University of Exeter staff and students rewarded for sustainable actions

Green Rewards is an online platform and app that enables users to record positive sustainable and wellbeing actions across a number of themes, such as recycling, travel and sustainable shopping, in order to earn ‘Green Points’.

Green Points can be earnt in a number of ways, including; pledging to use less plastic, reducing carbon emissions by walking more and opting to make more sustainable food choices, such as meat free days.

Those with the most Green Points each month have the chance to win vouchers from national brands such as Love2Shop and Boobalou, aswell as local brands Sancho’s, Finisterre, un_rap or Zero Exeter. There will be 4 x £20 vouchers given away each month and prizes for the top teams next autumn.

Dr Emma Page, Head of Environment & Climate Emergency, at the University of Exeter, said: “The University declared a climate emergency last year and engaging everyone, mobilising action and helping bring to life how we can contribute to the carbon net zero targets will be essential to our success.

“The Green Rewards platform will significantly help us understand how our actions deliver carbon savings and also bring about positive change.

“Our ambition is to reach everyone with our climate emergency agenda, wherever we are, whatever we do; whether that’s through work, research, education or study, as we work, on and off campus, in our next academic year.

“As well as individual reward and recognition, there are departmental and team leader boards to encourage people to take part and drive some healthy competition.”

Around 260 colleagues took part in a successful trial over the summer, completing around 7,000 positive actions across a number of sustainability themes.

New actions have been added for the roll out of the programme, including a sustainability photo competition, where staff and students have the chance to win £50 by submitting a photo under the theme ‘What does 'sustainability' mean to you?’

Alongside Green Rewards, a new Environment and Climate Emergency Companion pack for students has been launched which shows the work taking place across each campus to address the University of Exeter’s Environment and Climate Emergency agenda, such as divesting from fossil fuels and using 100% renewable energy.

The pack also outlines what impact students can have, including considering their carbon footprint and information on sustainability focused societies and events to get involved in.

Green Rewards is open to all colleagues and students at the University and you can sign up online.

The University’s Environment and Climate Emergency report can be read in full here.