{"id":6337,"date":"2025-07-16T09:41:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-16T09:41:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/wearewestminster\/?p=6337"},"modified":"2025-07-16T09:41:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T09:41:18","slug":"exploring-sustainability-in-amsterdam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/wearewestminster\/exploring-sustainability-in-amsterdam\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring Sustainability in Amsterdam"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hi, I am Mahnoor Mansoor, a second year, BSc Financial Economics student at the University of Westminster. Recently I took part in an incredible six-day Sustainable Global Experience (SGE) programme in Amsterdam organised by Pagoda Projects, supported by the University. In this blog I will be sharing what we got up to, giving you an insight into how partaking in these types of programmes can add to your university experience beyond the classroom.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Carbon Literacy Training<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The week leading up to our SGE, we completed two sessions of Carbon Literacy Training delivered by Carbon Literacy Facilitators at Pagoda Projects, including Vicki Offland who led our Amsterdam trip. As well as understanding the science behind climate change, these interactive sessions included Slido quizzes and breakout rooms to explore different ideas around sustainability. It was interesting to hear an idea of introducing Meat Free Mondays at University to reduce the University\u2019s carbon footprint. Following the two sessions, we submitted an individual and group pledge on how we can reduce our carbon footprint and overall carbon emissions. As a meat lover, I pledged to reduce my red meat consumption and switch to lower emission alternatives like chicken or tofu.\u00a0<\/p>

The key takeaway from the training was that we all have a role to play in reducing carbon emissions and it is not just the responsibility of governments. Whether you are studying economics, psychology, or marketing – being aware of climate change is essential.<\/p>

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This gave us the foundation we needed to engage with the organisations we would later meet in Amsterdam.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A Week of Learning: SGE Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our week was packed with engaging activities and eye-opening experiences. From sustainable living to innovative business ideas here was our itinerary for the week:<\/p>

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On Monday, we kicked things off with a scavenger hunt, discovering iconic places around Amsterdam including seeing the Royal Palace and buying souvenirs from the flower markets. This was followed by a welcome dinner at\u00a0Robinfood\u00a0<\/a>\u2013 a sustainable restaurant. They describe themselves as \u2018a social and activist kitchen\u2019 with a mission to provide affordable, healthy plant-based meals. It is a community space, driven by volunteer chefs who create a new menu every day based on the ingredients they have available \u2013 so they do not go to waste. It was intriguing to see a different approach on reducing food waste and how they keep sustainability at their core!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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