours early in their university journey and promote opportunities to participate throughout the year.
• Refreshers' Activities – Mid-year engagement will provide an opportunity to reconnect with returning students, particularly those who may not have engaged during Welcome Week. Sustainability messaging and events will reinforce key behaviours and promote upcoming campaigns and volunteering opportunities.
• Global Recognition Days and National Awareness Campaigns – The communications calendar will align with recognised environmental awareness days and wider sustainability campaigns, including events such as Earth Day, World Water Day, Recycle Week, City Nature Challenge, and national energy-saving campaigns. These recognised events provide opportunities to amplify messages, encourage participation, and connect University of Sunderland activity with wider global sustainability action.
• Seasonal and Key Holiday Communications – Sustainability messages will be incorporated into communications around key holiday periods such as Christmas, Easter, and the summer vacation. These communications will promote actions including reducing energy consumption before leaving campus, sustainable travel, waste reduction, reuse and donation initiatives, and responsible disposal of unwanted items at the end of term.
• Academic Calendar Milestones – Sustainability communications will be aligned with key points in the academic year, including the start of each semester, assessment periods, and graduation, ensuring messages remain relevant and appropriately timed while avoiding periods of communication overload.
• Staff Induction – During new starters welcome event, as well as Environmental Awareness training via Online Training for all staff (repeated 3 yearly)

By integrating sustainability into these established communication touchpoints, the University will deliver consistent, visible, and timely messaging that supports behaviour change, increases participation, and embeds environmental sustainability within the wider university culture.

7.0 Staff and Student Representatives

There is currently student representation within the university SESG and upon the successful recruitment of Eco Champions in academic year 26/27 that representation within the Sustainability Team will extend providing insight into favoured communication channels and methods maximising impact.

8.0 Budgets and Resource

Engagement and Communications fall within the Sustainability Team budget. There will be budget ringfenced for engagement activities and any shortfall assessed on an as and when basis. Should projects/activities incorporate other teams, additional budgets maybe explored.

The Engagement and Communications strategy will be delivered by the Sustainability Officer (Travel and Engagement), with oversight from the Sustainability Team and SESG.

9.0 Measuring Impact

To ensure the Engagement and Communications Strategy delivers meaningful and measurable outcomes, a structured impact‑measurement framework will be used. This framework will track awareness, participation, and environmental impact across the 26/27 academic year.

9.1 Strategy Impact Metrics

• Awareness — % increase in student and staff awareness of sustainability commitments measured through surveys (baseline in October, follow‑up in May).
• Engagement — number of participants in attendance at sustainability events, workshops, campaigns, and Eco Champion activities.
• Digital Engagement — work with communications team to gain information on communications traffic, impressions & interactions, and engagement on social media, Canvas, Student App, and digital boards.
• Operational Impact — waste reduction (KG), emissions reductions from travel initiatives, biodiversity outputs, procurement improvements.

9.2 Measurement Methods

• Annual Sustainability Survey (students and staff) to measure awareness, attitudes, and behaviour change.
• Communications Analytics from digital boards, social media, newsletters, and the Student App.
• Event Participation Data collected through sign‑ups/ins, attendance registers for online events.
• Waste and Carbon Data provided by contractors to Energy and Carbon Officer to track operational impact.

10.0 Sign off and Review process

The progress of these plans will be reported to the Strategic Environmental Sustainability Group and presented through the Annual Impact report.

Key Activities

Eco Champions recruitment, Community litter pick, Freshers Fair recycling awareness & education, DWT Wildlife Safari @ S2G.

Audience

Students (new starters & existing), staff, community groups.

Key Stakeholders

Sustainability Team, Estates, Durham Wildlife Trust.

Expected Impact:

Increased early‑year engagement, improved recycling behaviours, stronger volunteer recruitment, higher participation in waste‑reduction activities.

Key activities

Garden volunteering, International E‑Waste Day pop‑up, World Food Day, Homes for Hedgehogs @ S2G, Green Skills workshop, Sustainable Halloween.

Audience

Students, staff, community organisations.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundworks.

Expected impact:

Strengthened community cohesion, increased awareness of nature and food waste, improved participation in volunteering and biodiversity activities.

Key activities

Eco Champions onboarding, SUEZ visit, energy‑saving tips, Regional Sustainability Hackathon, Willow Wreath Making @ S2G.

Audience

Students, staff and local communities.

Key stakeholders

SUEZ, Durham Wildlife Trust, Estates, external hackathon partners (higher education).

Expected impact:

Increased energy literacy, stronger engagement with energy efficiency initiatives, student‑led innovation through hackathons.

Key activities

Wildlife Conservation Day, Groundwork pop‑up, Winter Volunteering (Evergreen), community garden features, Green Skills session.

Audience

Students, staff, community garden partners.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork, Space2Grow, Just Let Your Soul Grow

Expected impact:

Increased biodiversity awareness, stronger community partnerships, seasonal volunteering engagement.

Key activities

Waste‑disposal guidance, DWT Winter Volunteering @ S2G, litter pick, International Day of Clean Energy, Sustainability Stall.

Audience

Returning students, staff.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork.

Expected impact:

Improved waste sorting behaviours contributing to waste management, increased participation in early‑year sustainability events, raised awareness of clean energy.

Key activities

SDG workshops, World Wetlands Day, Groundwork workshop, SUEZ visit, Bird Box Building.

Audience

Students, staff, sustainability volunteers.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork, SUEZ, SDG partners.

Expected impact:

Increased understanding of SDGs, higher engagement in biodiversity‑linked activities, strengthened cross organisation collaboration.

Key activities

World Wildlife Day, Zero Waste Action Week, floral arranging, SUEZ pop‑up, SUS Week, Sustainability Fayre, Earth Hour, Big Switch Off.

Audience

Students, staff, external partners.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork

Expected impact:

Peak engagement month; major behaviour change push; increased visibility of sustainability strategy; strong cross‑campus participation.

Key activities

Litter picks, exam destress sessions, Spring Planting, Climate Fresk, Earth Day, moveout information.

Audience

Students (especially during exam season), staff.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Health & Wellbeing Team.

Expected impact:

Improved wellbeing, increased nature-based engagement, stronger community participation, preparation for end‑of‑year waste management and reduction.

Key activities

Guided meditation sessions, Groundwork pop‑up, Spring Planting, World Bee Day, Biodiversity Photo Competition, Sustainability Stall.

Audience

Students (exam period), staff.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, Groundwork, Estates.

Expected impact:

Increased circular economy awareness, improved biodiversity engagement, reduced exam period waste.

Key activities

Bike Week events, cycling webinars, Bio Blitz, student item drop-off stall, litter pick.

Audience

Students (end of year moveout), staff, community.

Key stakeholders

Durham Wildlife Trust, BetterPoints, Estates, Ocean Healthcare.

Expected impact:

Reduced moveout waste, increased active travel participation, strengthened biodiversity data collection.

Key activities

Plastic Free July campaign, Garden Volunteering, Lanchester College visit, Staff Travel Trial.

Audience

Students (remaining on campus), staff, external partners.

Key stakeholders

Rotaract Club, Estates, community partners.

Expected impact:

Continued engagement during quieter months predominantly with staff, reinforcement of plastic reduction behaviours.

Primarily a quiet operational month with minimal scheduled activities.

Key activities

Light communications, prep for September campaigns.

Audience

Staff (planning teams).

Key stakeholders

Sustainability Team, Estates, Communications.

Introduction

Our sustainability work in 2025/26 showed how strongly our community drives meaningful change. Across the academic year, we delivered a programme of themed activities that encouraged staff and students to learn, participate, and take practical steps toward a more sustainable campus. Each campaign contributed to a wider effort to embed sustainability into everyday choices and conversations across our campuses.

The year also saw key personnel changes, which reduced capacity at points and limited the scale of delivery. Even so, there remained a strong range of opportunities for staff and students to get involved. Through collaboration with local partners, student groups, and academic teams, we gained visibility, momentum, and meaningful engagement.

By aligning initiatives with national and global awareness moments, we created accessible entry points for participation. Whether exploring biodiversity, supporting wellbeing, reducing waste, or choosing lower‑carbon travel options, each campaign strengthened our culture of environmental and social responsibility.

September-October 2025

• Freshers' Welcome: Student induction, Freshers' Fair, Eco Fest, Dr Bike, and BetterPoints promotions
• Eco Fest
• Green Spaces Survey

November 2025-January 2026

• Staff Development Sessions – Connecting Global Goals to Student Success
• Sharing ideas on Campus Green Spaces

March-April 2026

• Global Recycling Day Awareness Campaign
• Sustainability Digital Hackathon
• City Nature Challenge: Guided Coastal Walk, Heritage and Nature Walk, Rock pooling & Guided Dolphin Watch.

Collaborations with Durham Wildlife Trust, Coast Sunderland, Sunderland City Council, Wear Rivers Trust.

May-June 2026

• Sustainability Week (12-14th May): Student Annual Travel Pass Competition, Urban Cycling Webinar, Fayre, Washed Up Cards workshop, Climate Fresk & Vegan Menu Tasters.
• Sustainable Development Masterclasses
• Bike Week, Dr Bike, Win a Brompton competition through BetterPoints.

July-August 2026

• Plastic Free July
• Lanchester College Wellbeing visit to the Community Garden

Communications and engagement

• Bimonthly Newsletter
• Social media and SharePoint: Events promoted via Facebook, Instagram, website and internal SharePoint pages. Social media reels posted once monthly highlighting significant activity, stories used for on the go reporting and to advertise events or information pop ups.
• Eventbrite: Used for event signups.

Key themes

• Awareness‑building
• Behaviour change
• Education.

Impact

• Thousands of students reached through Freshers’ events, Eco Fest, and BetterPoints promotions
• Strong early visibility for sustainability
• Increased sign‑ups for travel initiatives.