Sustainability Week 2025
Get involved with sustainability at Surrey
A message from Martin Wiles, Head of Sustainability at the University of Surrey.
Welcome to Sustainable Surrey’s Sustainability Week – a week of coming together, reflecting on our environmental and social impact, and driving meaningful change.
For its second year, we’ve joined forces again with Surrey Students' Union, the Institute for Sustainability, as well as a range of incredible local organisations, to provide you with opportunities to learn and take action—whether that’s through innovative workshops, sustainable activities, or simple everyday choices that we can make this week and beyond to make a difference.
Take a look at the schedule for this week and get involved – looking forward to seeing you there!
What's On
Sustainability Unwrapped
Throughout the week
AA02, Stag Hill campus
Discover snapshots of game-changing sustainability research. Visit the Institute for Sustainability’s exhibition during the week.
Monday 31 March
Carbon footprint pop-up
Monday 31 March
11am - 3pm
Location TBC
Join the student volunteer Green Team and test your knowledge on carbon footprints.
Ecologi pop-up with Surrey Sports Park
Monday 31 March
11am - 3pm
Location TBC
Find out more about Surrey Sports Park’s partnership with climate action organisation Ecologi and grab yourself a sustainable freebie!
Sustainability Assembly
Monday 31 March
1pm - 3pm
05 AC 03
Find out more about the University’s sustainable procurement plans.
Community Hub
Monday 31 March
2pm - 6pm
Community Hub
Find yourself a second-hand bargain at the SU’s Community Hub – just outside the library.
Focus2030: Understanding the SDGs and how to drive collective action for the goals
Monday 31 March
4pm - 5pm
14/15 AA 02
This event is suitable for staff and students who are seeking to better understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Sustainability Careers Workshop
Monday 31 March
6pm - 7.30pm
LTB, Lecture Theatre Block
During this workshop you will identify how your values and abilities can contribute to a sustainable job, learn how to showcase your sustainability story to make employers take notice and understand how to elevate your CV, ace job interviews and step confidently into the professional world!
Tuesday 1 April
Community Fridge
Tuesday 1 April
10.30am - 11.30am
Zero Carbon Guildford GU1 4UG
The ZERO Community Fridge’s primary goal is to reduce food waste. Come along from 10:30am to grab some perfectly good food nearing the end of its supermarket shelf life.
The Stag's Big Green Questions
Tuesday 1 April
11am - 3pm
Library Entrance
Come and answer the world’s ‘Big Green Questions’ at The Stag Magazine’s Sustainability Week pop-up. Your answers might even feature in The Stag’s next printed edition!
Focus2030: Understanding the SDGs and how to drive collective action for the goals
Tuesday 1 April
12pm - 1pm
14/15 AA 02
This event is suitable for staff and students who are seeking to better understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Surrey Community Garden launch
Tuesday 1 April
12pm - 2pm
Community Garden, Stag Hill campus
Spend some time in nature and help us sow our first seeds of the year at Surrey’s Community Garden. No previous gardening experience needed.
Clothes swap
Tuesday 1 April
12pm - 3pm
Front Room, SU
Refresh your wardrobe sustainably and give your pre-loved fashion a new home! Sign up and turn up with clothes you’d like to swap.
Vet Society Litter Pick
Tuesday 1 April
2pm - 3.30pm
Outside VSM
Join Vet Soc for a litter pick across Manor Park, as part of the Great British Spring Clean! Register your attendance.
Doughnut Economics Workshop
Tuesday 1 April
2pm - 4pm
Zero Carbon Guildford GU1 4UG
How do we meet the needs of society within the limits of our planet’s finite resources. Time to find out!
Community Hub
Tuesday 1 April
2pm - 6pm
Community Hub
Find yourself a second-hand bargain at the SU’s Community Hub – just outside the library.
Wednesday 2 April
Biodiversity walk
Wednesday 2 April
12pm - 1pm
Meet at Senate House
Learn more about nature at the University and how our Grounds Team are supporting local biodiversity.
Vet School gardening session
Wednesday 2 April
1.30pm - 4.30pm
Vet Soc garden
All vet school staff and students are invited to an afternoon of gardening at the Vet Soc Garden. Learn about the importance of pollinators for biodiversity and get stuck in!
Plant pot workshop with CraftSoc
Wednesday 2 April
2pm - 4pm
TBC
Get creative with Craft Soc and turn plastic bottles into your own recycled plant pot!
Community Hub
Wednesday 2 April
2pm - 6pm
Community Hub
Find yourself a second-hand bargain at the SU’s Community Hub – just outside the library.
Open mic night
Wednesday 2 April
7.30pm - 9.30pm
Manor Park Social
Come and share your musical talents at Zero Carbon Guildford’s Open Mic evening in collaboration with your Students' Union. Singers, songwriters and cover performances welcome.
Thursday 3 April
Focus2030: Understanding the SDGs and how to drive collective action for the goals
Thursday 3 April
10am - 11am
14/15 AA 02
This event is suitable for staff and students who are seeking to better understand the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Phyllis Tuckwell pop-up shop
Thursday 3 April
10am - 4pm
Rubix, Students' Union
Come along to Phyllis Tuckwell’s pop-up shop where there’ll be second-hand clothes, household items and much more on for sale!
Community Fridge
Thursday 3 April
10.30am - 11.30am
Zero Carbon Guildford, GU1 4UG
The ZERO Community Fridge’s primary goal is to reduce food waste. Come along from 10:30am to grab some perfectly good food nearing the end of its supermarket shelf life.
Heat/cool workshop
Thursday 3 April
2pm - 4pm
40 AA 03
Join Zero Carbon Guildford and the University's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) to understand how Guildford's built-up environment and green spaces heat and cool our environment.
Community Hub
Thursday 3 April
2pm - 6pm
Community Hub
Find yourself a second-hand bargain at the SU’s Community Hub – just outside the library.
Engineering Net Zero practical workshop
Thursday 3 April
3pm - 4pm
LTG, Lecture Theatre Block
Students are invited to attend AtkinsRéalis' informative presentation surrounding the UK Energy strategy and the road to net zero by 2050.
Sustainability Awards ceremony
Thursday 3 April
4pm - 5.30pm
5G/6G Function Room
Celebrate sustainable success from across the University at this year’s Sustainability Awards. Invite only.
Community Fridge
Thursday 3 April
5.30pm - 6.30pm
Community Hub
Pop to the Community Hub for free food from our catering outlets.
Biosoc Sustainable Movie Night
Thursday 3 April
6pm - 9pm
LTF, Lecture Theatre Block
Join Biosoc for a Planet Earth movie marathon!
Student Voice Forum
Thursday 3 April
6.30pm
Online
Join your VP Voice as they ask a number of questions on sustainability to a panel of senior University staff.
Sustainability Week quiz night
Thursday 3 April
7pm - 10pm
Manor Park Social
Join the Manor Park Social Quiz featuring a special sustainability round! Prizes for the top three teams.
Friday 4 April
Community Hub
Friday 4 April
2pm - 6pm
Community Hub
Find yourself a second-hand bargain at the SU’s Community Hub – just outside the library.
Community Fridge
Friday 4 April
5.30pm - 6.30pm
Community Hub
Pop to the Community Hub for free food from our catering outlets.
Sustain Film Festival Screening
Friday 4 April
TBC
Wates House
Sustain Film Festival presents an international collection of story-driven films and animations, delivering a taste of their upcoming festival this summer. Tickets to be released soon.
Get involved with sustainability all year round
To find out more about sustainability at Surrey, visit our website.
Opportunities for all
Take our Introduction to Sustainability short course
Open to both staff and students, this online mini-module provides an in-depth overview of climate change and sustainability.
Surrey Community Garden
The Surrey Community Garden on Stag Hill campus provides staff and students with the opportunity to develop gardening skills and grow fruit, vegetables and herbs. Sessions take place throughout the year.
Stag Hill Beehives
The University has active beehives on Stag Hill campus. Staff and students can volunteer on a Wednesday afternoon and get training in beekeeping.
Opportunities for staff
Green Impact
Green Impact is a UNESCO multi-award winning sustainability programme open to staff members in all departments. The scheme provides teams with a list of sustainable actions to take and be awarded for. Regisiter your interest to be the first to hear about Green Impact’s re-launch in the summer.
LEAF
LEAF is a sustainable lab certification tool designed by over 23 universities. The framework encourages lab users to improve lab efficiency and minimise environmental impacts. This programme is being rolled out across all labs in FEPS and FHMS.
Opportunities for students
Sustainability Mark
All societies and clubs can get accredited as being sustainable by completing the Sustainability Mark. The mark, run in collaboration with the SU and Sustainability team, provides you with five simple sustainable actions you and your members can take. Find out more.
Join a sustainable society
There are many societies organising sustainable activities both across campus and in the local community.
Volunteer
The University’s Sustainability Team regularly organise hands-on sustainability volunteering.
Since 2022, our campus has been home to the Institute for Sustainability, a world-leading interdisciplinary Institute that maximises our leadership in sustainability research, from net-zero solutions to clean air initiatives and sustainable living.
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