RCE Suzhou - 2023

15 Ways in 15 Weeks 2.0 Carbon Reduction Initiative at IBSS
Basic Information
Title of project : 
15 Ways in 15 Weeks 2.0 Carbon Reduction Initiative at IBSS
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Suzhou
Contributing organization(s) : 
Sustainable Future Talents student group, Campus Management Organization, SIP International Volunteer Team, LearnWill Cultural Exchange Center, XJTLU Cycling Club, Suzhou Riders Cycling Club
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Ellen Touchstone
Organizational Affiliation: 
International Business School Suzhou
E-mail: 
ellen.touchstone@xjtlu.edu.cn
Name: 
Yuetong Yang
Organizational Affiliation: 
Sustainable Future Talents student group
E-mail: 
yuetong.yang21@student.xjtlu.edu.cn
Name: 
Shiyu Shan
Organizational Affiliation: 
Sustainable Future Talents student group
E-mail: 
shiyu.shan21@student.xjtlu.edu.cn
Name: 
Qunfeng Zhou
Organizational Affiliation: 
Sustainable Future Talents student group
E-mail: 
qunfeng.zhou21@student.xjtlu.edu.cn
Name: 
Jun Wang
Organizational Affiliation: 
LearnWill Cultural Exchange Center
E-mail: 
flyjun116@hotmail.com
Format of project: 
Manuscript
Language of project: 
English (could be translated into Chinese if needed)
Date of submission:
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Web link: 
We have not yet put this on the web.
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
China's Transition to a Low Carbon Economy
At what level is the policy operating?: 
National
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Asia-Pacific
Country: 
China
Location(s): 
Suzhou
Address of focal point institution for project: 
8 Chongwen Road, BS 514 (South Campus of XJTLU)
Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, Jiangsu
PR China 215123
Ecosystem(s):
Urban/Peri-urban
Target Audience:
Higher
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Higher Education Town (HET) in the Suzhou Industrial Park district of Suzhou is home to many universities or branch campuses of universities. The area has been designed to have many green spaces but there are issues with soft transportation due to significant infrastructure construction and congestion caused by the many personal autos and e-bikes.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
Students, faculty and staff at the universities in this area have not understood how their individual actions can add to or reduce carbon emissions. There are issues with soft transportation due to significant infrastructure construction and congestion caused by the many personal autos and e-bikes. Students, faculty and staff frequently order delivery food and even individual drinks because they think that goods should be consumed and then disposed of rather than thinking of their own contribution to the plastic pollution choking our planet.
Contents
Status: 
Completed
Period: 
February, 2023
Rationale: 
The "15 Ways in 15 Weeks" carbon reduction initiative is an easily reproducible or adaptable program that any organization can take and use immediately to help their constituents understand how individual actions can reduce carbon emissions.
Objectives: 
Our objective is to help empower individuals to understand that small changes to their lifestyle can result in large positive impacts for the environment.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
Each week of the 15-week semester centered on a certain goal, such as trading animal protein for plant protein, with practical activities encouraging experiential learning in this area. “15 Ways in 15 Weeks” was one of the “soft” components of the school’s Carbon Neutral IBSS Initiative, targeting long-term behavioral change. Several examples of the weekly activities on offer were a visit to a local regenerative farm, a “Don’t Waste Food” campaign, a “Fashion Slowdown” secondhand market that was so popular it merited an additional market later in the semester and an ethical investing seminar. The creation of a WeChat online mini-program allowed participants to collect and redeem tokens during the semester. This encouraged students to continue their engagement with the initiative throughout the semester
Size of academic audience: 
2000
Results: 
Each week we had different outcomes related to carbon reduction, but overall we helped our target populations reduce their carbon emissions significantly.

One example of this would be with our two Fashion Slowdown clothes exchanges. More than 300 students participated each time with 540 items of clothing collected, 300 items exchanged, with the remaining donated to charity organizations, saving about 520kg of carbon emissions.
Lessons learned: 
The WeChat mini-programme which allowed us to gamify the 15 Ways in 15 Weeks so that students would receive redeemable tokens kept students engaged throughout the 15 weeks.
Key messages: 
The "15 Ways in 15 Weeks" carbon reduction initiative is an easily reproducible or adaptable program that any organization can take and use immediately to help their constituents understand how individual actions can reduce carbon emissions.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
As our RCE Suzhou Board consists of members of different educational organizations in Suzhou, we will be working with them to adapt this program to their unique contexts this next academic year. We used this successfully as the framework for an SDG Sustainability Camp for children in SIP this summer, collaborating with the Study@Dushu and LearnWill Cultural Exchange Center.

It will also be highlighted in a workshop held at the Shanghai American Center on September 15, 2023.
Funding: 
IBSS supplied 61,000 RMB in funding.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Photos are at the end of the reference material uploaded separately
References and reference materials: 
File 15 Ways for RCE Suzhou submission.docx
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Direct
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Direct
Theme
Curriculum Development 
Direct
Waste 
Direct
ESD for 2030-Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 3 - Developing capacities of educators and trainers 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 4 - Mobilizing youth 
state: 
Direct
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
state: 
Direct
Update: 
No
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes