About us

About Us

The Community and University Sustainability Partnership (CUSP) was established in 2015 under the direction of the Deputy President and Registrar to showcase how a university can become a role model for the transition to a sustainable future. The CUSP team is a multi-disciplinary, voluntary team of over 30 students and staff from across the campus and community partners all working together with the common aim of establishing the university as a leading institutional model for sustainability.  CUSP operates through a multidisciplinary board - the CUSP General Board. In September 2019, the University appointed a Community and University Sustainability Officer (CUSO). The CUSO reports to the Deputy President and Registrar and working with the CUSP General Board plays a lead role in the implementation of the NUI Galway Sustainability Strategy.

The University Sustainability Advisory Board provides strategic oversight of NUI Galway’s commitment to sustainability as detailed in the Strategic Plan, Sustainability Strategy and Sustainable Development Goal Accord. The CUSP Executive Board is a sub-committee of the CUSP General Board and represents the CUSP General Board on the University Sustainability Advisory Board. 

In March 2021 NUI Galway unveiled its second  its second sustainability strategy. The NUI Galway Sustainability Strategy 2021-2025 was officially launched by Dr Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Chair of the Elders. It sets out an ambitious vision to lead the transition to a sustainable future by embedding sustainability in the University’s culture, operational policies, governance structure and empowering its communities to be champions of sustainability.

More recently NUI Galway published its updated Sustainability Terms of Reference which sets out the governance structure for the implementation of our sustainability agenda.

Launch of the Community and University Sustainability Partnership - 2016