We are thrilled to announce that the University of Salford and Salford SU is now Responsible Futures accredited!
This achievement reflects our commitment to integrating sustainability across our institution and we are proud to be part of a network driving change in higher education in partnership with students.
Led by Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS UK), Responsible Futures is a supported change programme and accreditation mark that aims to put sustainability at the heart of education. Through a framework and accompanying support, the programme embeds holistic sustainability across the formal, informal, and subliminal curricula and facilitates a close working partnership between students’ unions and their institutions.
There is a particular focus on incorporating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into courses, to ensure that students leave education with the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed to create a more just and sustainable society.
Our Responsible Futures/ESD Group brings together staff and student ESD Champions from across the University and Salford SU. Over the past two years, they have led our involvement in Responsible Futures, working through the framework and gathering the evidence required for accreditation.
Over two days in November, nine of our students trained by SOS UK conducted an audit of our activity. By reviewing our documentation and speaking with staff, they awarded us 251 out of 355 points, comfortably above the 220 needed for accreditation. They also shared thoughtful feedback and recommendations for further improvement:
- “The Partnership has done a phenomenal job. It is clear that a great deal of effort has gone into their initiatives, and their enthusiasm shows that this is about far more than simply achieving an accreditation. They genuinely want to drive meaningful and lasting change.”
- “I was impressed with how sustainability was not presented as a side project [but] as a systemic approach involving students, staff, infrastructure and curriculum design.”
- “I would like to see sustainability become fully integrated into curricula, assessment design and career development pathways, with stronger interdisciplinary collaboration and more structured opportunities for students to actively co-create solutions.”
- “This experience also helped me identify areas where I can grow personally and contribute to the improvement of others. Throughout the process, I have developed key skills such as active listening, critical analysis, report writing, and stakeholder engagement.”
As the programme operates on a two-year accreditation cycle, our Responsible Futures/ESD Group will now review the audit feedback and focus on how we can further advance ESD across the institution.
The Sustainability Team would like to extend a huge thank you to our dedicated Responsible Futures/ESD Group, the brilliant student auditors, the colleagues who contributed through interviews, and the wider University community for their continued support of sustainability.
Interested in getting involved?
- Sign up to our monthly sustainability newsletter.
- Take part in, or promote, the upcoming SDG Teach In throughout March.
- Get involved with Go Green Salford, our Festival of Sustainability taking place 9-22 March.
- Check out our sustainability website.
- Get in touch with Neva Mowl, Education for Sustainable Development Manager, if you are interested in finding out more about ESD and available support.