UCD launches Sustainability Toolkit for students

There was a fantastic turnout of staff and students today for the official launch of the UCD Sustainability Toolkit, a resource made by students for students to address climate anxiety, promote sustainability and support behavioural change on and off campus.

The Higher Education Authority SATLE-funded project surveyed 323 students, identifying knowledge gaps and key barriers to sustainability engagement. In response to this survey, the toolkit covers the full spectrum of need from climate literacy modules to climate action resources.

Available on Brightspace and (opens in a new window)Moodle, it aims to foster an ecocentric worldview and encourage students to take local, tangible actions.

The project began when BSc Sustainability students Kendra Paleczny, Riya Sunny, Laoise Ní Mharcaigh and Ellen Curran approached Dr Orla Kelly about setting up a group to meet once a month and chat about climate change and environmental issues. These chats highlighted the need for a Sustainability Toolkit for students who wanted to learn about climate change and sustainability. 

In April 2023 with the help of project lead and BSc Sustainability programme manager Kirsten Southard the group got HEA funding to start building the toolkit. The goal? To help UCD students understand climate change and sustainable living without feeling overwhelmed. 

In April 2024, Ellen, Kendra, Laoise, and Riya surveyed 323 UCD students across all 6 Colleges to find out how much they knew about climate change and what topics they were most interested in. Analysing the results, they identified four key areas that students wanted to learn more about: biodiversity, engagement, sustainable food choices and slow fashion. These four themes became the foundation for the (opens in a new window)toolkit.