We are very pleased with the outcome of our application for the Gold Sustainability Award and are grateful to colleagues throughout the School of Global Affairs and across King's for their efforts in incorporating sustainable practices in our ways of working, especially with regards to making a positive impact on the workplace environment. The focus of our application was not just evaluating and reducing the School's environmental impact, but creating a representative and accessible workplace and workforce.
Sarah Tierney, Sustainability Team, School of Global Affairs
13 July 2021
School of Global Affairs wins gold for sustainability
The School of Global Affairs has received the Gold Sustainability Award by King's Sustainability for its efforts to improve the sustainability of their working environment.
The award is given to departments that are “reducing negative and maximising positive social and environmental impacts”.
The School was recognised for its strong focus on wellbeing, sustainable workplace practices, and widening participation both within the student body and recruiting a representative workforce. The School placed an emphasis on providing any necessary support throughout staff members’ time, such as “meeting access needs, providing mentorship and opportunity for career development”.
They also reviewed the financial impacts and staff experiences of working from home and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impacts on the work-home divide.
The Gold award was given due to the School both identifying what had gone well and where there was room for improvement, and providing objectives for confronting and remedying these before the next sustainability award.
The School will be continuing to work on this project throughout the next academic year and are keen to build our membership. Contact the School Sustainability Team if you would like to join (sarah.tierney@kcl.ac.uk and francesca.2.tambellini@kcl.ac.uk).