Celebrating World Sustainability Day at Ulster University Business School

Leading Sustainable Futures

By, Marc Duffy and Dorisa Walaszek, Ulster University Business School

On World Sustainability Day, we have an opportunity to pause, reflect, and celebrate the steps we are taking at Ulster University Business School (UUBS) to shape a more sustainable future. Our vision is to inspire and empower our staff, students, and stakeholders to become leaders of sustainable business practices. Our strategy reflects our goal to respect people, place and partnerships, delivering sustainable futures for all.

Through our Sustainability Committee, we are working across several fronts — from sustainability performance, research, education, student experience, and community engagement — to create tangible impact.

We invite all of you to explore, engage, and contribute to our initiatives.

Our Commitment to Sustainable Futures

Our Sustainability Committee at UUBS is actively embedding sustainability across five key areas to integrate sustainable practices within the university. Here’s how we are turning our vision into action.

Sustainability Performance

To drive effective, measurable change, our Sustainability Committee is leading initiatives that enhance UUBS’s environmental and social performance. We are committed to renewing our Eco-Cert, which validates our ongoing efforts to minimize our ecological footprint.

Additionally, we’ve made strides with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Dashboard Update, an essential tool for tracking our sustainability progress in alignment with global standards. Alongside this, we are establishing key performance indicators (KPIs) and sustainability performance benchmarks to assess and improve our internal progress year after year.

Research & Knowledge Exchange

UUBS is home to pioneering research that addresses some of the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time. To support this work, the Sustainability Committee organizes annual Research Conferences at Ulster University, which provide platforms for students, researchers, and industry experts to collaborate on groundbreaking ideas.

We promote networking and collaboration through events specifically designed for sustainability research, ensuring that Ulster’s researchers can exchange knowledge and expertise. For PhD researchers, we are continuously developing initiatives to encourage innovation and foster a community of sustainability-focused scholars.

We are currently planning the 2025 Sustainability Conference, so keep an eye out for updates, calls for papers and registration details.

PRME – Principles for Responsible Management Education

We are committed to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a United Nations-supported framework that connects sustainability with business education. In 2025 we will publish our inaugural SIP Report (Sharing Information on Progress Report) and will hold a PRME Writing Competition that will challenge students to creatively express how sustainable business practices can solve real-world problems.

Additionally, our SKILLS Course and Sustainable Leadership Programme offer invaluable training opportunities for students to become sustainable business leaders.

Finally, our Sustainability Socials and Breakfasts encourage casual yet impactful discussions on how we can continue making a difference.

Learning and Teaching

The UUBS Sustainability Committee is embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across our learning environments. We’re actively exploring ESD-themed games and simulations, which bring critical sustainability concepts to life in a way that’s engaging and accessible.

Our proposed Postgraduate Certificate in Business Sustainability provides in-depth knowledge and tools for future business leaders, while our ESD Hub serves as a central resource for staff, ensuring that sustainability is woven into the very fabric of our curriculum.

Student Experience & Community Engagement

The student experience is at the heart of our sustainability efforts. We aim to create an inclusive, participatory environment where students feel empowered to make a difference. Through ongoing communications and engagement initiatives, we keep our community informed and inspired, offering numerous ways to get involved in sustainability-focused projects and discussions.

Get Involved: Be a Part of the Sustainable Movement at UUBS

World Sustainability Day is not just a day to reflect on what has been achieved; it’s a call to action for what still needs to be done. .

There is so much happening at UUBS, and we’re excited to invite all members of our community—students, staff, and stakeholders—to participate and take action.

World Sustainability Day 2024