Green Impact is our online, bespoke toolkit that encourages collaborative action for sustainability. The initiative aims to recognise and celebrate the sustainability efforts already being undertaken across the university, while also offering clear and accessible ways for staff who are new to this area to get involved. In Green Impact, teams are audited against four point levels:
- green (submitted for audit)
- bronze (achieved at least 150 points)
- silver (achieved at least 275 points)
- gold (achieved at least 375 points)
Getting started
Sign up and form a team
All staff at the University are encouraged to register and join Green Impact. As a collaborative platform, you can join a team that's already been created by your colleagues or you can create your own team on the online toolkit. Any building, department, faculty, office space or dry lab can create a team. Your team can be what works best for your work area, we do recommend a minimum of three members to ensure workload can be distributed.
When you've registered within the toolkit:
- Verify your email address when prompted.
- Choose to either join a team that's already been created or create a new team.
- If you would like to join an established team or see what teams have already been created, select the appropriate drop down.
- If you're creating a new team, choose a team name that will best summarise your members for example 'Sustainability Team'.
- When you've created or joined a team, you can access the toolkit immediately.
Make sure you click on the correct academic year toolkit.
Completing the toolkit
Green Impact runs from September to May each academic year and breaks down the University's ambitious sustainability goals into smaller actions. You can work through the toolkit at your own pace and in any order that best suits your team. Each task is designed to help you manage the workload and assign actions to yourself or to members of your team.
Green Impact is flexible, it will adapt to the complexity or size of your team. There are a wide range of actions, and some teams start with smaller quick wins while others start with the larger tasks. The toolkit works similarly to a progress tracker, you can mark tasks as 'in progress', 'done' or 'N/A' as you go. When an action is complete, you must upload your comments and evidence using the upload button and click ‘done’.
To navigate the toolkit, you can search for actions by theme, select your favourite actions and assign them to members of your team.
Make sure you upload evidence into the toolkit as you complete actions, as this will save you time when it comes to submission.
Using the Green Impact resources
There are lots of templates and resources you can use to help you complete Green Impact. For example:
- branded blank templates
- key contacts list
- PowerPoint presentations
- energy audit checklist
- top 5 sustainability impacts
See all the Green Impact resources.
Submit and prepare for audit
When your team has completed the actions and compiled the evidence, you may submit your toolkit for audit.
The submission deadline for 2025/26 is 4pm on Friday 8 May 2026. If you miss this submission deadline, your toolkit will not be submitted and you'll have to wait until the next academic year. The audits will be conducted by students, who have received Institution of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) certified Sustainability Auditor training. Audits will take place on Thursday 21 May 2026.
How a Green Impact audit works
Depending on the size of your team, three to four student auditors will be assigned to your toolkit to read through and verify your actions and evidence. They will make sure the evidence you've submitted is suitable for the points level you're aiming for.
During the audit, the students will come to your chosen work area to verify any evidence they want to see in person or have questions about. This is an ideal time for your team to highlight the hard work you've carried out throughout the year while completing Green Impact.
Maintaining your Green Impact level
Once you have achieved your award level for the academic year, your team will receive an impact report that highlights the strengths and areas of improvement from your toolkit submission.
Log in to the platform to export your previous toolkit to view the feedback comments from auditors and moderators.
It is advisable to continue working on the toolkit throughout the summer, so you can get a head start when it re-launches.
Certification duration
Green Impact certification lasts one academic year. You can continue working on Green Impact annually and move up to any level.
After the audits
What to expect after the Green Impact Audit
If the students have requested further written or uploaded evidence, there is a two week period from the audit date to re upload any additional evidence for the Green Impact team to moderate and award your submission. If you have any urgent queries or requirements for a longer further evidence period, please contact us to discuss.
Finding out award level
The results from Green Impact are revealed annually at our Sustainability Awards in the summer. Find out which category you have been awarded and the overall winner for the academic year by joining us to celebrate.