Students take the lead on sustainability at ARU
Green Gown Award nomination for student-led initiatives on ARU health courses
A pioneering project by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is gaining national attention for allowing students to take the lead on embedding sustainability within their academic course content.
The Green Heron Award is a review conducted by students in ARU’s Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care which empowers learners to focus on planetary health and sustainability and suggest improvements to the curriculum. The project has now been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 Green Gown Awards in the Student Engagement category.
Using the Planetary Health Report Card (PHRC), the Green Heron Award enables students to critically assess individual modules. They have built up a significant resource bank to support staff to use examples and material related to climate change and health care.
These include case studies about manging respiratory conditions from air pollution, local data showing the local flood risk, and specific ways for older people to manage excessive heat. The initiative has already led to curriculum changes across four courses, including Medicine, with more planned in the coming year.
The Green Gown Awards recognise, celebrate, and share the most impactful and innovative sustainability action across the higher education sector.
“This is a grassroots movement driven by students who want to make a real difference.
“They’re not only shaping their own education but also helping future students and staff engage with the climate and health challenges of our time.”
John Gibson, Education for Sustainability Coordinator at ARU’s Global Sustainability InstituteThe project has awarded digital Green Heron badges to modules that meet sustainability benchmarks, helping students identify courses that prioritise environmental awareness. It has also sparked wider institutional change, with staff requesting sustainability training and new collaborations forming across faculties.
One student involved in the project, Tom Chapman, has gone on to become the global lead for Physiotherapy in the PHRC network, and others have presented their work at national conferences.
“The Green Heron Award has given me the opportunity to speak at important events and conferences, potentially influencing policy and helping medical professionals across the world develop Planetary Health teaching.”
Tom ChapmanARU was ranked first in the UK for action on Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) in the 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. In 2023, ARU won a Green Gown Award for its Ruskin Modules, where students are encouraged to tackle global societal or cultural concerns that are uniquely difficult to resolve.
“This initiative shows how students can lead the way in embedding sustainability into education. It’s about preparing graduates not just for jobs, but for a future where they can contribute to society and mitigate the effects of climate change.”
Professor Sally Fowler-Davis, co-leader of the projectWinners of the Green Gown Awards will be announced at a ceremony at Unique Venues Birmingham on Thursday, 6 November.