Business School news

Business School Climate Fresk Ambassadors

Students at the University of Sussex Business School are taking climate learning beyond the classroom, and into leadership.

This term, the Business School welcomed a new Year 1 cohort of Climate Fresk Ambassadors, who have completed facilitator training with Ash Goddard from Climate Clarity. They now join a growing community of students equipping their peers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to respond meaningfully to the climate crisis.

Over the coming months, the new Ambassadors will support lead facilitators in delivering Climate Fresk workshops across campus. In their second year, they will step into leadership roles themselves, co-facilitating workshops embedded within Alison Bailey’s International Business Management module and helping shape climate learning for the next cohort.

The initiative reflects a distinctive Sussex approach: students learning with, and from, each other, while developing practical leadership skills.

What is Climate Fresk?

Climate Fresk is a highly interactive, collaborative workshop grounded in the scientific findings of the IPCC. Rather than listening to lectures, participants work in small groups using a set of cards to map out:

• The causes of climate change
• The impacts on societies and ecosystems
• The pathways and solutions available

Guided by trained student facilitators, known as “Freskers”, the three-hour session creates space for discussion, connection and systems thinking.

No prior knowledge is required. Whether students are new to climate issues or already engaged, the workshop is designed to build confidence and understanding, leaving participants with both clarity and a sense of agency.

Climate Justice Week: 23 February - 1 March

As part of Climate Justice Week, the Business School is partnering with the University Sustainability Team to host a flagship Climate Fresk workshop on:

• Wednesday 25 February 2026
• 1:30pm – 4:30pm
• Essex House, EH018

Alongside the workshop, the Sustainability Team will share updates on sustainability initiatives across campus, highlighting opportunities for students to get involved and connect individual action to wider institutional change.

The event offers more than climate knowledge – it provides insight into how change happens and how students can be part of shaping a more just and sustainable future. Book here: https://buytickets.at/universityofsussex7/2059886

Why it matters

Climate literacy is now a core graduate capability. Employers across finance, consulting, marketing, operations and technology increasingly seek candidates who understand sustainability risks, opportunities and accountability.

By taking part in Climate Fresk, students can:

• Build climate literacy relevant across all sectors
• Strengthen job and internship applications
• Develop facilitation, teamwork and systems-thinking skills
• Expand networks across the University
• Log 5 Spirit of Sussex points
• Leave informed, motivated and ready to act

For Ambassadors, the benefits extend further: hands-on leadership experience, public facilitation skills and the opportunity to embed climate thinking directly within degree modules.

A growing track record

The Business School has already hosted record-breaking Climate Fresk workshops, drawing students from across our disciplines. Our commitment to student-led climate education has also been recognised through wins at the 2025 Sussex Awards.

This work reflects a broader Sussex ethos that academic learning is not separated from global responsibility. Students are prepared to navigate complexity, think systemically and lead ethically in a rapidly changing world.

At Sussex, climate education is not confined to a single lecture or optional module. It is embedded within teaching, connected to campus sustainability practice and closely linked to employability and leadership development – from Year 1 onwards.

For more information on our courses, visit: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/business-school/study/

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