Kingston University’s holistic approach to climate change education

Higher education institutions are actively investing resources to achieve net-zero carbon targets. Kingston University, a post-92 institution in London, is committed to sustainability across all areas: learning and teaching, research, knowledge exchange, operations, and infrastructure. Central to this commitment is the Town House Strategy, which aims to create a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable future.

This chapter discusses Kingston University’s institutional approach to bridging academic and operational efforts through shared responsibility. Employing innovative methods to connect learning, teaching, and operational practices, Kingston University addresses climate change by integrating climate change education into all program curricula, ensuring that students across disciplines are equipped with the knowledge and skills to tackle climate issues. The institutional approach emphasizes collaboration among academic and professional staff to advance climate change education and research while engaging students and the wider community in diversified activities to foster skills for climate mitigation and adaptation.

Examples of achievements of this non-siloed and whole-institution approach include a reduction in scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions, active student participation as co-creators of climate change educational resources, student-led workshops and conferences, an increase of sustainability-focused programs, and enhanced student collaboration with local communities and small and medium enterprises through community-based projects, hackathons, and problem-solving initiatives to drive a just transition.