With Green Impact Excellence, we celebrate the absolute cutting edge of student-led sustainability.

Once a students' union has achieved Gold in Green Impact for a few years, we give them the support they need to take on a more ambitious, truly transformational project.

Here's three from this year.

Solar SOAS
University of SOAS Students' Union

A group of students at SOAS Students' Union have started their own solar energy cooperative.

They've put panels on the university's unused roofs, crowdfunded through investment from the SOAS community- students, faculty, staff and alumni, and then they're going use the green electricity generated to provide financial returns for these community investors and reduce SOAS's carbon footprint.

They'll use the profits generated and our pilot model to assist other universities set up similar community energy projects and achieve other social and environmental objectives such as fuel poverty alleviation funds and green funds.

Ethical Finance
Kings College London Students' Union

This year, Kings College London Students' Union wanted to take decisive action on ethical finance - and they have.

Kings College London Students' Union now banks with Metro Bank, the highest ranked commercial non-building society. Funds were moved to the new bank account in March 2016 and all card readers and other administrative changes have been implemented.

They've also moved £250,000 into a bank account with Triodos Bank. Triodos is a world leader in financing sustainable investment projects. That means that the institution's funds are now directly put to use to provide loans and investments in projects from renewable energy companies to nature conservation projects.

Don't Let It Go To Waste
University of Warwick Students' Union

This project intercepts and reduces the food waste produced on campus, by both students, staff and outlets.

University of Warwick Union have partnered with the university to intercept food waste in halls through a poster campaign in halls of residence, as well as running a composting scheme in one block of residences to make use of food and offcuts.

They have also worked with the university's on-campus supermarket to provide pre-packaged ingredient. Each set of ingredients provides enough food to create a meal for several students to eat. The aim is to reduce excess food purchases both directly and by encouraging students to think more carefully about their meal planning.

Get in touch to talk about bringing projects like this to your union next year.