COP26: KU students vow to adapt lifestyles

In response to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), Kingston University students feel motivated to make changes to their lifestyle in the name of the environment.

Natalie Stanbury, MSc psychology student said: “I’ve recently made changes to my diet. I’ve

cut out quite a lot of meat and I’ll have one meat day a week whilst the rest of my meals will be vegetarian or vegan. “This is simply because I understand what the impact of eating meat has on the environment

and the carbon footprint of that.”

For the same reason, MA publishing students Roman Jackson and Arwa Nadeem said they

are willing to shop more sustainably by purchasing second-hand items.

Barbara Davidson, MSc psychology student, agreed: “I used to buy fast fashion, and by that I mean Topshop, and now I feel massively guilty even if I buy something I need, like shoes. So I’m doing a lot more re-wearing and purchasing second-hand stuff.”

As stated by Greenpeace on their website: “We buy more clothes per person in the UK than

any country in Europe. Around 300,000 tonnes of used clothes are burned or buried in

landfill each year.”

Other students have chosen a more traditional approach in the hopes of reducing their impact

on the environment.

“I’ve decided to do more recycling to help the environment,” said Faruq Batula, a civil

engineering student.

Abu Lija, another civil engineering student, said: “I would make an effort to use and purchase electric cars, to reduce pollution and carbon dioxide from being admitted into the atmosphere."