Sustainability Week 2025

View of a the geodesic dome on Stag Hill campus

Get involved with sustainability at Surrey

Martin Wiles, Head of Sustainability at the University of 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

Two hands hold a ball painted to represent the Earth

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

Footprints on grass

Carbon footprint pop-up

Monday 31 March
11am - 3pm
Location TBC

Join the student volunteer Green Team and test your knowledge on carbon footprints.

The sun shines through the trees on Stag Hill

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!  

Wooden blocks with green environmental symbols are stacked on a lawn

Sustainability Assembly

Monday 31 March
1pm - 3pm
05 AC 03

Find out more about the University’s sustainable procurement plans.

Students' Union community hub

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. 

A Rubix cube with the SDGs

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.

Wooden blocks spelling out career

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

Sandwiches in a chiller cabinet

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.

Green paper with recycling symbols

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!  

A Rubix cube with the SDGs

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.

Yellow, red and purple tulips grow out of the grass

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.

Colourful clothes hanging on a rail

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.

Students take part in a litter pick

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 with pink icing

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!

Students' Union community hub

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

A view of the Duke of Kent Building from across the lake on Stag Hill campus

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.

Yellow, red and purple tulips grow out of the grass

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!

Flower pot painting

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!

Students' Union community hub

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. 

A microphone

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

A Rubix cube with the SDGs

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.

Colourful clothes hanging on a rail

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! 

Sandwiches in a chiller cabinet

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.

A view of Guildford by the river

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.

Students' Union community hub

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.  

9 wooden cubes in a 3x3 formation spell out net zero in green

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.

Award winners from the 2024 Sustainability Awards

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.

Sandwiches in a chiller cabinet

Community Fridge

Thursday 3 April
5.30pm - 6.30pm
Community Hub

Pop to the Community Hub for free food from our catering outlets. 

The sun rises behind planet Eart

Biosoc Sustainable Movie Night

Thursday 3 April
6pm - 9pm
LTF, Lecture Theatre Block

Join Biosoc for a Planet Earth movie marathon!

A hand holds a megaphone

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.

Students in Manor Park social

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

Students' Union community hub

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.  

Sandwiches in a chiller cabinet

Community Fridge

Friday 4 April
5.30pm - 6.30pm
Community Hub

Pop to the Community Hub for free food from our catering outlets. 

An old-fashioned movie reel

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.

A view of the Duke of Kent Building from across the lake on Stag Hill campus
Yellow, red and purple tulips grow out of the grass
A female wearing protective goggles holds up a vial of clear liquid
Two students walk by the lake on Stag Hill campus

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.