Sustainable TYY

Sustainable development is a theme that is present in all the sectors in TYY. The guidelines for sustainable developent in TYY are defined in the political agenda. The sustainable develoment in TYY combines both environmental issues and develoment cooperation efforts. In addition to the political agenda this sectors has other relevant documents that guid the works such as the environmental programme that has been approved by the student council. Our development cooperation is based on the sustainable development goals of Agenda 2030.

Agenda 2030

Agenda 2030 is a United Nations policy for sustainable development. The purpose of the agenda is to guide the sustainability work that different actors, such as states, are doing. Agenda 2030 has 17 goals from different areas of sustainability. These goals should be met by 2030 according to the agenda. TYY wants to follow the goals and principles of Agenda 2030 in its own sustainability work. For example, Agenda 2030 goals guide the development cooperation work that TYY is doing.

You can find out more about Agenda 2030 from here.

Environment

A lot is happening now with climate and sustainability work in TYY. The work of the environment sector includes organising trainings for organisations, participating in different meetings with the University and devoloping a more sustainable TYY.  This sector is run by one executive board member, international specialist and the environment wing. You can read more about the wing here.

The environment sector works closely with the University of Turku and TYY is participating in the universitys carbon neutrality work and developing a fair campus. TYY also takes part in a sustainability peer learning project between TY and University College Cork.

 

Documents guiding our environmental work

Political agenda:

According to TYY’s Political agenda, the Student Union should have an active role in the societal debate related to environmental and climate crisis and in the activities preventing the climate crisis. The Student Union should be a pathfinder and pioneer, which shows example for organisations and interest groups with its activities.

Environmental Program

TYY Environmental programme provides guidelines for considering environmental issues in the Student Union of the University of Turku. The programme deals with both the activities of TYY and those of TYY organisations.

Climate influence is an established part of TYY activities. TYY climate influence targets TYY members, organisations, university and other stakeholders as well as decision-makers at different levels of administration. Setting an example, reviewing TYY’s own activities and communicating them by making use of this programme constitute one form of TYY climate influence.

The environmental programme describes TYY’s internal activities and organisational activities from four different perspectives. The perspectives include raising environmental awareness, sustainable procurement and premises, sustainable organisation of events and environmental influence. 

Environmental guide 

The purpose of the environmental guide is to help organisations achieve the goals that are set in TYY's environmental program. The guide contains concrete advices to help organisations to develop their activities to be more environmentally sustainable.

The environmental guide is made by TYYs environmental wing. The environmental wing helps our student union to act more sustainable. TYYs environmental wing observes that TYY implements the environmental program.

The university community has an impact on the nature around us like other social actors. The greatest environmental impacts of organisations within the university community are related to food, procurement and travel. With environmental guide, organisations can influence their own activities as well as the wider university community.

 

Fair Trade University

TYY was one of the influencers that University of Turku became Fair Trade University.

Fair Trade Universities communicate for sustainable consumption, corporate responsibility and Fair Trade. Universities use Fair Trade products and promote fair world trade.

All large organisations have an huge impact on the environment and social issues. Universities can have a very positive impact by encouraging student to increase their understandind of their own purchasing decisions.

The Fair Trade School title is awarded for one year at a time on the basis criteria. You can read more about the Fair University criteria here.

Do you want to be involved in making the University of Turku a Fair University? Join the support team! Anyone interested is welcome to campaign on behalf of the Fair University. If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the group's chairman Lotta: lkliuh@utu.fi.

Fair Trade Organisations:

TYYs organisatons can also become Fair Trade organisations! Here is how you can become part of the Fair Trade University:

  • Make a decision to become a Fair Trade organisation. This means that whenever an organisation buys coffee or tea, the products must be Fair Trade products, also other purchases if available.
  • Discuss about it at a board meeting and write it in the pöytäkirja.
  • Send pöytäkirja to tyy-ymparisto(at)utu.fi and let TYY know that you have decided to become a Fair Trade organisation.
  • Get ready! You will receive a diploma for being a Fair Trade organisation.
  • Let fairness show up in social media by using hashtags #fairtrade and #fairtradeutu.
  • Also remind next year's board about the fairness of your organization!

If you do not remember if you are already involved and the name of the organisation was not found in the list, you can send a message to tyy-ymparisto@utu.fi

Fair Trade Organisations:

  • Academic Nintendo Club ry
  • Adaptus ry 
  • Affekti
  • Anglica ry
  • Asteriski ry
  • Delta ry
  • Dialectica ry
  • Digit ry 
  • EGEA Turku ry
  • Fobia ry
  • Forum Romanum ry
  • F-piste ry
  • Germanica ry
  • Humanitas ry
  • Hybridi Turku ry
  • I/O-Speksi ry
  • In Vitro aboensis IVA ry
  • Kanta ry
  • Katko ry
  • Kolmas Osapuoli ry
  • Kritiikki ry
  • Kulma ry
  • Kutu ry
  • Kääntöpiiri ry
  • Lex ry
  • Mañana ry
  • Mimesis ry
  • Museion ry
  • Muusa Ry
  • Nucleus ry
  • Opekas ry
  • Opex ry
  • Pappagallo ry 
  • P-klubi ry
  • PoriSpeksi ry
  • Pulterit ry
  • Putex ry
  • Satakuntalais-Hämäläinen osakunta
  • Savo-Karjalainen osakunta
  • Skandica ry
  • Sohon Torwet
  • Sosiaalitieteiden klubi ry
  • Statistika ry
  • Sugri ry
  • Synapsi ry
  • Turun Auskultantit ry
  • Turun Eurooppanuoret ry
  • Turun Lääketieteenkandidaattiseura ry
  • Turun tieteiskulttuurikabinetti Tutka ry
  • Turun YK-yhdistys
  • Turun yliopiston amerikkalaisen jalkapallon seura ry
  • Turun Yliopiston Kemistit TYK ry
  • Turun yliopiston kuoro
  • Turun ylioppilasteatteri
  • Vare ry
  • Varsinaissuomalainen

 

Development Cooperation

The goal of development cooperation is to reduce poverty and global inequality. Development cooperation is an important part of TYY's international affairs.  TYY aims to raise awareness about global issues and help the students make sustainable choices.

There are many people working with sustainable development in TYY. The sector is run by the executive board member responsible for development cooperation and they work together with the specialist in international affairs. TYY development cooperation wing is an essential part of TYY development cooperation.  Also sustainable development week coordinator and other volunteers work with development cooperation in TYY.

You can more about the development cooperation wing here. 

Zambia-project

TYY has partnedred together with Dry Toilet Association to work on their Zambia-project.
 Currently, only 26% of Zambians are covered by basic sanitation. The project will address the problems of poor sanitation and has the long-term goal of helping Zambia achieve full sanitation coverage by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goal six. Poor sanitation, for example, increases the spread of disease and girls ’school attendance suffers during menstruation. Indeed, one of the aims of the project is to mainstream the inclusion of vulnerable groups, such as women and the disabled, in WASH issues (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). In addition, the project will improve Zambia’s sanitation by building dry toilets, strengthen the capacity of local partners and civil society to influence sanitation issues, and raise awareness of WASH issues in society.

In addition to the actors in TYY's Development Cooperation Wing, all students of the University of Turku across faculty boundaries are welcome to participate in the project. No previous knowledge of development cooperation is needed and new ideas are always welcome!

In the project, the volunteers make communicative content, organise events and training and are in close contact with the actors of the Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland. From the academic year 2021–2022, students can donate to the project, for example in connection with the academic year registration. More detailed information about the donation will be updated during the spring of 2021.

You can support the TYY development cooperation project by paying the donation when paying the Student Union fee. The voluntary donations are either 5€ or 10€ and this year the funds will br donated to the Zambia project.

 You can also use a normal bank transfer. Please use collection account FI48 5716 9020 0256 10 (tell which project you want to support). All money donated will go in full to the designated projects.

The National Police Board of Finland has permitted the Student Union of the University of Turku to collect donations to the projects mentioned above. Collection licence number RA/2021/62, valid from 1.2.2021- in Finland (except Åland).

0,7%

TYY aims to be an example of how to continously support development cooperation and thus TYY will direct 0.7 % of the budget for operating funds to development cooperation.

The 0.7 % funds will be targeted at continuous projects and projects that change regularly. When choosing the continuous projects, long-term duration and the preventive impact of the project are emphasised. Changing targets may emphasise different development cooperation themes and support, for example, new projects that cannot be chosen as the development cooperation projects supported in connection with TYY’s membership fee.

TYY's Development cooperation Wing suggests new 0.7 % projects to the Executive Board every spring.

0,7 projects 2022

Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland. 

Liana ry

0,7 projects 2021:

Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland. 

Food and Forest Development Finland 

Sustainable development week

Sustainable development week is one of the biggest events in TYY development cooperation and environmental sectors. It is organised yearly in the beginning of autumn.  In 2021 and 2022 the sustainable development week has been organised together with SYL and other student unions such as JYY and HYY.