CSFI recently delivered a Skills and Tools for Sustainability workshop to MSc Public Health students. Thanks to Dr. Vikram Niranja, Assistant Professor in Public Health in the School of Medicine for inviting us along to work with a fantastic group of students. In the workshop Una McInerney and Elisa Minoue introduced practical tools to enhance students’ climate literacy and contribute to sustainability initiatives within their discipline and beyond.
Mission-Based Approach to Sustainability
Students explored how a mission-driven approach can accelerate progress toward sustainability goals:
- From global goals to local missions – Understanding how international frameworks, like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can be translated into targeted local action.
- What are missions? – Defining missions as focused, measurable challenges designed to drive systemic change.
- UL’s journey – An overview of UL’s sustainability efforts and the role of mission-based thinking.
- Missions in action – Examples of sustainability missions at UL, demonstrating impact and potential.
The workshop also introduced the European Commission’s GreenComp framework, which outlines key competencies for sustainability, including: systems thinking, critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, futures thinking, and more.
Tools for Designing Sustainable Solutions
CSFI introduced 3 new tools for the students to engage with. They used the case-studies that they were working on to apply sustainability concepts to their real-world challenges. The tools included:
·Collaboration Model – Participants develop skills to create alignment and mutual understanding regarding the goals and necessary conditions of a selected project.
·Futures Triangle – Participants consider aspects of the past and present and how they may impact on a preferred future.
·Ecosystem Mapping – Participants create a visual map of the different actors and relationships involved in a project or community.
It was wonderful to see such thoughtful engagement as participants worked in groups to test the tools and reflect on their application to future sustainability projects.
“We have received really positive feedback from your session. The students enjoyed your excellent presentation and were impressed with your extensive knowledge and experience.”
Dr. Vikram Niranjan
Contact Us
CSFI are interested to hear from other class groups and programmes across the University who would like to collaborate on similar student workshops exploring these topics and themes. Please get in touch. studentsustainability@ul.ie