Embracing Sustainability

Think Critically. Act Sustainably.

Overview

Today’s employers are looking for graduates who can connect their academic expertise to real-world challenges. Whether through ethical decision-making, innovative solutions, or socially responsible practices, your discipline has the power to drive meaningful change.

Regardless of whether your academic focus lies in engineering, health sciences, business, or the arts, you will be encouraged to engage critically with how your discipline can contribute to the advancement of a more equitable, sustainable, and compassionate world. Through your studies, you will be supported in examining the broader implications of your knowledge and its potential to address complex challenges facing society.

Skills and competencies

There are a wide variety of skills you could demonstrate across all three levels of the award that reflect the values of an entrepreneurial mindset, these include:

Award Criteria

Eligible for RGU students only.

Bronze – Exploring Sustainability in Action

• Use sustainability-focused activities at RGU - such as volunteering, attending events, participating in projects, or integrating sustainability into your coursework as evidence to demonstrate your skills, awareness, and commitment to building a more sustainable future when applying for awards. Complete the Skills Tracker to help identify these activities.

Silver – Developing Sustainable Skills and Practices

Reflective submission focus - Application and demonstration of entrepreneurial skills in practice.

• Written reflection (min. 300 words) using STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result) focusing on leadership style, challenges, and impact, or a 2-minute video/audio capturing the journey and lessons learned.

Supporting evidence (choose one or more):

• Portfolio of work (e.g., planning documents, visuals, presentations).
• Feedback or testimonials from peers or mentors.
• Outcome metrics (e.g., attendance, engagement, feedback scores).

Gold - Leading for a Sustainable Future

Reflective submission focus - Leadership, impact, and sustainability contribution.

• Written reflection (minimum 750 words) using the STARR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result, Reflection), with emphasis on:
  • Environmental and social impact
  • Leadership and collaboration
  • Resilience and adaptability
  • Lessons learned and future sustainability goals
• Or, a 4–5 minute video/audio reflection capturing:
  • The journey and challenges
  • Key turning points
  • Impact on self and others
  • Vision for continued sustainability efforts

Supporting Evidence (choose two or more):

• Portfolio of work (e.g., campaign materials, reports, posters, presentations)
• Testimonials or endorsements from peers, mentors, or community stakeholders
• Metrics or outcomes (e.g., participation rates, waste diverted, feedback scores)
• Impact statement (e.g., how the initiative influenced behaviour, policy, or created lasting change)

Find out more

Current students can find out more about the Denis Law RGUplus Award:

You can also contact the team: