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New initiative launched to enhance sustainability benefits on campus

Posted on 23 August 2022

This summer, Environmental Sustainability at York (ESAY) launched York Living Labs (YLL), a new initiative aimed at bringing our university community together to improve sustainability across campus. 

The first part of the initiative is a pilot Biodiversity Living Labs project that draws together our teaching and estate operations. It has provided five student interns with real-world training in biodiversity surveying. The interns have had the opportunity to put their new skills into action by contributing to a campus-wide ecological baseline assessment that we are undertaking as part of the UoY Sustainability Plan. 

Over the next few weeks, the students will share their findings across the University’s social media channels to encourage our university community to connect with our natural environment and raise awareness of biodiversity on campus. 

Speaking about the new initiative, Claire Hughes, Director of Education for ESAY, said: "The York Living Labs are being set up to bring together our community to develop solutions to sustainability problems on campus, and to use the campus as a test bed for solutions that will have a wider impact. There will be opportunities for everyone at the University of York, including staff and students, to get involved directly in a variety of ways, including via our planned campus-wide Days of Action."

"We hope that the Living Labs will encourage collaboration, provide powerful learning opportunities for our students, and motivate and empower everyone in our community to drive change towards sustainability."

The Living Labs initiative is the latest development in the University’s continued commitment to making our campus more sustainable, outlined in the University Sustainability Plan. Its ultimate aim is to raise awareness of specific sustainability issues and implement collaborative solutions across the university’s community, maximising the combined potential of our cutting-edge research, teaching and campus operations.

There will be opportunities for staff and students at York to get involved in future Living Labs projects, including joining management committees, leading research and student internship projects, or engaging in Days of Action.

Please keep an eye out on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn over the next few weeks, as the first five York Living Labs student interns share their findings across the University's social media.