Green Impact at NTU
Green Impact is a sustainability toolkit that awards colleague teams for their sustainability efforts.
Developed by SOS-UK, the programme supports colleagues to create positive sustainability changes within the workplace and connect with other teams working on their own sustainability actions. In 2026, Nottingham Trent joined with the University of Nottingham under the "Universities for Nottingham" partnership to deliver a combined programme which will contribute to sustainability targets at both universities.
What is Green Impact?
Teams of staff form or join a Green Impact team and work their way through the bespoke online toolkit. The toolkit is made up of simple, engaging, and impactful actions for teams to complete throughout the year, as well as information to help you complete each action. The actions cover a wide range of sustainability themes, including energy, waste, water, and wellbeing.
You’ll track your progress and upload evidence to the online toolkit, and at the end of the year will receive a student-led audit to verify the actions you’ve completed and determine which award level you will be presented with!
Green Impact: Universities for Nottingham
Nottingham Trent and the University of Nottingham have teamed up to deliver a joint Green Impact workbook, allowing colleagues at both to take part and deliver actions in line with the universities’ sustainability targets and ambitions.
Teams will be able to connect across universities and share best practice, and the universities will be able to celebrate successes together and joint report under the “Universities for Nottingham (UfN)” partnership.
Participating teams will supported by staff at both universities as well as SOS-UK, who run the Green Impact programme nationally. Throughout the year we will be holding a number of joint activities where colleagues can build understanding of sustainability, ask questions, and share innovative ideas with other teams.
Why take part?
Green Impact is simple, fun, and rewarding. By participating you’ll get to; learn more about sustainability issues, network and share ideas with new people from both within and outside of your organisation, build professional and personal skills, help make NTU, UoN and Nottingham more sustainable places to live and work, be recognised for positive actions you are doing already, achieve recognition at the awards ceremony and do something a bit different from your day-to-day role and have some fun!
Any member of staff can form or join a Green Impact team! You do not need any special experience or knowledge, but you will ideally have an interest in sustainability and the enthusiasm and motivation to make a difference. You should be able to dedicate some time each month (1-4 hours) to the project, but this can be flexible around your work.
Whilst a team manager does not need to contribute directly to the workbook/be part of the a team, any teams should gain line manager approval before taking part.
Green Impact does not need to be a lot of work – as little as half an hour a week depending on the level of award you are going for and the size of your team. You’ll have approx. 9 months to complete the actions and there will be lots of support available along the way. Even if you only complete a few actions, you’ll still achieve ‘working towards accreditation’ certificate, so there is nothing to lose!
At the end of the year all teams will be presented with an award to showcase their progress. There are Bronze, Silver and Gold awards available, depending on the reach and impact of your work. The online toolkit outlines what you need to do to achieve each award level. We also have special awards for "Sustainability Hero", "Environmental Impact" and "Community Action".
You will be supported by staff at the universities as well as SOS-UK, who run the Green Impact programme nationally. You’ll receive regular communications to help you, and you can get in touch at any point if you need some extra support – all the contact details you’ll need are provided in the online toolkit.
Head to http://www.greenimpact.uk/universities-for-nottingham, click ‘Register’ on the right-hand menu, put in your details and verify your email address. If you already have a team set up you can join your team when prompted, or you can set up a new team. If setting up a new team, please also contact the Sustainability team to make them aware.
Student opportunities
Students can also take part in the delivery of Green Impact. Green Impact Project Assistants (GIPAs) are trained student volunteers who work alongside staff teams. The scheme creates a mutually beneficial partnership, providing teams with additional project and submission support while enabling students to develop valuable professional skills in environnmental management, behaviour change, communications and project delivery.
Students can also become Green Impact Auditors. After completing IEMA-approved training delivered by SOS-UK, auditors assess participating teams and gain first-hand insight into sustainability practices at both NTU and the University of Nottingham.
Students will be recruited across both universities and receive relevant training and support from SOS-UK throughout the year.
Universities for Nottingham
Universities for Nottingham (UfN) brings together the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University to work in partnership for the benefit of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Through collaboration with local communities, public services and local education organisations across the region, we combine our knowledge, skills and resources to address shared challenges and create new opportunities.