Reflections on Trinity College Dublin’s first-ever Responsible Futures audit

Overview

Trinity College Dublin students and staff have played a significant role in the success of its first-ever Responsible Futures audit. In October 2024, 10 students led a two-day in-person audit of the college's efforts to embed sustainability throughout the curriculum. They played key leadership roles in analysing documentary evidence submitted and in conducting interviews of staff and Students’ Union student officers.

Student auditors shared a variety of excellent feedback and recommendations to inform the institution’s audit feedback report and accreditation. The collation of audit evidence by Sarah Murphy (Sustainability Assistant) and Órla Fitzgerald, (Student Intern) were a testament to the importance of student-staff collaborations in the run-up to the audit. A Senior Programme Officer from the International Association of Universities (IAU), Isabel Toman, also attended the audit and shared insights into the IAU, while Sarah Murphy provided students with valued perspectives into the behind-the-scenes of sustainability at the institution.

As Órla Fitzgerald, ESD Intern and Environmental Science graduate, described:

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‍“The Responsible Futures framework is what every [university] should strive for. This is our first year participating, meaning that it is our baseline and we can build on this over the years. It also serves as a support for those who wish to create change, which is something we need more of.”

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Feedback from the student auditors highlighted how the audit enabled them to learn more about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of education and sustainability in their places of learning as well as greater appreciation of the importance of students in taking an active leadership role for this. For example, one Trinity College Dublin student reflected on how taking part in the audit improved their understanding of:

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‍“how staff and students care deeply about climate change and sustainability and how much the student body are doing to raise awareness around complex environmental and social justice issues.”

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Impact and outcomes

Trinity College Dublin achieved Responsible Futures accreditation in February 2025. Key findings and recommendations from the audit were shared with the student and staff body during Trinity Green Week in March 2025. Feedback surveys demonstrated that students developed skills in delegating responsibilities, leadership, time management, communication, and data analysis. Furthermore, Órla Fitzgerald, the ESD Intern who played a key role in gathering evidence, among wider ESD initiatives, was awarded the Trinity College Dublin Sustainability Leadership Award 2025.

Notable quotes from the auditors included:

“I learnt how to interview someone for the first time while developing leadership skills by delegating sections of work to each member in my group.”

“I have developed a deeper understanding of sustainability practices and the role of educational institutions in this. I can apply these insights to my PhD research on climate justice, particularly in fostering interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability.”

“[the] Responsible Futures accreditation is important because it embeds sustainability across an institution's curriculum, culture, and operations. Hopefully, this accreditation can help foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, ensuring that the institution aligns with global sustainability goals while engaging in meaningful action.”

Advice for other Responsible Futures institutions:

• Include students from a variety of disciplines and course levels, beyond those already knowledgeable and engaged in sustainability issues. This allows for richer insights and discussions during the student-led audit. It can also be enlightening for institutions and other students to hear about alternative perspectives and feedback on, for example, how to increase student engagement with sustainability, from the eyes of those outside the ‘green echo chamber.’

• Student auditors also reflected on how this experience enabled them to learn how different disciplines approach sustainability challenges, hence interdisciplinarity is an invaluable aspect of any approach to Education for Sustainable Development.

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Excerpt from a case study originally published as part of the Higher Education Authority ESD Spotlight Series Case Study Collection.