I was never especially drawn to “sustainability”. Since my secondary school years in Ukraine, I have been involved in student-led, non-profit organisations and events run “by students, for students”. But everything changed when I began my bachelor’s degree in England. As a first-year undergraduate, I joined Widening Participation, International Student Ambassadors and Student Representative. When I started learning about sustainable business management, environmental, social and governance standards, and the Sustainable Development Goals, I understood it was time to think globally.
Later this year, I became a Climate Fresk facilitator for my Business School, supporting SDG 13 – Climate Action. Seeing how many like-minded students surrounded me encouraged me to keep promoting a sustainable lifestyle and to push for changes within the Business School itself, to make it more eco-responsible. Facilitating these workshops taught students and staff about sustainability, and taught me just as much in return. Since the start of the year, I have eaten less animal-based food, travelled by bicycle, reduced my clothing consumption in line with SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production, and sorted my waste properly. Surprisingly, this didn’t only improve my quality of life; it improved my mental and physical health too.
To me, sustainable travel means treating the journey itself as part of the impact. When I arrived at Università Bocconi in Milan for my summer school placement in July, I noticed the pressure the climate crisis was already placing on the city. Even though waste separation (raccolta differenziata) is mandatory by municipal law in Milan, this was already a habit of mine. I also chose public transport over taxis in Milan, which was much cheaper. I’m not a big fashion fan, but my friends and I chose to explore Milan’s vintage stores rather than buy from mass-market chains. I met students from all over the world and talked about how this shared problem feels different in every corner of the Earth. Bocconi confirmed I was on the right path, but it also pushed me to think about what more I could do.
I also chose an external volunteering placement in Ankara, Turkey, where the project supports SDG 4 – Quality Education, through arts-based activities that build cognitive and transferable skills in people of all ages. Train travel isn’t fully sustainable for environmental footprint, but a couple of trips to towns near Milan showed me it beats flying, so I’m planning to take the train from Italy to Turkey, watching most of Europe pass by the window. Since Climate Fresk is interactive, I plan to run a simplified version with children at Keçiören İngiliz Kültür Kindergarten, because raising awareness in the youngest generation matters just as much as acting today.
Sustainability abroad, for me, is not a single choice but a habit carried across borders: how I travel, what I consume, and who I bring along by sharing what I have learned. That is the standard I intend to hold myself to for the rest of this placement, and beyond it.
