Cambridge Zero is pleased to share a number of ways that students can get involved in climate change and sustainability at the University of Cambridge - through programmes, workshops, competitions, and leadership opportunities. These are the current programmes, but new opportunities continue to be added, so check back and see what we have on offer, and sign up for the mailing list here: https://www.zero.cam.ac.uk/who-we-are/blog/newsletter-sign
More details are below, where you will find information about the following:
- Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum (CCSF)
- Carbon Literacy Training
- Climate Challenge
- Engage for Change
- Future Leaders Programme
- Green Careers Festival
- Green Officers Network
- Postgraduate Academy
- Student Societies Climate Fund
- Cambridge Zero Student Newsletter
Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum (CCSF)
The Cambridge Climate and Sustainability Forum (CCSF) is an annual event supported by Cambridge Hub and sponsored by Cambridge Zero and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. The event aims to increase awareness and understanding of climate change and sustainability through two days’ worth of panels and showcases. Each year, a committee of students volunteers to run the forum, which usually takes place in June or October.
How to Participate:
Find out more and apply to join the organising committee on the Cambridge Hub website.
Check out CCSF on Instagram here.
Our Partners:
Carbon Literacy Training
A free-to-access course run by students, for students, the Cambridge Carbon Literacy Project is an opportunity for you to learn the science behind the climate crisis and the environmental impact of everyday activities. Participants are then encouraged to pledge an individual or group action to reduce their own carbon emissions. The project is run by a sub-group of the Cambridge Hub and sponsored by Cambridge Zero.
As the training is student-run, there may be opportunities to join the team as a project officer. If this is something you are interested in, follow the Cambridge Hub and Cambridge Carbon Literacy social media pages to stay up to date.
How to Participate:
Check out the Cambridge Carbon Literacy Facebook page.
Our Partners:
Climate Challenge
The Climate Challenge (previously named the Carbon Challenge) is an entrepreneurship competition for postgraduate and PhD students and postdoctoral researchers to devise and pitch transformative ideas. Over the Lent term, participants have the opportunity to attend training sessions on intellectual property rights, pitching and more. Participants then form small groups to develop innovative solutions to help tackle the climate crisis. Monetary prizes are awarded to the winners. The Climate Challenge is run collaboratively by Cambridge Zero, Cambridge Enterprise, Carbon13, CISL Canopy, The Maxwell Centre and Energy IRC, and is sponsored by Moda Living.
How to Participate:
Register your interest in the Climate Challenge via this online form or email elizabeth.simpson@admin.cam.ac.uk
Our Partners:
Engage for Change
Engage for Change is a free, eight-week programme for students who want to learn how to make change happen. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge through weekly sessions, which will culminate in each student designing and implementing their own sustainability-related intervention within the University. The project is run by the Cambridge Hub with the support of Cambridge Zero.
How to Participate:
Find out more about Engage for Change via the Cambridge Hub website.
Our Partners:
Future Leaders Programme
The Future Leaders programme offers undergraduate students and recent graduates the opportunity to get involved with Cambridge Zero through paid summer internships. These placements are eight weeks long and offer interns some of the skills and knowledge they will need to have successful careers within the climate and sustainability space.
Since 2023, we have run the Future Leaders Programme in collaboration with the Centre for Landscape Regeneration.
The focus of the internships differs each year, depending on the strategic aims of the organisation at that time. The outputs of the project can range from policy briefs to a series of short films to fieldwork and research. All interns will have a supervisor and will be required to produce a short report about their experiences, to be presented at an end of internship symposium.
How to Participate:
We advertise Future Leaders Programme roles in the Lent Term.
In the meantime, you can read the adverts for last year's roles with Cambridge Zero and the Centre for Landscape Regeneration.
Green Careers Festival
Each year, Cambridge Zero partners with the Careers Service to host the Green Careers Festival, featuring a series of events and resources focused on careers in climate change and sustainability. Employers from a range of sectors are invited to attend a green careers fair and speak at panel and networking events. The Green Careers Festival will take place in-person from 29 January to 9 February 2024. All students at the University of Cambridge are welcome to attend, and a range of sectors will be represented at the different events.
How to Participate:
Find out more via the Careers Service website.
Green Officer Network
The Green Officer Network fosters collaboration between the different elected environmental and sustainability representatives across the University of Cambridge’s JCRs and MCRs. Together, they discuss and collaborate on environmental issues at the University and beyond. They also organise the Cambridge Green Week.
Check out your College website to find out who your local Green Officer is. If you’d like to run to be a Green Officer in your JCR or MCR, find out about election dates in your College.
How to Participate:
Contact us at info@zero.cam.ac.uk.
Postgraduate Academy
The Postgraduate Academy is a network of postgraduate students from all disciplines at the University of Cambridge, providing a space for connection, discussion and collaboration on climate change and net zero research.
The Academy is led by a steering committee of ten postgraduate students from different disciplines. The steering committee host a variety of events throughout the year, from symposiums to skills-building workshops and networking events.
There is a competitive application process to join the steering committee. Postgraduate students can apply to be on the committee for one to two years, depending on the length of their programme.
How to Participate:
Sign up to the Postgraduate Academy mailing list.
Student Opportunities Mailing List
Students can sign up to the Cambridge Zero mailing list to receive news of student opportunities and events straight to their inbox each week during term time.
How to Participate:
Sign up to join the Cambridge Zero newsletter.
Student Societies Climate Fund
The Student Societies Climate Fund is a termly call for student societies, JCRs and MCRs at the University of Cambridge to apply for funding for climate-related projects and events.
Projects funded by Cambridge Zero in the 2022/2023 academic year include ArcSoc’s community garden, a climate anxiety workshop and a speaker series on decarbonising great railways.
How to Participate:
Find out the full details on the Student Societies Climate Fund.
Apply for the Student Societies Climate Fund via this online form.
