As we look back on the Staff Christmas Switch Off campaign, we can't help but feel proud of what we accomplished together. Our colleagues have truly shown that small actions can add up to make a genuine difference. By turning off non-essential equipment and lights over the winter break, we were able to conserve energy and reduce our carbon footprint. The Climate Action Team shared key information and resources on how to save energy on campus and it highlighted why it is an important practice to carry on throughout these cold winter months.
Our pledge prize draw winner
The staff community came together and strived to positively impact the environment, where they also had the chance to win a £20 hospitality voucher along with other climate action goodies, including a coveted Climate Action Badge.
For this academic year, our winner for the pledge prize draw was Dawn Hallet, Faculty Placements Administrator for the Faculty of Science! Dawn pledged to “ensure all radiators are turned off and switching power sockets off” in the office before the holiday break. This is an excellent example of how a simple action can lead to a positive impact. This is especially true when it is a collective action across our University community.
Here's why Dawn took part in the campaign:
For me, to be able to conserve energy and reduce running costs whilst working at the university is an easy process; by making the effort to remember a few simple actions, I am confident we can all make a collective difference. Here are some of the actions I take during the day: turn down the thermostat on radiators, wear extra layers of clothes, turn off lights when leaving the office and boil only the required amount of water when making a cuppa. At the end of the day, I turn off office and corridor lights, radiators and plugs at the source. Working in a paperless environment is important to me; having easy access to recycling bins for cans, plastic, paper, and batteries gives me no excuse not to use these facilities. Working together, we can make these small actions meaningful. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Other pledges include sharing the Christmas Switch Off checklist with colleagues, ensuring lights in an empty room are turned off, and carrying out all activities on the labs' checklist. While the campaign primarily focused on energy saving in the workplace, colleagues didn’t let that stop them from increasing their impact, with some even pledging to do the same actions at home and save water by having showers instead of baths.
Let's keep working together!
Seeing several staff members' commitment to participating in the campaign and sharing their pledges was encouraging. We hope this friendly competition within or among departments has inspired everyone to continue saving energy for life, not just for Christmas. Continue doing your part and take action throughout the year and visit our staff action webpage for more information.
Our university has committed to reaching net zero gas and electricity emissions by 2030, and we will only be able to achieve this goal with everyone’s help. Thank you to all the staff members who participated in this campaign; we have taken one step closer to a more sustainable future. Let's continue to work together towards creating a better world for all.
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