Student capital: Broadening the appeal of sustainability engagement

Clayton, William; Longhurst, James; Willmore, Chris; Gough, Georgina

Abstract

The biggest sustainability impact of any university is its graduates, who typically will have 60 years of life (and planetary impact) post-graduation1. Across the world, universities have direct access to millions of bright and capable young people, many of whom are experiencing a significant transitional stage in their lives, making their years in Higher Education a perfect opportunity to establish a long-lasting understanding of, and engagement with, key issues of sustainability. After all, these students will be amongst those directly responsible for building a more sustainable future in the decades ahead.

As a response to this, the Student Capital project was initiated in Bristol in 2015 with the main objective of increasing student sustainability engagement, and importantly, of increasing its mass appeal.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 22, 2017
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2017
• Journal: Environmental Scientist
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 16-23
• Keywords: student engagement, sustainability, university, green capital, student capital, UWE, Bristol, ESD
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/901574
• Publisher URL: https://www.the-ies.org/resources/living-labs