By the Responsible Futures Project Team
Earlier this year, the newly elected Guild officers took part in half-day of training focused on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Responsible Futures.
The session, jointly organised by the Guild and the Sustainability Team, was delivered by Students Organising for Sustainability, the charity supporting Responsible Futures, to onboard the officers to the programme and empower them to play an active role in embedding sustainability across the student experience at Exeter through their leadership roles.
In this interactive session, participants reflected on their personal learning experiences and what ‘quality education’ meant to them and to students at Exeter. The training introduced participants to the key principles of sustainable development and the intersections between environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Attendees also explored the contradictions of growth within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the importance of decolonising and decarbonising education, and the power of community organising and student campaigning to create meaningful change.
The idea of change theory was also introduced, exploring how transformation can happen at multiple levels, from leadership engagement to grassroots student action. Officers discussed how their priorities for the year align with sustainability while identifying tangible next steps to support progress across Guild departments and partnerships. Importantly, the officers discussed how to put their ESD learnings into practice, identifying how they can play a part in promoting sustainability, and planning next steps.
The training also highlighted that over 84% of students, nationally, agree their place of study should actively incorporate and promote sustainability (SOS-UK, 2025). At Exeter, students also claimed in a recent survey that their understanding of sustainability has improved during their time at university, and a great proportion of students attributed this to extra-curricular and social activities they took part in. This insight reinforced the importance of embedding sustainability throughout the entire student learning experience, from social events and student campaigns, to volunteering and work opportunities.
Gemma Veal, Societies and Employability Officer, reflected on how the session shaped her approach to sustainability within her role and gave her the confidence to pursue and implement new initiatives:
“It was useful to get me thinking about how I am personally responsible for sustainability in my life and at work. The training gave me confidence that people care about these issues and sustainable goals. It encouraged me to begin reaching out to societies about a clothes swap. I felt a confidence boost with advocating for change in institutional structures.”
Rose Arhin, Communities and Equality Officer, highlighted the way the training broadened her perspective on sustainability:
“I found the session very insightful. I knew about sustainability but I was made to critically think about it and my passion for it grew even more. It is quite easy for you to think sustainability is just ‘recycling,’ but it is so much more that matters, and I would recommend this training to everyone.”
The reflections, enthusiasm, and actions emerging from this session highlight a growing shared vision between the University and the Guild and the strengthening of our collaboration on Responsible Futures – reaffirming student officers’ role as catalysts for sustainability, student empowerment and transformative education at Exeter!