July 17, 2025, by sustainablenottingham

Student placements in the Sustainability Team

Dilan and Sadie, current UoN Geography students, recently spent three-weeks on placement with the university Sustainability Team working as environmental assistants. These placements were part of the Faculty of Social Science Widening Participation programme. Here they tell us about their experiences.

Dilan Boora – 1st year Geography student

I was focusing on a project to critically evaluate scope 3 data at UoN, and understand the challenges of monitoring and reporting them. I have gained a deep understanding of why scope 3 emissions (indirect greenhouse gas emissions from things like procurement, food and travel) are often underreported. This is due to their complexity, data fragmentation, and lack of ownership. I explored how frameworks can guide universities toward more accurate and transparent reporting and researched how institutions, like Edinburgh and Oxford, are utilising live dashboards, supplier engagement strategies, and carbon literacy training models. I assessed the quality and completeness of UoN’s Scope 3 data using a structured Excel model. This created a clearer picture of where we are, where we fall short, and what tangible steps we can take to catch up.

This internship helped shape my understanding of real-world sustainability work. Whilst I’m still exploring where I want to take my career, this experience gave me a clearer sense of direction. Most of all, it showed me the power of collaboration and critical thinking in tackling long-standing challenges, which is something I’ll carry with me into whatever path I choose next.

Learning from the team

I had the chance to learn from knowledgeable staff across the Estates and Sustainability teams, whose insights and shared expertise shaped my experience more than anything else.

• Matilda, the Regional Hub Manager, introduced me to wider opportunities with the Climate Ambassadors programme. I learned how students like me can promote carbon literacy and raise sustainability awareness in local communities, which inspired me to get involved more actively around campus.
• Alison, Senior Environment Officer, shared biodiversity initiatives with me, including the Wilding Campuses project. I accompanied her to run a sustainability-themed game with students, an engaging way to start conversations about environmental responsibility. Her creativity and commitment to involving students in sustainability left a big impression on me.
• Gavin, Head of Sustainability and my manager, played a central role in guiding my learning. He challenged me to think critically and supported my development at every stage.
• I learned from James, a BMS Control Engineer, who introduced me to a Net Zero Calculator, a powerful tool for measuring Scope 3 emissions more accurately.
• Mariana and Martin, Energy and Carbon Managers gave me insight into how technical emissions tracking can be translated into strategic action.

Summary

What stood out most was the dedication of a small, hardworking team tackling a complex issue. With limited resources, the team continues to push for meaningful change, showing that despite challenging times, impact is still possible.

Sadie Lewis Obosi – 2^nd Year Geography student

I evaluated UoN’s sustainability performance reporting framework. I researched other organisations and benchmarked the university against other Russel Group universities to identify potential improvements.

Visit to Nottingham College City Hub with the Wilding Campuses Project

I also conducted research on different reporting standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). This composes of eight standards such as ‘accuracy’ and ‘balance’ that need to be included in reports that are aiming to be GRI certified. Although not mandatory, I believe it would be beneficial for UoN to incorporate more of these standards into their reports. Balance is especially important as clear and reliable reports build trust with investors and other stakeholders, who hold the ability to have an impact on an organisations progress towards their targets. It was interesting to learn that some organisations may present their data in a biased way with the intention of influencing the opinions of stakeholders.

Additional tasks I undertook:

• Attended meetings to discuss daily targets and progress.
• Attended a meeting with the procurement team that addressed the issues surrounding Scope 3 emissions reporting, and the challenges to obtaining data from suppliers and operators further down the supply chain.
• Attended a ‘Wilding Campuses’ event at Nottingham College City Hub. This day composed of improving the college’s already established wildflower beds, and taking part in nature-related workshops.
• Showcased my findings in an insightful presentation and report at the end of the placement.

I also got an insight into the array of roles that exist within sustainability. This experience helped me to develop my self-motivating, presenting, report writing, analysis, and communication skills.

This placement was a part of the Widening Participation programme, which encourages people from underrepresented backgrounds to participate in opportunities that can help to improve social mobility. I recommend anyone to take part in the placement opportunities that the university has to offer as they will undeniably help to make you stand out in an already competitive job market.

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