Business student Ferra explores how sustainability weaves throughout her education and shares practical tips for building sustainability knowledge and skills at Bath.
My understanding of sustainability began in high school, where I learned why it matters and how I could make a difference through simple actions like reducing, reusing and recycling. Those lessons gave me a sense of responsibility and showed me that individual impact matters. When I transitioned to university, I discovered sustainability is much broader than this and is deeply connected to my life, studies, and future career.
Exploring sustainability in my course
As a Business student in the School of Management, I have continued to develop my sustainability knowledge. I now regularly explore frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria, examining how companies are aligning their operations and reporting practices with these standards.
I’ve had the opportunity to develop practical skills in my modules, including partnering with Julian House, a local charity supporting people experiencing homelessness. As a group, we organised a comedy night, hosted a radio show and launched a JustGiving page to raise awareness and funds. This taught me how social and environmental challenges are interconnected and that all skillsets can make a tangible impact.
Even in my finance-related modules, we learn about the growing movement toward green and ethical investments and how sustainable funds can perform competitively while contributing to positive change.
Sustainability sits in every discipline and my friends on different courses have also been developing sustainability capabilities. At Bath, sustainability is included in all education programmes, which is key in preparing us to make a positive difference in our future.
Learning beyond the classroom
Education is a powerful tool to drive change, and knowledge and skills can be built outside of the classroom. Bath offers a host of co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities to broaden our knowledge in sustainability (great for our CVs) and skills to take action in our life.
Three initiatives you should get involved in:
- attend a Carbon Literacy course and be empowered with skills to help tackle the climate crisis from a personal and collective perspective
- take part in One Young World Bath and join the powerful platform of young leaders working towards a better world
- join a Vertically Integrated Project and collaborate on innovative research and applied learning projects to tackle real-world sustainability challenges
Preparing for a sustainable future
Employers are increasingly valuing people who understand environmental and social responsibility and integrate this awareness into decision making. No matter your career path, sustainability is integral to innovation and long-term success and I'm excited to see how my education empowers my future.
As a Climate Champion at Bath, I get to work with students from across disciplines and witness first hand how sustainability education is important for everyone. I encourage you to check out the student sustainability webpages and get involved with the opportunities. Together, we can develop valuable skills for the workplace, our daily lives, and contribute to our shared sustainable future.
Ferra Luengvoraphan
BSc Business
Respond
