Sustainability news

The Institute of Educational Technology (IET) at The Open University have recently launched a much-needed free OpenLearn badged open course (BOC) supporting educators across multiple sectors and subjects in addressing the climate emergency in their teaching.

In January 2024, The Open University introduced a new free course on the emerging field of Climate Psychology. It is now widely accepted that facts about climate change, taken alone, do not promote change.

The Open University's Dr Ian Kenny and MSc Student and Post Doctoral Research Assistant Dr Dhouha Kbaier recently co-authored an article for Climate Perspectives Winter 2023/24 edition (pages 26 - 29). 

The article discusses The Open University's mission to deliver impact-driven research to ensure a sustainable planet. Our contribution is through the intersection of two extraordinary fields: Climate Change and machine learning.

Learning about the climate and ecological crisis can be very disturbing and overwhelming. We may feel a variety of different emotions often grouped under the umbrella label of eco-anxiety. But what is eco-anxiety and how can we learn to live meaningfully with the reality of the crisis without falling apart?

Sustainable Fashion: Fashion Fixing and Mending - Getting started with  Ismay Mummery. OU Research Student, Ismay, shares her findings from her garment mending research study and will offer ways to get more out of your wardrobe and get inspired to alter and fix garments rather than getting rid of them. 

The People and Planet League is an annual ranking of UK Universities based on publicly available environmental and ethical performance. In Summer 2023, we were audited by People and Planet and the findings published on 13 December in the People and Planet League Table. The OU now ranks 67 (up from 116 last year) giving us a 2:2 lower second-class honours. This jump is a definite improvement for the University compared to previous years and cause for celebration.

Join Ayo Sokale, BBC Bitesize Presenter and Civil Engineer, alongside Dr. Victoria Hands, Director of Sustainability, and ESG Freelancer Amie Kumar.
Discover why sustainability matters to organisations, how to turn conversations into actions, and the importance of developing a solid plan.
Gain insights, ideas, and practical advice to propel your business towards a sustainable future.
Let's rise to the challenge together!

In November 2023, The Open University published a report on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) skill gap in businesses. 

An OU team from Learner and Discovery Services were nominated as finalists in this year’s Green Gown Awards and subsequently awarded ‘highly commended’ in their category.

The team were entered for their work on developing sustainability resources that support university colleagues in their module design. You can find out more about their work in this short 3-minute video.

The Open University is an official sponsor of Green Infrastructure Week which was held in November 2023. This year the OU held an event that asked 'What would it take for hydrogen to have a place in the UK’s net zero energy future?'