Sustainability update, Michaelmas 2025

Welcome to the latest sustainability update, bringing you termly updates on all things environmental that are happening in and around the college!

Operations Manager Elaine Huckson writes

There are numerous ways to live more sustainably in Oxford, from borrowing instead of buying to getting involved in local climate action initiatives. This issue highlights practical resources, inspiring initiatives, and ideas to help you make a difference, whether you’re exploring greener travel, discovering community projects, or finding your next sustainability read or podcast.

Sustainability Resources in Oxford

• How to be a Sustainable Student
  Find out how to live sustainably, find events and much more.
• SHARE Oxford
  A local charity helping Oxford become a sharing community for the future—with its Library of Things, Repair Cafés and community sharing group, it’s all about borrowing, repairing and reusing instead of buying new. Based at Makespace (1 Aristotle Lane, OX2 6TP).
• Climate Collective Oxford
  A grassroots network bringing together local groups working on food, travel, energy, nature and waste. Ideal if you’d like to plug into community action in Oxford.
• Kat’s Environment guide is a very useful resource to get you going

Sustainable Travel

• Heading home for the winter break or planning a trip around Europe? Travelling by train is one of the most sustainable ways to explore the continent, and with an Interrail Pass, it can also be affordable. If you’re 27 or under, you can get a discounted Youth Pass, which makes your travels even cheaper. You can choose from different passes depending on how many travel days you’d like, and with a seat reservation, the pass even works on the Eurostar, meaning you can reach almost anywhere in continental Europe with a smaller carbon footprint.
• As a student or a member of staff, you can book up to six hours of free training. This covers basic bike handling skills for total beginners through advanced cycling skills in challenging traffic situations.
• Need a bike – come and check out our second-hand bike sale on Thursday 27 November from 11:00 in Lankester Quad.
• If you need to repair a puncture, pump up your tyres or adjust your bike, just ask the lodge for the bike repair kit; it is stocked with everything you need to keep your bike in good condition.

Sustainability Podcasts Recommendations

• The Circular Economy Show (Ellen MacArthur Foundation)
  A practical and uplifting podcast about how designers, businesses, and governments are finding smarter ways to keep materials in use and cut waste. Great for anyone curious about what a real circular economy looks like in action.
• How to Save a Planet (Gimlet Media)
  Hosted by scientist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and journalist Alex Blumberg, this podcast makes the big questions about climate change feel personal and solvable. It’s smart, funny, and full of stories that show what effective climate action actually looks like.
• The Sustainability Agenda (Fergal Byrne)
  Each episode dives into deep conversations with academics, policymakers, and activists who are trying to make sense of how we can live well within our planet’s limits. Perfect listening for a walk to class or a quiet weekend morning.

Book Recommendation on Sustainability and the Future

• Simon Sharpe – Five Times Faster: Rethinking the Science, Economics, and Diplomacy of Climate Change
  Sharpe makes a bold case for speeding up global climate action, arguing that current political and economic systems simply aren’t built for the urgency of the crisis. It’s sharp, well-paced, and surprisingly hopeful about what faster change could look like.
• Tom Hale – Long Problems: Climate Change and the Challenge of Governing the Future
  Hale tackles one of the hardest questions of all: how do we make decisions today that actually protect tomorrow? Drawing on real-world examples, he explores why governments struggle with long-term issues like climate change — and what might finally make them act.
• Vandana Shiva – Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis
  Shiva connects the dots between farming, climate, and social justice, showing why healthy soils and sustainable agriculture are key to tackling the climate crisis. It’s passionate, grounded, and full of ideas about what a fairer food system could look like.

Find out more and get involved

Want to contribute ideas or join our working group?
Contact Elaine at sustainability@gtc.ox.ac.uk