On the week beginning 5th February, LSE celebrated its annual Green Week, acknowledging the environmental work of the Student Union and further encouraged staff and students to engage and participate in the multitude of events on offer throughout the week.
This year consisted of numerous events liaising with departments, organisations and societies in a clothes swap, a sustainable t-shirt competition, a bees tour and wellbeing walks – just to name a few.
Green Week is evidently an extension of LSE’s strong commitment to environmental sustainability. LSE currently has a target “to reduce its carbon footprint by 34% by 2025” and “maximise recycling waste”. In addition, the Sustainable Future Society has a £2000 fund for improving the environment at LSE and are currently awaiting ideas from students to implement this, with the goal of maximising LSE’s sustainability policy.
Green Week was organised by this years’ Environment and Ethics Officer, Lotus Wang who voiced the importance of “raising awareness of environmental protection and sustainability on campus”. One of the focal initiatives this year concerned promoting reusable coffee cups, emphasising that “one person can save around 200 cups per year”, ultimately helping to reduce the LSE’s waste.
Nowadays, there are several contemporary concerns around how we can build a more environmentally friendly society in our everyday lives. LSE are aware that institutions such as universities are no exception to this discussion and are increasingly proactive on green issues. According to a study carried out by People and Planet (the UK’s largest student organisation campaigning to protect the environment), “behaviour and values learnt at university have a long-lasting impact on graduates throughout their lives”. With events such as Green Week, lasting campaigns such as “Plastic Free LSE”, and the recent installment of new fountain funded by the London Drinking Fountain Fund under an initiative led by the Mayor of London, this reinforces LSE’s ongoing commitment to having a positive impact on the environment, creating a more sustainable future at LSE.
