This fall, I will not just travel to the UK, I will be living there for a whole semester! I am looking forward to attending Queen Mary University of London to take classes that complement both my majors, Political Science and Environmental Studies, and gain a global perspective on how another country operates within the context of its natural environment. As you can tell, I am a bit of a nerd: I love expanding my knowledge with every step I take into the world, and I am equally passionate about the environment and the people who live in it. Turns out, you can do both, and one of the best ways to be a good global citizen is to follow the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Here’s how I intend to make my study abroad experience a sustainable one.
UN SDG No. 11 — Sustainable Cities and Communities
It starts before I even land: I’m choosing the flight route with the lowest carbon footprint I can find. Once I’m there, I love the challenge of figuring out how to move through a new city. Trolleys? Buses? The Tube? Bikes? Electric scooters? Let’s try them all. My trusty Google Maps will get me the reliable route, but I’ve heard Citymapper is the local’s secret weapon for stitching together multi-modal journeys, and I intend to test that rumor myself.
UN SDG No. 12 — Responsible Consumption and Production
Queen Mary has a zero-waste shop right on campus, perfect for stocking my room with essentials package-free. And I’ll bring my own reusable bags into every store: partly habit, partly because UK law charges for plastic ones, a small policy that reflects how my host country tackles waste.
UN SDG No. 2 — Zero Hunger
Back at the University of Pennsylvania, I’m vice president of our Environmental Group, where I organize park cleanups and volunteer at local food distributions, so continuing that work abroad matters to me. I plan to participate in similar groups at Queen Mary, a meaningful way to give back to the communities hosting me. I also want to try the Too Good To Go app for the first time. I’ve heard from other students how useful it is for rescuing surplus food from local shops, especially given how expensive London can get: great for a budget-conscious student, and better for keeping food out of landfills.
And the most important step I’ll take to follow the SDGs is more of a mindset: staying informed. Informed of the local laws, the places I’ll be in, and my role in them as a good global citizen. I’m not going there to be a good guest. I’m going there to be a good citizen, which means using the sustainable knowledge I already have, and researching/learning everything I don’t.
References:
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
https://citymapper.com
https://www.toogoodtogo.com
https://residentiallife.qmul.ac.uk/story/21327098/the-queen-mary-zero-waste-shop
