Sustainability in Action: The Learning and Teaching Academy makes a (Green) Impact at Cardiff University

Green Impact is a sustainability learning and accreditation programme for Schools, departments and teams at Cardiff University. Participants use an online toolkit, designed by the University’s sustainability team, to complete activities and drive positive sustainable change in a range of areas such as waste and recycling and biodiversity. 

 In 2025, staff from the Learning and Teaching Academy formed a Green Impact team and were supported in their endeavours by a student Green Impact Project Assistant.  

The team proudly achieved a bronze award and were awarded the Special Award for Innovation for Engagement at Cardiff University.  

In addition to this, the team were recently told that they had won the National Green Impact Award for Innovation for Engagement! 

Below, some of the team members reflect on their experiences of taking part in Green Impact: 

Bethan’s reflection (Learning Technology Assistant): 

 When Green Impact was relaunched at Cardiff University last year, I was keen to participate in the programme for the first time. As someone who is very interested in the environment and sustainability, it was a great opportunity to work with like-minded team members, both staff and student, and take action to help improve the sustainability of the University by completing a variety of activities. These activities often involved collaborating with colleagues in my department and across the wider University, who I may not usually have the chance to work with. The Learning and Teaching Academy’s Wellbeing Working Group, for example, helped to promote activities, which all members of department staff could take part in, and we organised and ran litter picks together, which proved to be very popular!   

 One of my proudest achievements from Green Impact is an online escape room for staff, which my team members and I designed, developed and created. The escape room is based around Cardiff University and focuses on four themes: 

• Recycling at the University – which item belongs in which bin? 

• Waste and recycling at the University 

• IT equipment and digital practices 

• Energy usage/wastage and energy saving in the workplace 

It is a fantastic example of how learning can be delivered in an engaging, interactive and innovative way and it has been well received by those who have completed it so far. 

 I would encourage as many people as possible to get involved with Green Impact. You can play an active role in embedding environmental awareness and sustainability at the University, and have fun and be creative in doing so! 

Marianna’s reflection (Digital Education Specialist in LTA) 

 Before taking part in Green Impact, I often thought of sustainability as something that required big changes. This experience however taught me that small, everyday actions matter just as much and can make a big difference in a long-term run. The experience went beyond completing tasks and ticking the boxes. I took ownership of handful of activities, such as embedding sustainability into our new starters’ induction pack, so that awareness begins from day one. 

The initiative changed my views on digital work. We tend to think of online activity as being ‘clean’, but it has a real environmental footprint. I encouraged colleagues to try and reduce their digital footprints because this is something we often overlook in sustainability conversations. Simple actions like managing emails and cloud storage can make a big difference. Whether it’s deleting unnecessary files, unsubscribing from unwanted email newsletters, or switching off equipment, I focused on what is relevant and important to our team and me personally. Repeating these will form new habits and create a culture of responsibility for our own environments.  

Looking back, what stands out most is how small changes add up. Sustainability can feel overwhelming, but initiatives like Green Impact show that every action counts. I’m proud of what we achieved as a team, and personally, it’s made me more mindful of how my daily choices, both digital and physical, impact the world around me. 

Eleanor’s reflection: 

I signed up to be a Green Impact Project Assistant because I was really interested to see what could be done to make our University more sustainable, and to collaborate with a team in the University! The Learning and Teaching team needed no encouragement, and so I assisted whilst they took it into their own hands to complete toolkit actions to make small, positive changes to their workplace and beyond in terms of sustainability. In the office, I helped identify signage that highlighted energy saving, and it is when we noticed a knowledge gap in the understanding of everyday recycling – what can and can’t go in each bin. The team therefore developed a brilliant escape room which I tested; it was both interactive and informative and I learnt a lot about sustainability on campus. 

As an EARTH student, I naturally have sustainability at the front of my mind, but this project was great in that it gave practical, feasible tasks that can fit into daily lives, such as deleting emails and reducing use of AI. The competition was a great incentive for the team, but I also think it was very enjoyable and I’m glad I could play a small role! 

Inspired to get involved?  

More information about the Green Impact programme and how to take part in it can be found on the intranet.