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College Sustainability Challenge

Become the most sustainable college on campus this year with our College Sustainability Challenge.

The College Sustainability Challenge sees our eleven colleges compete against each other each year to generate the highest energy savings. By engaging in sustainable activities, quizzes and competitions throughout the year, students can win prizes, help their college climb the leaderboard and beat their rivals, with the winning college receiving a sustainability themed prize of their own choosing at the end of the academic year.

The Challenge supports and encourages students to live sustainably, highlighting the importance of saving energy and water, and recycling and reducing waste, bringing the University closer to its targets laid out in the Sustainability Plan 2021-2030.

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College Sustainability Challenge achievements last year

1,001 students engaged in the campaign
15 tonnes of CO2 saved

Our top tips for winning the Challenge

Switch off lights
Switch off lights when not needed. Report faulty light sensors and switch off your bedside and bathroom lights when not in use.
Use heating wisely
Try wearing an extra layer before you go to turn the heating on. If the heating is on, make sure all the windows are closed.
Put on full loads of washing
Try to put on a few full loads of laundry rather than lots of small loads. Setting the temperature to 30°C can save energy and help your clothes last longer.
Don’t overfill your kettle
Don’t use additional energy or waste your time by overfilling the kettle. Just boil as much water as you need.
Cook in bulk
Try cooking in bulk to save time and energy. If you're using the oven, try to cook a couple meals at a time to reduce energy wastage.
Put a lid on your pan
Save time and energy by putting a lid on your pans when cooking. Also, use the right size hob for your pan to avoid heating the air.
Use the stairs if you can
Taking the stairs instead of the lift means that you can save energy and keep the lift available for those who need it.
Switch off appliances at the socket
Switching off your appliances and plugs at the socket is a great way to prevent energy wastage as items use energy in standby or sleep mode. Devices left charging will continue to use electricity, even once they've reached 100% charge.
Reduce your shower time
Take shorter showers to save energy and don't switch the shower on, until you're ready to get in.
Report issues
It takes 2 minutes to report faults online. Broken light, dripping tap or damaged oven or fridge seal? Save energy and report it.

Key information

Use the dropdowns below to find out more about the College Sustainability Challenge, what it involves, who can take part, and any relevant guidance.

How does it work?

The College Sustainability Challenge is an inter-college competition to promote sustainability and generate energy savings. By adopting energy-saving behaviours and practices, students help their college climb the leaderboard.  All Colleges automatically take part.

Energy use (per College) is measured centrally by the University, and is compared to a baseline to determine the reductions.

The Challenge is supported by a series of quizzes and campaigns to engage students with sustainability issues. 

There are a number of themed weeks throughout the year to focus awareness on key topics, such as such as Climate Week, Sustainable Food Week, Energy Week, Water Week, and Waste Week.

Who can get involved?

The College Sustainability Challenge is open to all students, undergraduate and postgraduate, whether living on campus or in private rented accommodation.

If you live on-campus, you can help actively reduce energy consumption in your College accommodation by following the top tips below. 

You can get involved as an individual, a College Committee member, a society member, or a sports team member!

Guidance and support

If you have any questions or queries, please contact your college committee or email sustainability@york.ac.uk. 

Key dates

Throughout the year, there are a number of campaigns and events. Please see below for the calendar of events for 2026/27:

  • Climate week - 26 October
  • Waste Week - 16 November
  • Energy Week - 30 November
  • Christmas Switch Off - 7 December
  • New Year Pledge - throughout January 2027
  • Water Week - 15 February
  • Sustainable Food Week - 5 April
  • Moving out competition - throughout May

Keep an eye out for in person drop in events and promotions in your College newsletters and social media.

Current College Leaderboard

The first leaderboard of the year will be posted in November 2026. Watch your college socials for updates!

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Sustainability at York