{"id":2463,"date":"2026-04-21T11:09:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T10:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/?p=2463"},"modified":"2026-04-21T11:09:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T10:09:33","slug":"global-officers-spotlight-taking-small-actions-to-drive-sustainability-on-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/2026\/04\/21\/global-officers-spotlight-taking-small-actions-to-drive-sustainability-on-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Officers Spotlight: Taking Small Actions to Drive Sustainability on Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sustainability has been a big focus for students involved in the Global Officers Leadership Development (GOLD) Programme.\u00a0 This year has been no exception, with a range of activities that connect global challenges to local impact.<\/p>\n

Beans Campaign<\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Global Officers got hands-on at the Community Oasis Garden, planting beans as part of the Food Foundation\u2019s \u201cBang in Some Beans\u201d campaign. It might sound simple, but beans are actually a great example of how small changes can make a difference, they\u2019re affordable, nutritious, and have a much lower environmental impact than many other protein sources.\u00a0 We\u2019re excited to see how they grow and to get involved in more activities like this.<\/p>\n

The session ended with a \u2018Story Circle\u2019 where we shared a personal story about when a meal made you feel \u2018at home\u2019 or when you realised you were in a different culture because of one.\u00a0 \u00a0Food and culture are deeply connected as meals we eat reflect our traditions, values, and community and help us to connect with one another.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Building on this, Global Officers co-hosted, a special interactive cooking demo with KSU, designed to show just how easy, affordable and delicious bean based meals can be.\u00a0 They have also shared recipes exploring how different cultures incorporate beans into everyday meals. These conversations can open up wider discussions about food systems, sustainability, and accessibility, encouraging students to think critically about what they eat and why.<\/p>\n

The GOLD programme also welcomed Sustainability Officer, Emily Mason, who led an engaging session on climate change, carbon footprints, and the role of individual and collective action. Students explored how greenhouse gas emissions are linked to everyday activities and discussed the importance of education, advocacy, and storytelling in driving meaningful change . A key takeaway was the power of peer-to-peer advocacy, using personal stories to inspire others and make sustainability more relatable and achievable.<\/p>\n

\u201cSharing real experiences and ideas with each other can be more impactful than just facts alone\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Green Spaces<\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

Alongside this, Global Officers have been supporting the University\u2019s Green Spaces Project by identifying their favourite spots on campus and reflecting on what these spaces mean to them. From quiet study areas surrounded by nature to social spaces that bring people together, it\u2019s been a chance to think about how green spaces support wellbeing and how we can use and protect them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Clothes Swap<\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

In early March, Global Officers partnered with KSU\u2019s Advice Centre to host a Clothes Swap event, promoting circular economy principles. This initiative encouraged students to refresh their wardrobes without contributing to fast fashion, reducing waste and extending the life cycle of clothing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

\u201cIt was a fun and easy way to promote sustainable fashion helping students refresh their wardrobes without buying new items and reducing waste at the same time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

The GOLD Programme will mark Earth Day with a session on Ethical Leadership<\/strong>, where we will be reflecting on our personal values and non-negotiables, exploring the Inner Development Goals, and what it means to make responsible decisions as future leaders.<\/p>\n

This reflects the programme\u2019s ongoing commitment to empowering students as thoughtful, globally minded leaders.<\/p>\n

From planting beans to swapping clothes and celebrating green spaces on campus, these activities show that sustainability doesn\u2019t have to be overwhelming, small, collective actions can add up to real change, and it\u2019s been great to be part of that journey.<\/p>\n

Find out more about the GOLD Programme.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sustainability has been a big focus for students involved in the Global Officers Leadership Development (GOLD) Programme.\u00a0 This year has been no exception, with a … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66542,"featured_media":2466,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[312383,223276,202865],"tags":[215960],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2463"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2463"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2474,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2463\/revisions\/2474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/student-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}