While keeping their focus on winning races, Reading University BC explain how they’re also determined to minimise their environmental impact in the process. Their actions gained them a Commendation in the Environmental Sustainability category of the 2024 British Rowing Awards.
The club has identified five key areas to achieve this.
- Local training: The student club prioritises local training over international trips, significantly reducing their carbon footprint, which is one of the key objectives in British Rowing’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy. They are conveniently located near some excellent training facilities – at their own boathouse on a particularly long and wide stretch of the upriver Thames, Dorney Lake, and Henley. Despite cutting out overseas training camps, they’ve maintained high-quality training while minimising their carbon miles.
- Eco-friendly transport: For day to day training, they encourage our members to cycle to the boat club and offer bike maintenance tips to support this. Carpooling is also promoted to reduce emissions further.
- Sustainable equipment: The club has adopted biodegradable water bottles to reduce single-use plastic waste. Additionally, they actively participate in the Warp-it reuse network, repurposing furniture and non-performance equipment to minimise waste.
- Sustainable nutrition: They promote plant-based diets and efficient meal planning to minimise the carbon footprint associated with food consumption and food waste.
- Waste reduction and recycling: They prioritise recycling and donate unwanted items to charity to enable reuse.
Educating the next generation
There’s always more to learn about evironmentaly sustainable behaviours and new developments in this area. Director of Rowing Will Rand writes, “We believe in empowering our members to become environmentally conscious individuals. By simplifying complex environmental concepts and making them relatable, we inspire them to take action. We’re proud to be part of a movement that fosters a love for nature and a commitment to sustainability.”
Looking ahead
To raise awareness about climate change, the club plans to incorporate the ‘warming stripes’ graphic (shown below) into their training and racing kit. This visual representation of global temperature rise will serve as a reminder of the urgent need for action.
The club is also organising an event for Show Your Stripes Day on 21 June 2025, a global initiative to highlight climate change concerns.
Will Rand concludes, “By taking these steps, we’re not only reducing our environmental impact but also inspiring others to join us in building a more sustainable future.
