Green Fridays is an IQS student committee that organizes activities and discussions on a wide variety of topics related to sustainability.
Green Fridays is an IQS student committee that organizes activities and discussions on a wide variety of topics related to sustainability. Their objectives are to inform, raise awareness, and take action in order to “contribute our own share in this process of change that we consider so essential and necessary for our planet,” as the group states.
The discussions they organize usually last around 45 minutes, followed by a question and answer session open to the audience, and are usually accompanied by snacks and drinks.
During academic year 22-23, the following activities have been held:
- Clothing drive to support the Education and Work non-profit entity, organized to run counter to Black Friday and Cyber Monday and to honour Giving Tuesday. 100 kg of clothes were donated in total!
- “Is COP 27 really useful?” discussion, with eyewitness testimony from Maria Serra, a student at Blanquerna, who attended the conference in Egypt.
- “Sustainability and climate commitment on campus” discussion, led by Ivan Capdevila, where the primary role of the university as a teaching institution, an advanced research nucleus, and a great meeting space for university life and how to make decisive progress towards climate neutrality were discussed.
- “Charitable Sant Jordi at IQS” within the ReciclaCultura charitable campaign to support book recycling and reuse, thus raising awareness of the importance of generating less waste and extending their useful life. Proceeds from the sale were donated to educational projects aimed at children and young people in vulnerable situations.
- “Self-sustaining buildings: The TO Home” discussion, led by Júlia Dubois and Xavi Ruiz, where ecocriticism regarding sustainable housing was discussed through the description of a self-sustaining building project constructed by students in the Architecture Bachelor's Degree at the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura del Vallès (ETSAV) with the UPC to participate in the Solar Decathlon competition.
Several activities are already planned for academic year 23-24, including picking up litter at the beach, and Green Fridays will continue to share updates: “There's more than just listening, we also have to act” they affirm.
The committee also calls on professors and students to leave suggestions on what sustainability-related topics they would like to cover in their future discussions at the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/20iWjGV4St