Hello!
I have recently joined
the King’s Sustainability Team as their new Sustainability Projects Assistant. The passion and drive in the team to make King’s as sustainable as possible is palpable, and I am excited to be part of a university that is dedicated to embedding the ethos of sustainability across all of its practices.
For the last year I have been studying for my masters in Environment, Politics and Globalisation at King’s. I decided to study environmental politics after spending 5 months backpacking around India. I saw a lot of environmental damage happening there and I realised that tackling these issues was not just about the physical impact on the planet, but was also a way to create a fairer, more just society that could benefit everyone. From studying how we frame climate change, to looking into the impact globalisation has on the environment, I have only become more passionate about these issues in the last year and I believe in the importance of all different parts of society working together to find a solution to these problems.
For my dissertation this summer I looked into air pollution policy in London, and the ways in which citizens are trying to take back control of these issues by monitoring air pollution levels in their local areas. What stood out for me during this project was the importance of democratising environmental knowledge; creating awareness, understanding what the problem is, and finding ways everyone can make a difference is key to empowering people to make positive change. This is one of the reasons that I think sustainability at King’s is so important. As a University we have a responsibility to make sure that staff and students understand the difference they can make on an individual level, as a part of the King’s community and also throughout our wider society.
This is why I am so excited to start working on the Sustainability Champions programme, which will be one of my main focuses this year. The programme helps to embed the ethos of sustainability across campuses, departments and faculties, and helps both staff and students to understand how they can be more sustainable in their work life and beyond. So if you’re interested in becoming a Sustainability Champion, please do get in touch!
I’m delighted to be able to continue my journey at King’s, and to help it become a more sustainable, environmentally friendly university. Most importantly, I look forward to meeting you all, hearing about your ideas and experiences, and working with you to make King’s as sustainable as possible!
Sophia
