Green Impact

Find out more about Green Impact and how KeeleSU has been involved over the years.

What is Green Impact?

Green Impact Students' Unions (GISU) is a sustainability support network and awards programme run by the NUS, built especially for the student movement. It is designed to be a framework for Students' Unions to run effective campaigns and projects, and ensure that sustainability is embedded into everything we do.

Every year, our staff and officers here at the Students' Union work hard to ensure that we are being the best we possibly can be when it comes to all things related to sustainability. From climate justice to curriculum reform, health and wellbeing to gender equality - sustainability is much more than just planting trees and saving the turtles!

The Green Impact programme works on an annual basis. Beginning each autumn, we use the criteria that is part of the framework to implement changes throughout the academic year to positively effect our students and ensure KeeleSU remains focused and committed on a sustainable future. We have long been involved with Green Impact, and our scoring shows clear improvement over the years. We have achieved an 'Excellent' rating for the last few years - the highest possible. However, our continued success does not make us any less committed; we will continue to embed sustainability in everything we do!

NUS Green Impact logo NUS Green Impact Students' Unions Excellent Award, Delivered by Students Organising for Sustainability - UK

KeeleSU's History with Green Impact

2020/2021 - Submission in progress

Things are a little different this year, but that's not going to stop us from challenging ourselves to complete Green Impact just the same as we normally would. We are continuously working on sustainability projects despite the pandemic, and we're excited to submit our work again in May!

2019/2020 - Excellent

Feedback from the auditor: "There is really exciting work taking place at Keele SU, with some highly committed Officers and staff supporting this. The engagement opportunities for students, as demonstrated for Keele Green Festival reach out to a range of audiences. It is clear that there is a very strong relationship between the SU and the institution, with the SU benefiting positively from the Sustainability Projects Officer being committed to enhancing student engagement for sustainability through provision of training and workshops in Education for Sustainable Development. Coronavirus has understandably posed a real challenge for the SU this year, with various events getting cut short or cancelled, however Keele continue to demonstrate solid commitment and passion for enhancing their environmental impacts."