SDG Report 2023 by Bournemouth University

Report 2023

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) are a blueprint for creating a more sustainable future, addressing the greatest challenges facing humanity and our environment. Sustainability is at the core of Bournemouth University (BU) and we acknowledge the responsibility and opportunity we have to contribute to achieving the vision and commitment of the UN SDGs, through our research, education, practice and collaboration with the wider community. We are proud to have ranked 29th in the world, out of 1,591 universities across 112 different countries/regions, in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2023. This achievement is a recognition of our efforts to embed action for the SDGs across our institution, though we know there is always more that we can do.

This Report summarises some of the work and actions we have undertaken prior to April 2023 across each UN SDG, including research projects, curriculum alignment and community outreach. Any data given in this report is for the academic year 2021-2022. Organised into four sections: education, research, public outreach and operations, we hope that it can be used to celebrate the hard work of our community and inspire further commitment, collaboration, and action so that together we can even faster realise the blueprint of the UN SDGs.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

What we do

At BU, we passionate about bringing together our research, education and professional practice. By ensuring that what we do in each area influences everything we do, we are establishing ourselves as an innovative university with a different approach to solving the challenges that the world faces today.

It is understandable then, that the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals align with the values and beliefs that BU has held for many years. Out work is helping people to live better for longer. We help to protect and preserve a sustainable environment, help people and organisations to prepare for, and recover from a crisis, and we challenge marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation. We are also helping creative and cultural industries to thrive, all the while acting as a catalyst for growth and using our skills and expertise to advance the region. These beliefs match well with adopting the UN SDGs, and they help us to provide a framework that shows how we are playing our part in building a better future for everyone. We have matched our existing strengths with the UN SDGs throughout this document so you can see easily how this is about much more than ticking boxes, and about delivering on the values we have held for many years.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Bournemouth University helps people live better, for longer

Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

Education MSc Disaster Management

Nursing courses

This course provides students with an understanding of how to develop disaster management plans and frameworks, manage both natural and man-made disasters and support humanitarian operations. Moreover, it provides awareness of and knowledge of the public health and economic implications, including increased poverty, of disasters and how to mitigate these.

The concept of ‘humanising healthcare’ is central to BU’s Nursing degrees, including for Adult Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Children’s and Young People’s Nursing. The programmes not only provide students with the technical knowledge and professional experience to become an accredited nurse, but also develop their understanding of how factors such as poverty can impact on physical and mental health as well as how to reduce the health inequalities that result from such factors.

It is led by BU’s Disaster Management Centre (BUDMC) which provides worldclass training and technical assistance in disaster management in order to help reduce risks, build resilience and ensure rapid and sustainable recovery when disasters strike. BUDMC helps communities build resilience, especially of those in vulnerable situations, and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.

Through extensive placements and community engagement, students develop effective communication and interpersonal skills in order to develop supportive relationships and effectively support everyone who needs healthcare in the community.

Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

49th 11/26

in the world

in the UK

Research score out of 100

44%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Enhancing livelihood resilience of internally displaced persons project in Cameroon

The Homelessness Partnership

One key objective of this project was to enhance food security and mitigate poverty inherent in the internally displaced persons from the Cameroon Anglophone Crisis. The research engaged policy stakeholders at the national level and concluded that political tension can hinder the acquisition of empirical data, therefore disaster management should be approached cautiously and involve political informants.

Safeguarding vulnerable adults from financial scams

We are an active supporter of Street Support Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole and the Homelessness Partnership Charter. The Homelessness Partnership is an alliance of those with lived experience of homelessness, plus local representatives which, as well as BU, include businesses, charities, faith groups, and all statutory bodies (Council, Police, Health, Probation). It aims to end homelessness in the local area by ensuring everyone has a safe place to live that they can call home.

Partnership with BH Soup BU have partnered with BH Soup, a crowdfunding platform for the local community who want to create or develop start-ups to enhance the well-being of local people. BH Soup works by hosting a community event where those attending receive homemade soup and fresh bread for a suggested donation of £5. At this event, four people get to pitch their project or idea to enhance the well-being of local people. Finally, all attendees vote for the best idea, and all the money they made on the door from donations goes into funding the project.

Age UK’s figures show that an older person becomes a victim of fraud every 40 seconds.

Practice: Operations

BU’s National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work is widely regarded as the leader of research into financial scamming and fraud. Their research highlighted the links between loneliness and scam susceptibility for older people and found that people in the early stages of dementia, with reduced levels of cognitive function, are most at risk of being scammed.

We offer various types of financial support funding to our students, in addition to a range of bursaries, undergraduate scholarships and postgraduate scholarships to students. These include:

The work informed the Government’s National Mental Capacity Forum and key learning resources have raised scam awareness and increased the protection of vulnerable groups. The National Centre’s research and materials are used nationwide by charities, local authorities, the NHS, financial institutions and government to protect vulnerable people from being scammed. This work has helped to save consumers from £22,703,586 of scams and was given a CTSI Hero award, for its “significant contribution to understanding the relationship between adult social care and trading standards enforcement work”.

Student financial support

Maintenance Bursaries

2,874

students supported in 2021-22

BU Laptop Support Fund*

BU Care Leavers Bursary

students supported in 2021-22

Placement Opportunity Fund

107

BU Financial Support Fund

International Emergency Fund

students supported in 2021-22

457

students supported in 2021-22

Covid-19 Support Fund*

students supported in 2021-22

* The Covid-19 Support Fund and BU Laptop Support Fund were set up in 2020-21 to support students with essential living costs where they had been affected due to lockdown measures as well as to resolve situations of digital poverty.

In addition to financial support, in September 2022 we launched the Financial Wellbeing page to support students with managing money, shopping smart, part time work and general financial education.

We continue to provide financial awareness and education to students with the help of external partners. www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ financial-wellbeing

£3,131,579.91

provided to students as financial support Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Bournemouth University helps people live better, for longer

Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Education BSc (Hons) Nutrition

MSc Green Economy

Bringing depth and real-life insight into its teaching, the staff on BSc Nutrition bring their involvement in leading research contributing to societal change into the programme content, including projects to improve nutritional health and reduce malnutrition in older people and work to transform nutritional care for people with dementia in care homes.

The units Sustainability in Practice and Carbon Management within this course explore a range of topics and areas of research that have direct implications and opportunities for global food provision. These include the potential of GMO crops, sustainable agriculture, agricultural technologies, dietary choice, human health, soil chemistry, climate change, and extreme weather events.

The course is accredited by the Association for Nutrition and prepares students for a range of careers such as working within local or national government, advising on nutrition policy, helping a charity or consumer group concerned with nutrition, or assisting with emergency relief and voluntary organisations.

These topics give students knowledge and perspective of the global food system, and encourages them to be creative about finding solutions for feeding a growing population.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

70th

in the world

9/26 in the UK

70.4

Research score out of 100

42%

programmes aligned to Sustainable Development Goals

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach Farming scholarship collaborations

The future of charitable alternative food networks in the UK Research by Dr Rounaq Nayak and Professor Heather Hartwell explored the potential of community markets as a complimentary solution to existing food aid efforts in response to food insecurity.

Dr Sean Beer has been a Trustee of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust for the last three years, and has been actively involved with the local, national, and international farming community over his time working at BU. His focus in this area has been as a Company Director and Trustee of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.

Since 1947 the Trust has awarded over 1,000 research and development scholarships to young leaders in the agriculture, horticulture and other rural industries, supply chain partners and related organizations. The Trust invests significantly in the personal development of scholars with more than 70 hours of personal CPD. In addition to the scholarships process, the Trust holds an annual conference, regional study groups, and sector study groups to support and develop the farming sector.

They found that community markets focus on promoting social and economic goals and often provide additional services and activities within the community centres. Community markets also empower local communities by providing affordable food options to all community members. The paper concludes that community markets offer a more sustainable and empowering approach to addressing food insecurity by addressing its underlying causes and promoting community resilience.

Practice: Operations Sustainable and Ethical Food Policy

New app to help people eat the right portions to get to 5 a day Research undertaken by Katherine Appleton, Professor of Psychology at Bournemouth University, revealed that whilst most people know they should eat 5-a-day, very few know what counts as one portion, in terms of food type and amount. The new SMART 5-A-DAY app helps people to understand portion sizes and see how the amounts of fruits and vegetables that they eat contribute towards their daily target. Users select the fruit or vegetable they have just eaten and will then be asked to enter how much of it they ate. The app will then tell them whether that amount made up a full or partial portion and how much more would be needed to take it up to a full portion. It also keeps a running total of their progress towards the five a day target.

Small Emergency Grant BU and SUBU Advice co-run the Small Emergency Grant which provides money for any students who cannot afford food. In addition to our BU Financial Support Fund, which supports low-income students, SUBU also have a referral process in place for staff and students to Bournemouth Food Bank to ensure they can access a range of services and support.

Our Sustainable and Ethical Food Policy commits that “BU and its partners will promote, monitor and set targets to increase the proportion of meals offered and sold that are plant-based and low carbon [vegan and vegetarian]. This includes removing lamb from BU menus, reducing other meat and dairy options as well as investigating calculating the carbon footprint of food offers to help customers make informed choices about their environmental impact.”

18.71 tonnes

of food waste was sent for anaerobic digestion in 2022. One hundred percent of food waste placed in a food waste bin is disposed of this way, with none of it going to landfill.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Bournemouth University helps people live better, for longer

Faculty of Health & Social Sciences We have a dedicated Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, in which relevant courses benefit from professional accreditations or approval from bodies such as the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), the College of Paramedics, the Association for Nutrition, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the

Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Social Work England.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

With over 20 programmes within the Faculty, thousands of students have graduated ready with the knowledge, skills and training to enter the NHS and broader health sector, having benefitted from courses with clinical and community simulation suites and integrated placements in a research-led environment.

101-200 in the world

15/47 in the UK

75.8

Research score out of 100

72%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Operations Community-led research highlights inequality in cancer care for disabled people

Squidsoup: Submergence technology for mental healthcare Senior Lecturer in Digital Media Design and artist and director at Squidsoup, Liam Birtles, has been working with digital and interactive media experiences. Liam and his team at Squidsoup have recently created a mixed reality Submergence technology as a complimentary therapeutic mental healthcare solution. In partnership with Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Squidsoup are examining the installation of Submergence within a clinical setting, the potential therapeutic benefits of Submergence, and the feasibility of clinical staff working with the Submergence technology as a complimentary therapeutic solution.

Researchers from Help and Care, supported by Bournemouth University, organised a series of creative arts-based workshops where the participants could express their experiences in accessing care in a safe and informal setting. The study revealed that disabled people can feel isolated, unsafe and that they are judged inappropriately when going through cancer care. Wessex Cancer Alliance will now go through the findings and recommendations of the report in detail to look at what changes are needed to provide a more inclusive service. Sally Rickard concluded: “cancer experience and outcomes should be positive and equitable for all who use our services and by supporting Cancer Care for Everyone, we are ensuring more voices and more communities are getting involved.”

It is a cross-sector collaborative feeding into the growing body of research exploring the potential of MR immersive technologies within healthcare.

Mental Health Support Specialist mental health advisers provide one-to-one support to help students address barriers to learning and achieve positive outcomes. The Student Wellbeing service is run in partnership with Dorset HealthCare University NHS Foundation Trust. It’s confidential, completely free, and open to all BU students who are experiencing stress, anxiety or low mood. They offer a range of support for staff via the Employee Assistance Programme.

Sexual Health Sexual and reproductive health-care services are available to all students free via the NHS. We also support teams on campus from the Student Medical Centre and Student Wellbeing to SUBU Advice. The Dorset Sexual Trauma and Recovery Service (STARS) run weekly drop in sessions.

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Living Better for Longer At BU, we share our knowledge through a series of free online public lectures. One of these lecturers focused on the value of keeping our minds and bodies fit and well. Professor Jane Murphy, Dr Sophia Amenyah, Dr Samuel Nyman and Professor Ann Hemingway talk about exercise, nutrition, and learning new skills as tools for living longer, better lives. The event also featured a live Tai Chi demonstration by qualified instructor Michael Acton.

Working in partnership with University Hospitals Dorset

Understanding emotional wellbeing

We have a long history of working with our regional hospitals, from joint research projects to student placement opportunities and professional development for staff.

In December 2022, Dr Laura RenshawVuillier gave a talk which explored practical tips, based on research, to help us better understand, accept and manage our emotions. It also touched on eating disorders and the role of emotions on these conditions.

University hospital status, given to University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust (formerly the Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals and Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trusts), formalises this relationship and will lead to additional benefits and partnership working. BU students from across healthcare disciplines undertake placements at hospitals in our region, giving them the chance to put their learning into practice with support and guidance from a mentor or practice supervisor.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Bournemouth University is helping creative and cultural heritage to thrive.

Bournemouth University helps people live better, for longer Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Education

Educational Psychology

Education for Sustainable Development As a university, our largest legacy is our students, and so we have a responsibility to ensure that our graduates leave BU the skills, knowledge and values to support the achievement of the UN SDGs. Therefore, we have committed to aligning all our programmes and student projects to the UN SDGs by 2025. This work is strategically led by our cross-Faculty Sustainability Academic Network who report to the Sustainability Committee. One great example of progress since last year is the integration of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services unit into our MSc Public Health course.

The Educational Psychology unit covers a range of topics concerning inclusive learning, special educational needs, and labelling, and provides concrete examples concerning the application of this knowledge in educational settings. It empowers students with knowledge that reflects how education can reduce prejudice and promote equity in the schooling for all children. The unit covers conditions that can affect learning and schooling experiences, gender stereotypes in learning and how gender biases can affect academic achievement, as well as reflecting on inclusive learning practices and how cultural norms affect the definition of this concept. Students discuss how teachers can motivate their students, and work collaboratively with parents to explore how schools can build strong partnerships with external professionals, families and the community to promote resilience in students.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

101 - 200 in the world

3/37 in the UK

69.7

Research score out of 100

74%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Integrating sustainability into Journalism Education Dr Fiona Cownie and Mike Sunderland’s chapter ‘Integrating journalism education and the sustainability agenda’ was published in Challenges and New Directions in Journalism Education: Reflections (ed. Fowler Watt, 2023). The chapter drew from case studies of good practice of engaging with sustainability within journalism education, producing a conceptual framework to inform future thinking and practice around sustainability and education. The chapter finished with actions to support academics to fully integrate sustainability within their teaching practice, including ‘Use the UNESCO learning outcomes to build understanding of how journalism programmes and individual units can effectively engage with each SDG’.

Dr Ben Thomas, winner of the Excellence in Education for Climate & Ecological Action (EECEA) Award 2022 Professor Zulfiqar A Khan, Winner of the Excellence in Education for Sustainable Development (EESD) Award 2022 Professor Khan won this award for his teaching on Design & Engineering Level 5 and 6 units, including ‘Fluids & Thermodynamics’. His teaching includes interactive keynotes, practice-based activities and laboratory experimentations. Student research includes a group activity to present on the wider national and global contexts and significance of their unit and the skills they are developing. Professor Khan said: “Enhancing students’ learning and teaching experience through research-informed education in sustainable development including key global energy issues within the context of UNSDGs is a key priority for me to enable students to solve real world problems and deliver socio-economic, environmental and academic impacts around the globe”.

Within Ben’s teaching of sustainable design, he raises awareness of the climate and ecological crisis and provides students with sector-specific skills and knowledge to understand their role and ability to contribute. One of his activities involves the dismantling of a household product to understand the design and materials, followed by using a Life Cycle Analysis Software to measure the carbon footprint of the product at each stage of its life. A judge of the EECEA Award said: “This is an excellent example of developing and integrating highly relevant skills and knowledge. It challenges students to think creatively to develop solutions and to reflect on the wider societal perspectives and will also encourage students to see that they can help society in general to develop a more sustainable approach”.

Practice: Operations Student Undergraduate Research Excellence Conference (SURE) The annual SURE Conference gives undergraduates and recent graduates the opportunity to showcase research they completed during their degree. As well as giving students a supportive platform to share their work, it gives others at BU and externally an insight into the variety of research undertaken by our students and is an excellent addition to our student’s CVs. In March 2022, over 20 BU students participated in the 7th SURE conference. Nath Le Blancq, a student of BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science, presented their research into the ‘queer change effort’. This looked at ways of raising awareness of this issue amongst pre-hospital practitioners, such as paramedics, educating them about queer change effort while making the case for better clinical governance of structures to support these clinical groups.

The research concludes there is a need for legislation to change to better protect those vulnerable people coerced into

trying to change who they are because of the prejudices of others.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Education Women’s Academic Network

MA Multimedia Journalism

The BU Women’s Academic Network (WAN) aims to support women and to raise their profile within organisations and beyond, as well as to lobby on gender inequality issues. Despite decades of lobbying and the notable achievements gained by women in the workplace, women in academia have not managed to make significant gains across the sector. The Network hosts a programme of events that raise the profile of women across the sector and create a regular networking forum. It also works alongside professional departments at BU to offer mentoring support and high-profile role models to female academics to ensure academia is equal, diverse and inclusive.

This course gives students the opportunity to run a news and features website called ‘The Beaker’. The Beaker explores a range of local, national and international issues, covering gender equality, science, environment, conflict, disasters, technology, and education. Specific features include ‘What’s’ eco-anxiety?’, ‘Rising tides’, ‘A farm, a heath, and a community’s fight’, ‘The fight for equality is worth fighting’, ‘How International Women’s Day began’, and ‘Community groups combatting climate change’, among many others.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

101-200 in the world

12/37 in the UK

Research score out of 100

68%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Operations

Sierra Leone’s first media manifesto

SUBU’s women’s campaigns

Dr Chindu Sreedharan and Professor Einar Thorsen have contributed to a manifesto, titled ‘The Media We Want: A Manifesto for an Empowered and Inclusive Media in Sierra Leone’. The manifesto was launched just ahead of the general elections, and intends to bring together the new government, the news industry, civil society organisations, and the international community. The manifesto sets out eight priority areas for collaboration, including media freedom, safety and security of journalists, capacity building, and gender equality. Dr Sreedharan said: “This is a major milestone in the journalistic history of Sierra Leone. It underlines the foundational requirements of building a more vibrant and inclusive media”.

Pre-season fitness testing for women

Athena SWAN BU are proud to hold an Athena SWAN bronze award. The award recognises work undertaken in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) and Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Business and Law (AHSSBL) and to address gender equality more broadly for all academic and professional and support staff as well as students. BU’s successful submission for a bronze award follows our commitment to strive for a gender inclusive culture across the university. Our focus is now moving from central to local implementation, embedding the SWAN Charter principles in faculties/services and supporting all academic departments to achieve SWAN awards by 2025.

SUBU’s Women’s Liberation Campaign creates a space for students who identify as women to promote change within the union and the university. They have created campaigns to encourage women in the workplace, combating sexual harassment and violence and worked with other stakeholders within the union to inform policy. Each event and campaign has brought in a range of different students who all left feeling heard and cared for during their time as SUBU.

Women in the energy industry Women continue to be under-represented in the energy industry. However, in March 2023, the Energy Managers Association (EMA) Magazine highlighted the experiences and achievements of women in the sector, including BU’s Sustainability Manager, Lois Betts, and Energy Officer, Laura Bellamy. Lois and Laura have been key contributors to the implementation of monitoring and measuring energy consumption at BU, and the development of our campus heat decarbonisation plan.

Gender pay gap

In July 2022, students and staff from Bournemouth University’s Sport and Exercise Science course have been helping AFC Bournemouth Women’s team to prepare for their new season by monitoring the players’ speed, endurance, agility, lactate thresholds, and lower body power. This information will help benchmark the players anaerobic fitness and the potential risk of injuries ahead of the season, and will support managers in delivering training. Dr Andrew Callaway said, “These sessions have provided a great opportunity for our team to demonstrate how professional practice and education to our students can work alongside.”

Our Gender Pay Gap report measures differences between the average (mean and median) earnings of men and women who work at our University and it is BU’s aim to eliminate the gender pay gap by 2025. We remain confident that members of the BU community are paid the same for doing the same work from the 2020 equal pay review. However, we know that there is an uneven distribution of men and women across the pay and grading structure. When the results of the 2021 and 2022 gender pay reports are compared the results have improved as follows: • The mean base pay gap has reduced from 16.0% to 14.4%. • The median base pay gap has also reduced from 18.4% to 16.2%.

Cycle Like a Girl

Inclusivity is a core value that underpins the University’s BU2025 strategic plan and we will continue to work and report on the action we are taking to address gaps and challenges in equality and diversity in order to support development, progression and achievement for all.

To support female cyclists, BU organised and led a bike ride and maintenance workshop event as part of Climate Action Month in collaboration with Cycle Like a Girl. Cycle Like Girl are a community interest company who aim to help women feel more confident riding bikes.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all Bournemouth University helps people live better, for longer

Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Education

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

Sustainable water management The Sustainable Development in Practice Masters unit covers sustainable water management as one of its key topics. Students first consider the current status of the world’s water resources, with a focus on fresh water, including water scarcity, links with economic development and health implications. They then examine potential approaches to sustainable provision of water resources, which may be considered as elements of a green economy, through the lenses of hunger and poverty alleviation, the interdependence of water and energy demand and policy development.

30 th

in the world

2/23 in the UK

80.1

Research score out of 100

33%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Microplastic levels within local water bodies

Spot the Drop campaign

PhD student Ben Parker researches microplastic levels within sediments, invertebrates and fishes from the Bourne Stream and the Dorset Stour. The work was completed with the permission of organisations such as BCP Council, angling clubs, South West Water and through collaboration with the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton. Ben’s key findings recognised that most microplastics are very small (< 100 µm), blue fibres and fragments of plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene. Variations in space and time were largely absent, except for Bourne sediments which varied between sites only, while counts did vary between invertebrate taxa and with some biological traits. The projects help us understand how microplastics are affecting our clean water systems and are currently in preparation for openaccess publication.

As part of our Spot The Drop campaign, we actively encourage members of the BU community to contact Estates to report any leaks or dripping taps they find and where they are. This promotes conscious water usage and helps with our water management.

RiverRun Exhibition Professor Genoveva Esteban contributed to the public RiverRun exhibition. This event connected scientists, conservation experts, artists and local farmers in a creative programme of research designed to embrace and interrogate the complex issues around the poor state of our freshwater systems and raise awareness of the magnitude of the problem.

Practice: Operations Refill stations

Environmenstrual Collective

Students, staff and visitors can access free water refill points across both of our university campuses, and you can now find the locations on the Refill App from City to Sea. The dispensers have saved tens of thousands of single-use bottles being used.

We worked with our Students’ Union and Vice President Welfare & Community to launch the Environmenstrual Collective. The Collective is a social space and initiative which promotes sustainable period products, tackles period poverty and breaks the taboo around menstruation and sexual health. Through a collaboration with HeyGirls, students were offered free menstrual cups to trial which helped to combat single-use waste, period poverty and ensure sanitation for all.

Water bottle tax To dissuade the purchase of single-use plastic, we have added a 10p charge to disposable water bottles purchased at all catering outlets across our campuses.

Life Water We sell Life Water at our university catering outlets which supports and funds clean water systems in developing countries. BU has funded a well in West Bengal in India as a result of the funds raised on our campuses.

Via the Environmenstrual Collective, Toluwa Atilade was successfully able to set up three menstruation stations across three different campuses. Talbot, Lansdowne and Portsmouth are the locations, and the stations stock a range of sustainable menstrual products. Toluwa also successfully passed an environmenstrual policy for the work to continue after she leaves office and for the university to do the same for their staff.

Rainwater Harvesting BU has introduced rainwater harvesting systems (RWHSs) in our new buildings; Fusion Building, Poole Gateway Building, and Bournemouth Gateway Buidling. RWHSs capture rainwater which we then use to supply the toilets instead of treated drinking water, saving energy whilst also reducing the potential for flooding on campus. Our RWHS’s now supply 2% of the water used across the whole of BU, and approximately one-third in Fusion Building.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Education Green Technology & Renewable Energy short course This Level 7 short course examines the environmental and social impacts of different technologies, to evaluate critically which approaches might truly be considered ‘green’. Students consider the main environmental, political and socioeconomic drivers for the development of green technology and examine how these challenges are being met through scientific and technological innovation in addition to the potential conflicts that can arise through the implementation of such technology. As a result, students gain a comprehensive introduction to this rapidly developing field and its relationship to broader society. This module can be studied as a CPD short course or as part of the MSc Green Economy from anywhere in the world through remote learning.

Engineering Principles This level 4 unit is a core unit in our Design Engineering and Mechanical Engineering programmes. The unit embeds alternative energies and sustainability within its two main themes of solid mechanics and thermofluids, including through a series of lectures covering energy efficiencies and cost benefit ratios through conversion and heat transfer. The unit aims to provide technical understanding of energy, including design principles of solar panels, but also aims to dispel some of the myths around the topic and educate on the broader environmental topic. This work is reflected within a Masters unit, Knowledge Transfer, which more readily links energy efficiency and low carbon energy within the context of different cultures which have varied takes on sustainability, energy demands and capacity.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

101-200 in the world

11/37 in the UK

Research score out of 100

45%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Battery technology

Building an electric car

Professor Zulfiqar Khan, a Professor of Design Engineering and Computing at BU, has shared his expertise with the Government Office for Science (GO Science) after responding to a call for novel battery experts.

Our School Liaison Team supported a local school to encourage its pupils to get excited about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) through building an electric car.

His work involving nano enhanced thermofluid and nano coatings to enhance surface effectiveness and increase energy efficiency within renewable energy systems at lower costs has applications within industrial and domestic space heating and for generating electricity. Professor Zulfiqar Khan said: “Within the wider sustainability, financial, political, cultural, environmental sustainability, safety and security context we must focus on developing nanotechnology enhanced design solutions; applied in wind, solar thermal and nuclear sectors to provide uninterrupted, sustainable and affordable diverse zero carbon energy generation and storage portfolio.”

Starting with a ‘box of bits’, pupils will learn to build the car. They then must learn how to fine tune, troubleshoot, and maximise performance, developing their understanding of forces, physics and engineering skills along the way. Finally a fabric bodywork wrap will be designed, fabricated and printed by Year 12 textiles students at the school. Not only does this engage students in engineering but also to consider the future of the automotive industry in regard to innovation and energy.

Smoothie Bike During Welcome Week and Freshers at BU, we use our Smoothie Bike as a fun way to engage new students with thinking about energy use, as they use the bike to blend a fruit smoothie.

Practice: Operations

Solar thermal Professor Zulfiqar Khan, supported by a team of PhD students and Postdoctoral researchers, have been working on solar thermal (low carbon) technologies which use nano-enhanced thermofluids and storage materials instead of traditional solar panel technology. The idea is to integrate the technology with standing buildings, instead of commonly seen standalone panels. Since the trials, many parts of Professor Khan’s creation have been successfully patented and are being commercialised by Future Energy Source Ltd. The technology is now on sale and has the potential to achieve a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions and save 47% on fuel bills, with projected £1,000,000 revenue per year for the company. Professor Khan said: “It will put BU in particular and the UK in general on the international map as a leader in developing clean energy technologies”.

Renewable energy generation BU purchases 100% renewable electricity from the national grid and we have continued to increase our on-site renewable electricity generation since 2012. We have recently added our tenth solar photovoltaic array on the roof of Poole House and as a result, our on-site electricity production has increased to nearly 550 MWh, which is around 5.5% of our electricity usage. In 2021-22, 15% of our heating demand was met from on-site renewable and low carbon sources. Technologies include ground source heat pumps at our Bournemouth Gateway Building, Fusion Building and Student Centre, a biomass boiler at Poole House, and solar thermal.

Using the sun’s energy for hot water We have installed new solar thermal systems on Talbot Campus to capture the sun’s energy to heat our hot water. We now have two systems in place for Poole House including for our new shower facility to support active travel. This system also contributes hot water for hand washing in the bathrooms of the Poole House tower. We are planning to add more systems to help reduce our use of natural gas on campus.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

Bournemouth University is acting as a catalyst for growth, using our skills and expertise to boost skills and advance the region.

Education Globally responsible business practice Global Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability is a unit offered within our Business School to two of our biggest programmes. It aims to put ethics at the core of our thinking about business globally and generate insightful thoughts on sustainable business practices, stakeholder engagement and the importance of accountability in the relationship between businesses and their various stakeholders. It uses case studies of corporates practice, CSR theory and cutting-edge contemporary developments to examine how business aligns to the UN SDG agenda. The UN SDGs were embedded within the programme design, with lectures linking business practice to the SDGs and seminar case studies explicitly referencing corporate action in respect of key SDGs. Within their assessment, students research current sustainable development challenges for specific companies, which

enable a detailed exploration of businessrelated impact and solutions to improve sustainability at the level of communities, industry and global practice.

MSc Sustainable Economic Development & Emerging Markets During this Masters programme, students examine the issues surrounding sustainable development involved in emerging market economies and become equipped with the skills to analyse, understand and interpret data to address significant issues facing humanity. With content covering sustainable regional development, global economic challenges and entrepreneurship, students graduate understanding pervasive, contemporary and emerging issues in sustainable and ethical economic development as well as how to innovatively and critically address them.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

3rd

in the world

1/37 in the UK

Research score out of 100

72%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach Case study: Alumni spotlight

BU research centre leads advanced sustainable business research The Centre for Sustainable Business Transformations (CSBT) hosted a sustainability expo, which was made up of academics, business owners, employees of government agencies, and broader stakeholders. The expo highlighted the need for businesses to prioritise research, knowledge exchange, and sustainability. The expo also emphasized the need for businesses to align with the UN SDGs, to boost economic growth, and the benefits of co-creation with students. The CSBT also announced their latest continued professional development (CPD) to commence this September, Strategic Tools for Businesses in Competitive Supply Chains. This will help businesses identify and adopt strategies for overcoming challenges like increased costs and boosting efficiency. Dr Mili Shrivastava, Deputy Head of the CSBT said: “Sustainable workplaces don’t just shape a better future; they empower a more efficient and thriving present”.

Comparative economic studies research wins best PhD award Peter Howard-Jones has won a prestigious prize for the best PhD thesis in the field of comparative economic studies. The prize is awarded by the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies for the work that, in the opinion of the jury, has the greatest potential to impact the field of comparative economic studies in the future. His thesis, The Influence of the Washington Consensus Programme on the Transitional Economies of Eastern Europe - a Firm Level Microeconomic Analysis, explores the effectiveness of the Washington Consensus programme as a mechanism for improving national welfare in transition and emerging economies.

Micah Douglas, BA (Hons) Events Management Having set his sights on joining a values-let organisation, BU graduate Micah Douglas is proud to be working for Tony’s Chocoloney, a brand on a mission to tackle modern slavery and make the chocolate industry 100% slave free. Micah’s university placement developed his conviction to work for an organisation with a social purpose, and returned to make the most of university opportunities and build his experience. He said: “It was important for me to join a company which aligned with my own values, and to work for a business which wants to make a positive impact on the world.”

Exploring sustainability during the cost-of-living crisis BU held an online public lecture about how to live sustainably through a costof-living crisis. The current cost of living crisis has seen many people cut back on sustainable practices and products, opting for cheaper, less sustainable alternatives. Alongside this, non-renewable energy production methods such as fracking are being revisited as a means to provide energy security. This lecture addressed some important questions: are these sensible short-term measures or major steps backwards? What does it actually mean for a business to be ‘sustainable’ and is it a practical goal in today’s economic climate? Do we need to balance economic prosperity against protecting our environment? Or can the two develop together?

Practice: Operations The self-directed placement route Traditionally, students look for a single placement role aligned to their degree however with the rise of the portfolio career, it is important that students develop career management and entrepreneurship skills to be prepared for work. The self-directed placement route encourages students to critically reflect on their individual needs and career goals and build their own professional development year to engage in problembased learning and systems thinking to address skills, knowledge and competency gaps. The students that took this route showed a distinct shift from a passive to an active approach, with it serving as a catalyst to become more self-reliant and aware of their values and priorities within the context of work. The process of directing their own future developed and demonstrated their resilience, optimism and adaptability – all of which are key to success, whatever their future may look like.

tenders over £25,000 questions addressing environmental and social sustainability with a default score weighting of 15% to ensure our commitments are reflected in what we buy.

Fairtrade University Fairtrade ensures small scale producers in developing countries get better prices, decent working conditions and fair terms of trade. This allows farmers and workers to thrive in their communities by protecting their environment and livelihoods. BU has been a Fairtrade University since 2006 and is one of only three 3-star Fairtrade Universities in the country. We have stocked Fairtrade across our outlets and aim to champion it to our students, staff and visitors. Currently we are renewing this within the new Fairtrade Universities and College scheme.

A sustainable supply chain We recognise that what we purchase as a university is a high risk area for sustainability. Therefore, we include in all

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Bournemouth University is helping creative and cultural heritage to thrive.

Bournemouth University is acting as a catalyst for growth, using our skills and expertise to boost skills and advance the region.

Education BCP Future Labs

Virtual Fusion Festival

Our Business School Foundation Year students were set a project in which they had to develop recommendations for reimagining and regenerating the local high streets. The students worked with BCP Future Labs and collected data from a variety of stakeholders, including local residents, in order to develop innovative approaches to develop Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole high streets. The aim of the project was to combine theory, research and professional practice in a ‘real-world’ project.

As part of the Live Event Development & Delivery unit’s assessment, events management students worked with external partners to plan and co-create virtual events that responded to an organisation’s need or broader societal need, such as mental health and workplace wellbeing. The content emphasised the three dimensions of sustainability: economic (through creating a sound event budget); environmental (through use of resources, waste generation, carbon footprint); and social (through equality, diversity, inclusion considerations).

The ideas developed by the students included new green spaces, social gardening, help for the local homeless population, disability access and social events for all age ranges. The students’ findings were included as part of a public exhibition of work on reimagining the high street at Bobby’s Department Store in Bournemouth and their final projects and recommendations were also shared with BCP Future Labs to help shape future local development.

All the students were expected to consider sustainability within their event planning and delivery. In their post-event reports, students recognised the sustainability gains of virtual events, including waste reduction, limited carbon footprints, financial accessibility, live caption technology for the hearing impaired and a diverse line up.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

401-600 in the world

25/37 in the UK

29.9

Research score out of 100

69%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Frontline accessibility report produced by ATech Policy Lab

Build Back Better: What’s next for Dorset?

The ATech Policy Lab – a partnership between Policy Connect (a think tank), Bournemouth University, and Ace Centre (a charity) – brings together disabled people, sector leaders and researchers to help design policy to make technology work for everyone.

BU held an online public lecture, delivered by Professor Nigel Jump and Dr Shelley Thompson, with representatives from Poole Business Improvement District and Dorset Chamber, on issues facing the Dorset region. The lecture covered topics including skills and employment, postpandemic recovery and the future of the high street.

The showcase of final year project work, much of which is a direct result of industry collaboration, includes innovative solutions to real-life problems, some based on the students’ experiences during their professional work placement. Each design on display takes issues such as market need, function, engineering, sustainability, style, and aesthetics into consideration.

The Festival of Design & Engineering

Some of this year’s work include a solar panel dust cleaning device, a seaweed growing appliance, and a data recording device for fruit transportation.

The Atech Policy Lab has produced a report that outlines the need for assistive technology training for frontline professionals in public services, to help raise awareness of the availability and potential applications of assistive technology with disabled people and their support networks. Tom Pursglove MP, the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, said: “ATech has the power to transform lives – allowing disabled people to break down barriers in education, employment and independent living”.

The Festival of Design and Engineering (FoDE) is the university’s annual show displaying the creativity and

Practice: Operations Eco entrepreneurs and sustainability challenge

Bournemouth Gateway Building

Ryan Waterhouse wins the Best New Product Designer Award at New Designers 2022 show in London Product Design student Ryan received this award for his product Terra Nova, which is designed to improve the world’s soil quality through better monitoring of nutrients. This design is of great importance and relevance given that scientists predict that topsoil will run out in just 60 years, posing a significant threat to food production. Gemma Bullock, Ryan’s supervisor, said: “Ryan is a dedicated and talented designer whose final project has the potential to make a difference to a problem which affects us all”.

inventiveness of final year Design and Engineering students.

The new Bournemouth Gateway Building (BGB) is the new home for the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences. BGB consists of 10,000 square metres of space to create a unified base for the faculty’s education, research, and office activities. It is open and accessible to all BU students, staff, and the community. The building offers staff and students the latest specialist equipment for their education and research, such as an operating theatre, hospital wards, a residential flat for simulating care in home scenarios, a maternity birthing room, skills labs for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and paramedic simulation. It also contains and MRI scanner which benefits both students and practitioners form local trusts. BGB has a number of carbonreduction measures, and we are committed to achieving an ‘excellent’ rating for the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) certification.

The BU-SUBU Sustainability Challenge students develop and present an innovative idea to make BU more environmentally sustainable. Recent winners include ‘Trashy Marketing’- an innovative campaign to increase recycling habits and engagement on campus. Students, Natasha Hutt and Hannah Martin, went on to work with both SUBU and BU sustainability teams to implement fun and unique messaging across campus to encourage recycling amongst the student body. The Eco Entrepreneurs Fund, supported by Santander Universities UK, supports fledgling businesses of students and alumni. In 2023 we granted £6,500 to five businesses including Collectea, Sano Swim, Gaia Card, AIIRR and Combe Technologies, as chosen by panel of judges. One of the winners this year was Harry Shepherd, a final year student studying BA (hons) Business and Management whose business Collectea, aims to incentivise and encourage the use of reusable cups to help prevent the 2.5billion single use cups going to waste every year in the UK. Harry said: “Signing up for the EcoEntrepreneur fund has become such a highlight of my uni experience! It has given me great confidence in my future as an entrepreneur, and has allowed me to connect with some of the super talented entrepreneurs who pitched on the day”.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Reduce inequality within and among countries

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

62nd 24/37

in the world

in the UK

77.5

Research score Bournemouth University helps out of 100 people live better, for longer

Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

69%

Bournemouth University challenges programmes aligned to this marginalisation, misinformation UN Sustainable and under-representation

Development Goal

Education

Case study: Alumni spotlight

BA (Hons) Film Designed and led by Dr Catalin Brylla, the Level 5 unit ‘Documentary Practice’ within this course teaches students how to make documentaries that illuminate the psychological mind frame and socio-cultural context of characters from marginalised or minoritized communities. Although the syllabus centres on challenging stigmatising stereotypes and prejudice to reduce inequalities, students have to map their films against all UNSDGs, identifying in which sustainable categories their work can contribute to positive impact on society and the environment.

Psychology of Democracy This unit, led by Professor Darren Lilleker in our Humanities and Law department, explores how citizens of democracies think

and feel about their society, its institutions and how feelings shape societal dynamics. Understanding inequality is at the heart of the unit. Citizens feel less represented if they feel they have less value.; they then have lower trust in political institutions, lower engagement with democratic processes, they are less well-informed and often exhibit anti-democratic tendencies. Inequalities are thus often the root causes of populism, division and polarisation. Discussions explore intersectional inequality, with students encouraged to critically assess the structure of societal heirarchies and their own place within them. They consider who might feel marginalised and how this impacts political engagement, aiding the students to develop empathetic and informed perspectives that can help reduce inequalities and strengthen civil society.

Dev Mistry, BA Public Relations Dev has been challenging marginalisation, misinformation,and underrepresentation through advocating for positive change in the communications industry. Dev is responsible for supporting the diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) team and external speaking opportunities in his current place of employment. Dev also promotes DEI at communications industry events, and is a founding member of LGBT CLT, an initiative seeking to address LGBTQ+ based housing inequality by establishing the UK’s first LGBTQ+ Community Land Trust in the UK. The judges of the Alumni of the Year Award 2022 said: “Dev has championed inclusivity and led calls for positive change within his sector, which demonstrates positive impact.”

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

New research to explore the impact of menopause on autistic people

Youth Disability Advocacy and Research Network (YDAR)

Menopause can have a far greater impact on autistic people for whom the changes in mood, physical symptoms and cognitive ability can be terrifying. The aim of this research was to try to understand which factors are responsible for driving the differences in menopausal experiences between autistic and non-autistic people. This information can then be used to identify strategies and early interventions to help prepare autistic, and non-autistic, people for menopause. This research is being funded by Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace - an organisation which strives to promote better understanding of menopause and facilitate greater support for those who experience it, both in and out of the workplace. Professor Julie Turner-Cobb said: “By understanding how and why menopause affects autistic people more keenly, we can help avoid them having a negative experience, improve their quality of life and achieve a greater sense of wellbeing”.

Centre for the Study of Conflict, Emotion and Social Justice (CESJ) This is an interdisciplinary research centre working where researchers study conflicts that arise through inequalities, and they shape pathways for reducing these through interventional research that generates new knowledge and simultaneously advocates for social justice. Thus, CESJ promotes diversity, equity and inclusion to tackle marginalisation and stigmatisation. Exploring emotions and affects runs through much of CESJ’s work, applying a range of psychological, psychoanalytic and social theories alongside the development of new affective methodologies to enhance good health and psychosocial wellbeing.

Working through Action on Disability and Development’s Young Leaders programme and utilising the expertise and networks of activists, academics and media practitioners, this AHRC-funded project equips a new generation of disability advocates in East Africa with the tools, skills, and resources required to build powerful movements for policy change and stigma reduction. Led by researchers Dan Jackson, Catalin Brylla, Michael Sunderland and Filippo Trevisan, the project aims to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of disabled people, promote lifelong learning opportunities within the disability community, and consider the intersection of disability and gender. It also enhances employability and working practices for disabled people, advocate for reduced social inequalities, establish pathways towards sustainable communities that celebrate and cater for the diversity of people with disabilities, utilise media

production for disability advocacy, enable institutions to promote peace and justice through disability inclusion, and it hinges on strong links with local and global partners, such as ADD International, IFES and AWAAZ

Surface Area Dance Theatre at Roche Court Senior Lecturer in Screen Based Media Lizzie Sykes directed and edited a film documenting a performance by Surface Area Dance Theatre (a ‘community interest company’ comprised of deaf and hearing dancers) at Roche Court Sculpture Park. These performances were inspired by the New Art Centre’s exhibition of work by Anthony Caro, and sculpture by Antony Gormley and Richard Long. The students were given the opportunity to trial SUBPACS, a pioneering device that emits the vibrations of the music, ensuring that all dancers perform to the same sensory experiences.

Practice: Operations We have signed up to several national equality schemes, including the Mindful Employer Charter; Athena SWAN; the Race Equality Charter; achieving Disability Confident status; being a Stonewall Diversity Champion; and member of the Business Disability Forum.

Equality commitments at BU Inclusivity is a core value that underpins the BU2025 strategic plan. We are proud of our increasingly diverse community and continue to work to take action to address gaps and challenges in equality, diversity, and inclusion in order to support development, progression, achievement for all. We have implemented a range of development opportunities to support academic pay progression and promotion, with specific events aimed at women, and to raise awareness of bias and workplace adjustments to address disadvantage. We have also made available to staff.

We continue to support and participate in Black History Month, Pride, and International Women’s Day; the main aim of which is to promote diversity and inclusion, understanding, awareness and a feeling of belonging for all.

AccessAble AccessAble is an accessibility app. Users can use the app to find wheelchair friendly venues or check out disabled access and facilities. BU has partnered with AccessAble to enable staff, students, and visitors coming onto campus to feel informed and confident about how they access the facilities on campus.

Diversity monitoring

12.86% of staff from an ethnic minority background Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

Bournemouth University is helping creative and cultural heritage to thrive

Education

Sustainable designs

Space, Place and Environment

Sustainable design is an increasingly integral part of our programmes in the Design & Engineering department. For example, the Life Cycle Management unit uses a practical product dismantling exercise and specific software skills to support learning on material use, recyclability and carbon footprint of products during all stages of their life. The process of dismantling and redesigning a product in a more sustainable way helps to engage students with the complexities and benefits of implementing sustainable design concepts, and the transferable skills allow the students to quantify the impact of these throughout their future careers. Much of a products environmental impact is decided at the design stage so it is crucial to equip the next generation of product designers with the skills and knowledge to take account of this if we are to build a truly sustainable future.

Professor Sam Goodman’s’ teaching of this this L6 unit open to English, Geography, and BACOM students allows students to explore sustainability in relation to a host of topics including conceptual discussions of urban space and home design, and applied consideration of local spaces including Talbot Heath nature reserve and Bournemouth beach. Students also have the opportunity to visit the Heath with representatives from Poole Heathland Trust, consider BCP council advice on sustainable tourism in coastal space, carry out beach cleans, assess environmental measures already in place, and consider their own practice/behaviour and how this could be further improved.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

92nd 19/37

in the world

in the UK

77.1

Research score out of 100

58%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies Evaluating Local Disaster Management in Sierra Leone (EVALDIS) Building upon the cooperation and success of AFRICAB, the EVALDIS project is one of the most contemporary research evaluations of the existing state of disaster management at the subnational level. These are levels of governance below that of the national level including provinces, districts, wards and local communities.

Driving African Capacity Building in Disaster Management (AFRICAB) AFRICAB is an innovative research project led by BU’s Disaster Management Centre on “Single Points of Failure in African Disaster Management” based in West Africa, primarily in Sierra Leone. The project aimed at improving resilience by building capacity at national and local levels through detecting and understanding deficiencies in their disaster management systems that have the potential to lead to partial or full breakdowns in disaster management prior to and during disasters. The launch of a new National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) Service Charter 2023, which incorporates AFRICAB recommendations, is just one of the many positive outcomes of AFRICAB.

largest association of Business Schools, as an Innovation That Inspires for 2023; a scheme that recognises initiatives conducted by Business Schools that have an impact across the globe.

EVALDIS combines the use of Single Points of Failure concepts, diagnostics and methodologies developed by the BU Disaster Management Centre, input from 259 national stakeholders as well as provincial, district and local disaster managers, climate change/action officers, members of Community Disaster Management Committees, tribal chiefs and volunteers. The main EVALDIS Final Report was launched at the NDMA headquarters and endorsed by the Government of Sierra Leone on 10 March 2023. It will ensure that leaders in the country are as equipped as possible to respond to disaster and identify single points of failure to protect communities, to prevent loss of life, and to build resilience.

AFRICAB was recognised by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the world’s

Practice: Public engagement and outreach Travel Plan 2019-2025 Our Travel Plan, which runs from 2019 to 2025, is a programme of measures, initiatives and infrastructure which aims to provide enhanced sustainable travel choices and opportunities for our students, staff and visitors when travelling to our campuses. At the heart of BU’s Travel Plan is the sustainable travel hierarchy. This hierarchy identifies that active travel options including walking and cycling are the

most preferable options in the hierarchy, followed by use of public transport and lift-sharing, with single occupancy car use at the bottom. It also identifies the benefit of remote working for avoiding unnecessary travel. The Travel Plan is delivered through a series of measures such as UNIBUS services, Cycle to Work schemes, personalized travel plans, active transport facilities, and strategic parking management.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

Education MSc Advertising

Marketing Communications

Just as advertising practitioners use expertise to lead and encourage audiences to ‘imagine’ the benefit(s) to be had through a purchase, by engaging with the UN SDGs, particularly SDG12, this redesigned programme encourages students to ‘re-image’ how advertising can be used to challenge – and to change – the attitudes and behaviours which now threaten our environment and societies. Therefore, in addition to the knowledge and skills to use advertising to address urgent social and environmental challenges, the programme also provides students with the ability to articulate – and advocate for – strategies which better serve both the public good and the client’s long term success.

The final year Relationship Marketing unit within this course encourages students to develop assessment topics around the SDGs, particularly SDG 12. A team of editors produces a reader of the best work on the unit, and this includes a series of pieces focused on SDG 12, for example ‘An analysis of the nature of REN’s SDG 12 informed relational strategies and its implications for consumer trust’.

“This is a programme designed for an age of purpose. It reflects the ‘now’ in marketing – agile and contemporary. I think this programme will be an inspiration to others. Well done.” Dr Chris Arnold, author of ‘Ethical Marketing & The New Consumer’

This unit also covers the concept of Greenwashing, and several students have chosen to focus on this for their final dissertation, including Hannah Anderson’s dissertation ‘Greenwashing – a path to forgiveness’. Student feedback highlighted that 95% of students agreed that the unit had provided them with opportunities to engage with sustainable development and climate and ecological crisis.

6th

in the world

4/39 in the UK

91.5

Research score out of 100

64%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal One student commented, “The unit made me think a lot more about sustainability and the environment; something I wasn’t actually expecting from it. Thanks to the content, I am more educated on these matters and feel more passionate regarding a sustainable change for the future”.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach Climate Assembly on food and waste

FoodMapp In Europe, on average, our food travels 171km from farm to fork. Globally, 1/3 of all food is wasted, and 26 per cent of carbon emissions come from food. FoodMapp is addressing these challenges. FoodMapp is a searchable map-based platform that will enable consumers to search and buy food products directly from local suppliers. This will help to reduce waste and support sustainable purchases. Associate Professor Jeff Bray said: “Our current food supply system is not sustainable both in terms of its ability to reliably provide the right nutrition for a growing world population and in terms of the environmental footprint of current practices.”.

Greenwashing Dr Cownie has undertaken research into Greenwashing in Higher Education, reporting her findings externally at the Academy of Marketing Conference, and internally within BU at the Sustainability Committee and to the Marketing and Communications team with the aim of informing our communication practice.

The Climate Assembly is a space for students, staff, and the local community to hear what we’re doing to promote sustainability in different areas of work and then feed into our plans. They involve a presentation giving an overview about current BU practice, a discussion and ideas-sharing, followed by giving recommendations to be taken to the BU Sustainability Committee for approval. The Sustainability Team held a Climate Assembly on our catering and food services, which involved discussion about the actual food we sell, the packaging the food comes in, and the waste that is produced from this. The students attending had a strong focus on how we can encourage take up of vegan and vegetarian foods and our catering partners continue to develop new and appealing ways to support this on campus.

Sustainable Cinema Dr James Fair, Principal Academic in TV and Film Production, recently delivered a conference presentation at the Royal Geographical Society’s annual conference on the concept of the ‘local artisan’, and whether there are values and qualities in other fields of ethical consumption, such as B-corps, that can be established as qualities in cinema. The purpose of this presentation was to discuss potential profitable and sustainable replacements to mainstream cinema.

Practice: Operations SUBU Big Give This annual sustainability campaign run by our Students Union encourages and facilitates students to donate any unwanted goods from their houses and halls accommodation to charity before they leave Bournemouth for the summer. The 2022 Big Give collected 1,093 bags of goods which were donated to the British Heart Foundation (this is up by 809 bags from 2021) and are estimated to have raised over £18,000 for the charity. 438kg of food donations were also collected and donated to the Trussell Trust Bournemouth Foodbank in Boscombe (an increase of 206kg from 2021). Overall, approximately 16.2 metric tonnes of unwanted items were saved from potentially being sent to landfill. Since the start of the Big Give in 2015, Bournemouth University Students have donated up to £195,888.

Non-residential waste The overall waste produced was 2.5% higher than 2020-21, as students and staff move back to on-campus learning.

298.4

tonnes of waste produced

201.6

tonnes recycled (68%)

91%

construction waste recycled (Figures from 2021-22 excluding residential waste)

A case study was included within Cownie and Rutherford’s chapter ‘Sustainable Digital Advertising and Greenwashing’ in the Handbook of Digital Advertising (in press).

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

Education Carbon Literacy and Climate Fresk Climate Fresk and Carbon Literacy are powerful tools for providing a quality climate education in a highly accessible and engaging format. We offer Carbon Literacy to our students, alumni and the local community. The Carbon Literacy Project offers everyone a day’s worth of Carbon Literacy learning, covering climate change, carbon footprints, how you can do your bit, and why it’s relevant to you and your audience. Climate Fresk is a three-hour interactive workshop that aims to improve understanding of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports on climate change, and how to take

constructive action. Climate Fresk workshops have been run for staff and students, in addition to Climate Fresk facilitator training to enable Climate Fresk to reach further across the BU community.

Commitment to climate education Within our Climate and Ecological Crisis Action Plan (CECAP) we have committed to embedding climate education within every level of every programme across BU in order to provide our students with the skills, knowledge and values to contribute to and lead the transition to a low carbon society. As of December 2022, 35% of our programmes achieved this and 60% included the climate and ecological crisis somewhere within their content. To reach our target of 100%, whereby each student is exposed to climate action at each level of their study, the Sustainability Academic Network established a ‘Climate Action’ area on our Brightspace VLE, taking

21st

in the world

6/40 in the UK

80.5

Research score out of 100

58%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal academics through climate action as an SDG and the challenges linked to climate crisis, sharing good practice around the integration of climate action in teaching, and demonstrating how SDG 13 integrates with the other 16 SDGs in order to demonstrate the inter-relatedness of the SDGs as an approach to sustainability.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach UK:100 BA Radio, Television, and Digital Communication graduate Christopher Hammond has recently become the Chief Executive of UK:100. UK:100 is a network of local leaders who have pledged to lead a rapid transition to Net Zero with Clean Air in their communities ahead of the government’s legal target.

Practice: Operations Evidence for Protected Areas Professor of Marine Biology and Conversation Rick Stafford has given evidence as part of Protected Areas inquiry held by the Environment and Climate Change Committee of the House of Lords. The inquiry discussed the current status of protected areas across the UK, with relation to the government’s target to protect 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030. Professor Stafford said that currently around 5 per cent of the UK is an effective protected area, however, sites are not monitored regularly, therefore it is difficult to understand their condition. He also talked about how climate change, invasive species and pollution from outside of these protected areas could impact on the habitats and species that live within them.

Climate, Creatives and Change: Exploring environmental sustainability within our sonic ecosystem. Dr Kathryn McDonald, Principal Academic in the Faculty of Media & Communication, presented this ‘Climate, Creatives and Change’ paper at the 7th ECREA Radio and Sound Conference Radio and Sound Ecosystems in the Platform Age. This research examines how writers, presenters and producers consciously create audio programmes that support visions for a sustainable future. In doing so, Dr McDonald focuses on the editorial potential, exploring how broadcasters implicitly or explicitly emotionally engage their audiences to care about environmental sustainability through their narratives, characters, and content, across a range of genres.

Double-certified Environment and Energy Management System In November 2020, we became one of only a handful of universities to achieve a double certification for our Environmental and Energy Management System (EEMS). After external audits, our integrated EEMS was re-certified to the International Standard ISO14001:2015

and Eco Campus Platinum and, for the first time, we achieved the energy management standard, ISO50001:2018. “Bournemouth University deployed a knowledgeable team, implements and maintains their management system to address continual energy performance improvement from head office and local levels.” ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 external auditor feedback

Net zero emissions by 2030/31 BU launched in February 2021 its Climate and Ecological Crisis Action Plan (CECAP). In the CECAP, we pledge to achieve net zero emissions, across all three scopes, by the 2030/31 academic year. This includes a target to reduce its emissions by at least 50% since 2018/19 and embed climate action as a priority across our education, research and operations. So far, we have reduced emissions by 36%. As part of this, we have joined the UN Race to Zero campaign: a commitment to pledge, plan, proceed and publish our journey to net zero emissions. Our environmental action until 2030 will increase in both pace and reach to achieve our target. You can read more in our CECAP Annual Report.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Education BSc (Hons) Marine Ecology & Conservation The importance of the conservation and management of marine and coastal environments cannot be ignored, as human intervention and climate change increasingly impact on the decline of fisheries and protected areas. This course introduces new contexts for understanding conservation in the marine environment, such as UK habitat directives and legislation and policy frameworks; explores a variety of themes and theories in marine ecology including an appreciation of the complexity of interactions in a marine environment; and recognises the ethical and legal dimensions of marine conservation and management. As a result, graduates are well-set to enter careers within national wildlife trusts, the Environment Agency, enforcement work or further research in order to conserve and restore our marine habitats.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

74th 11/25

in the world

in the UK

73.4

Research score out of 100

30%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach BU staff and students from the departments from the departments of Archaeology & Anthropology, and Life and Environmental Sciences, have been working at St Luke’s with their students to create a new wildlife pond area. Students from the school entered a pond design competition and the best designs were selected.

Artificial rockpools give new lease of life to south coast’s marine species BU PhD researcher Jess Bone and her team installed 114 of the artificial rockpools – shaped like a typical bathroom sink - across three sites in 2020. For the past three years they have been monitoring the species that inhabit them and comparing the results to species residing on the sea wall.

Bournemouth University’s Pond BU has won silver and two bronze awards for our environmental projects with St Luke’s Church of England Primary School, Winton at the annual ‘Roots & Shoots’ awards ceremony held in London, organised by well-known ethologist Dr Jane Goodall DBE.

Once the pond is more established, the students will be able to carry out pond dipping activities to see what wildlife inhabits the pond. Students from BU will continue to work with students from St Luke’s to teach them how they can create a better environment for animals and insects.

Pond Life: Alumni First Book

Jess Bone, a PhD researcher at Bournemouth University, and her team have spotted 65 different species making use of the 45 artificial rockpools installed on a seawall at Sandbanks, including the protected native oyster Ostrea edulis. Other species found include crabs, barnacles, molluscs, small fish, sea squirts and 25 types of seaweed.

BU MSc Screenwriting graduate Dominic Brancaleone has created a children’s book with an environmental message.

The findings show that this could be an effective way to improve coastal ecosystems by helping nature to thrive in urban ports and harbours.

Dominic said: “Bournemouth beaches have had their issues over the years with littering and pollution, so this is a way to inspire the next generation to think about how to protect them.”

Pond Life tells the story of Samuel the Snail, who sets out on a journey of discovery as he meets a series of colourful characters who make him consider his impact on the environment. The book has already made its way to local nurseries and schools, including the premature baby unit in Poole Hospital, with the hope to team up with local libraries in the area.

Practice: Operations Alumni of the Year Awards 2022: MSc Coastal Zone Managment graduate Robert Clark Robert Clark is a fisheries and conservation manager and has a proven record of delivering novel and effective solutions to marine environmental issues.

SUBU Beach Champions The SUBU Beach Champions are a team of student volunteers who lead events and engagement initiatives to support protection of our beach and local marine ecosystems. They run regular litter picks and on-campus stalls to engage students with our local coastline and advocate for its protection.

Robert is contributing significantly toward preserving and enhancing sustainable environments, while supporting the local economy. His management of the Poole Clam and Cockle Fishery was awarded both the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation for sustainability and the Responsible Fishing Scheme certification. He has also published extensively on marine policy and fisheries management, including co-editing a book, published by Elsevier on Marine Protected Areas: science, policy and management. Robert said: “I am proud of what they have achieved to put the local fisheries on the global map for sustainability.”

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss Bournemouth University helps people live better, for longer

Bournemouth University helps to protect and preserve a sustainable environment

Education A holistic approach to Wildlife Protection The Wildlife Protection course was designed to raise awareness of the interconnectedness of human wellbeing and biodiversity. Covering ‘wicked’ problems of extreme poverty in biodiverse parts of the world and the challenges facing good governance, the unit included a virtual field trip to Madagascar where students gained ecological and cultural insight from staff at the Ranomafana National Park. The content also included diverse and inspirational examples of conservationists, such as Wangari Maathai, whose green belt, female-empowering movement epitomises the successful application of the UN SDGs and encouraged students to approach conservation in a holistic manner considering multiple angles of sustainability.

Cultural Ecology Ecology and environments are core features of courses within our department of Archaeology & Anthropology. Units include Environmental Archaeology, Geographic Information Systems, Animals & Society and Emergence & Extinction provide students with the skills and knowledge to explore past and current environments in order to manage our future environments effectively and sustainably. Philosophical and cultural factors are integrated through exploring our biological and social evolution as species, as well as the adaptations of human populations to their respective habitat which always embrace cultural strategies and biological conditions. By considering an ecosystems and holistic approach, the courses provide an insight into the diversity and correspondence of biocultural solutions, which human populations have developed to coordinate these two sides of their life support system.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

39th 16/32

in the world

in the UK

83.3

Research score out of 100

42%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach The Secret Life of Poole Harbour In 2022, BU gave an online public lecture about Poole Harbour – the second largest natural harbour in the world, and how BU is helping to protect these creatures and their habitats, both above and below the water.

Cattle grazing a trail in conservation work on Purbeck Heaths For over ten years, Professor Anita Diaz has been working with a team of students in collaboration with the National Trust, Natural England, and the RSPB on the Purbeck Heaths to monitor habitats and support conservation efforts in the area. Grazing cattle, ponies, deer, and pigs are treading pathways that, hopefully, will act as ecological corridors, helping rare species of animals and plants to thrive in the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve. During the surveys, students have found that these trails have been supporting a variety of species, such as invertebrates and sand lizards. The team hope that the long-term impact of releasing cattle into the nature reserve will reduce the need for human intervention in maintaining the balanced ecosystem needed for the many species that live there.

Professor Roger Herbert spoke about using artificial reefs and rockpools to provide habitats for marine life and increase biodiversity, and Professor Richard Stillman discussed his work balancing coastal bird conservation with human development.

Café Scientifique: Wildfires and Us Cafe Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Dr Marin Cvitanovic hosted a Café Scientifique event about wildfires, which covered the influence of climate change, the economic, social and environmental impacts, and the complicated relationship between humans and wildfires.

Practice: Operations #No Mow May and Bug Hotels We take part in the #No Mow campaign, led by Plantlife, as this national campaign encourages companies and individuals to leave areas un-mowed during the month of May to support pollinators and wildflowers. We also ran a workshop for our community to build a bug hotel made from upcycled materials. Bug hotels provide a valuable habitat for minibeasts and insects.

Student growing Students across BU have an opportunity to grow their own food and plants through the Permaculture Society, who manage a local allotment at Slades Farm and poly-tunnel on Talbot Campus. These growing spaces are accessible to all students and are aimed to support a connection to nature.

Ecological Survey In summer 2022, we commissioned a local contractor to carry out phase 1 ecological surveys of our three main campuses. These surveys have enabled us to create a new Biodiversity Action Plan which identifies changes to the way we manage our land to support nature. This includes leaving more areas to develop as grassland, creating log piles as habitats for insects and adding more native hedgerows. These recommendations were owned by our Biodiversity Group, who are responsible for the Biodiversity Action Plan in line with our CECAP.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels Bournemouth University helps to prepare for and recover from crisis

Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Education Environmental Law & Social Justice This course explores the legal and policy dynamics and the factors that influence environmental and social justice outcomes in environmental policy debates. It also identifies how social justice considerations can be incorporated more effectively into environmental policy. This course allows students to explore global issues they care about themselves, and to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental law and social justice in the context of these issues.

Global Current Affairs Sustainability is one of the two core themes running across the learning, teaching and assessment of Dr Roman

Gerodimos’s Level 5 unit, Global Current Affairs. The curriculum covers a range of SDG-related topics including food and water, poverty, the environment, and the global institutions such as the UN with case studies from all over the world. The second assignment is a Reflective Mind Map in which students select those elements of each week’s multimedia content that they found most important or interesting, identify key challenges facing sustainability, demonstrate linkages and interdependence between global current affairs and areas of the world, and to identify individuals driving global change in the world today – structuring all this content visually on a large mind map. Students gave high praise for the unit, and many excelled in the assignment.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

66th

in the world

117

in the UK

79.8

Research score out of 100

62%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies The Missing Persons Indictor Project In collaboration with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), Professor Melanie Klinkner and a student team are developing the Missing Persons Indicator Project.

This project is designed to progressively develop comprehensive data on states and their relationship with missing persons. This includes continuous institutional mapping of legal avenues and mechanisms globally to address the issue of the missing, to respond to missing persons reports and to effectively investigate persons going missing or disappearing. This project will be of great help to those involved in missing persons efforts, plus it trains students on research techniques, integrity and validity of research, and data storage. Law student Hayden Corby said: “As a first-year law student, I am proud to be a part of this project. It guided me in broadening my research abilities, allowing me to support ICMP’s mission of finding missing people”.

Practice: Public engagement and outreach British Society of Criminology Hate Crime Network This year, BU hosted the British Society of Criminology Hate Crime Network annual conference. This year the conference addressed transphobic hate crime. Key speakers included Dr Jane Healy, Principal Academic and Deputy Head of the Department of Social Science and Social Work at BU, Dr Jack Lopez from the University of Bradford, charities, Space Youth Project and Beyond Reflections as well as academics, students, Dorset Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and members of the public.

Dr Lopez presented statistics which showed a 56% increase in transgender hate crime between 2020/21 to 2021/22 in England and Wales, which correlates with misinformation being reported by the media. Personal stories were shared about disempowerment amongst trans people within medical care, courts, and even universities. Overall, this event raised awareness of the issue of transphobic hate crime. Dr Lopez said: “Ultimately, what we must learn to do, is love one another without prejudice”.

Resolution Mass graves are an all-too-frequent legacy of conflict and human rights abuses. Dr Melanie Klinkner and Dr Ellie Smith have worked with artists Lina Ghaibeh and George Khoury, and liaised with survivors, project partners, intermediaries, expert practitioners, civil society organisations and victim groups in many countries to create ‘Resolution’ – a short, animated film showing the process of mass grave protection and investigation from the perspective of victims’ families. This film gives voice to the experiences of family members of the missing, and humanises the statistical, judicial and forensic facets of mass grave recovery

Practice: Operations Financial information We produce a detailed financial statement annually along with a one-page breakdown of our income and expenditure to ensure transparency and accountability.

University policies We are committed to ethical standards of business conduct and adopt a zerotolerance approach to bribery and corruption in all jurisdictions through our

Anti-Bribery Policy and Procedures. Our Code of Practice on Freedom of Speech ensures we can explore academic and challenging topics in a safe environment while our Ethical Investment Policy reflects our desire to invest in sustainable, responsible ways.

The University Board

the effective use of resources and the general solvency of the institution. It comprises members from within higher education, industry and commerce as well as representatives of students and staff via both academic and professional services staff and the President of the Students’ Union Bournemouth University (SUBU).

Our University Board oversees the strategic development of the university and ensures

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development Bournemouth University challenges marginalisation, misinformation and under-representation

Bournemouth University is helping creative and cultural heritage to thrive

Bournemouth University is acting as a catalyst for growth, using our skills and expertise to boost skills and advance the region

Education MA Marketing Communications Principal Academic in Corporate & Marketing Communications Dr Tauheed Ramjaun has been working in collaboration with London-based agency ‘Elephants Can’t Jump’ to offer students an innovation assignment brief on the L7 Brands & Branding unit within the MA Marketing Communications course. Students had to propose a visionary plantbased meat alternative brand based on a live brief and write an individual think piece on the topic. The work done by Priyadarshi Upadhyay; ‘Beyond Greenwashing: 4 Ways to Build Trust and Loyalty for Your Vegan Meat Brand’ has been selected to feature on the agency’s blog.

Sustainable Development and Globalisation This unit in the Life and Environmental Sciences department explores the interrelationships between controversial and

contested terms, sustainable development, and globalisation, and provides students with the knowledge and skills to analyse, interpret and evaluate the current issues and debates related to both concepts. The concepts are examined from several perspectives covering all SDGs to evaluate the potential for, and limits to, the development of alternative relationships between people and their environments in a rapidly globalising world. In their assignments students are asked to consider the need for and solutions to change, covering ten main sectors of the economy. In addition, they are required to select one country and the SDG/s most relevant to it, examining the main challenges it faces, possible solutions and policy and supporting tools that might result in achieving the chosen SDG within the country. The activity aims to make students becoming change agents to realize the SDGs and to take on their role as active, global and sustainability citizens.

THE Impact Rankings 2023 result

101–200 in the world

25/53 in the UK

Research score out of 100

50%

programmes aligned to this UN Sustainable Development Goal

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

Research: Case studies

Practice: Public engagement and outreach

Social Media Storytelling

SustainaWHAT?!

Professor Anna Feigenbaum and Dr Xin Zhao’s have been investigating the role of social media and visual storytelling for addressing health inequalities, particularly with relation to COVID-19 public health messaging and reproductive health on social media.

Bournemouth University co-hosted SustainaWHAT?! with University of Newcastle and Cardiff during 2022-23. SustainaWHAT?! is an innovative series of events for Postgraduate Research Students to collaborate and identify opportunities for connecting their research with the sustainability agenda.

These projects have led to workshops, trainings, and public engagement including appearances on BBC 3 radio and writing for the Conversation and the Globe and Mail. Their ‘Social Media Storytelling’ toolkit for evidencebased communication has impacted the practice of health professionals, information and library scientists, health data analysts, front line care workers, and public discourse. One workshop attendee said: “Through partnerships with the NHS and leading societies and organisations both nationally and globally in these fields, we continue to be able to develop this practice-informing research to help additionally contribute toward UN SDG ‘Partnerships for the Goals’”.

The aim of this event was the integrate sustainability in the context of the SDGs into post graduate research. This involved exploring how to incorporate sustainability and why it is important, but also the potential benefits of doing so (such as greater employability and interdisciplinary collaboration skills).

SustainaWHAT?! comprised three key oncampus events with hybrid connections; ‘the gathering’, ‘the challenge’, and ‘the celebration’, which involved sharing ideas, presenting new ideas and receiving feedback, and announcing winners and evaluation, consecutively. One participant said: “My project began by only focussing on one of the SDGs but I’m now aware that several more are linked. It’s also really beneficial to hear the perspectives from people with different academic backgrounds.” Academic Dr Fiona Cownie summarised: “SustainaWHAT?! demonstrated that by working together across disciplinary and geographical boundaries we can effect positive change in society and the environment”.

Squidsoup: sustainable and flexible solutions for powering digital artworks. Public, outdoor, digital and light art is a large and growing sector; however, they do require power. This raises issues of environmental impact and limits the location in which they can be shown. With funding from Stockton International Riverside Festival and Arts Council England, Senior Lecturer In Digital Media Design Liam Birtles and his team at Squidsoup have partnered with Cleevely Electric Vehicles to explore the capability of second life electric car batteries in combination with solar energy to power digital artwork. Squidsoup also partnered with Cotswolds National Landscape in order to test their off-grid artwork at a secret woodland location in the Cotswolds. This work by Squidsoup is an excellent example of how forging meaningful partnerships can facilitate both environmental protection and social inclusion.

Practice: Operations University partnerships BU currently has over 100 academic partners in the UK and around the world and our Global Engagement Hub works closely with them to advance knowledge, build our global outlook, develop our impact and grow worldwide recognition of BU. In 2018, we signed the SDG Accord to recognise the role education has in, and commit to supporting, the delivery the UN SDGs, and is committed to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).

Our civic partnerships include working with BCP Council on planning and the environment, our agreement with University Hospitals Dorset promoting research collaboration and placement support, and our Chief Operating Officer Jim Andrews sitting on the board of the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership as a higher education representative. Our Business School joins less than 5% of business schools globally to attain the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation and is a full member of The European Foundation for Management Development.

Bournemouth University Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023

11962-10/23