A talented university student has helped drive his campus toward a greener future after an innovative carbon-tracking toolkit earned a prestigious national sustainability award.
Daniel Whiteley, a BSc (Hons) Physical Geography student at Edge Hill University, originally co-created the in-house Carbon Calculation and Analysis Toolkit (C-CAT) during a degree work placement. His exceptional efforts led to a promotion to corporate sustainability intern, with the team's groundbreaking initiative now celebrating a silver win at the AUDE Awards 2026.
Field Trip Emissions Tracking
Daniel's work on this project resulted in the creation of a baseline for emissions related to field trips undertaken for student courses and a calculator that allows departments to compute their field trip carbon emissions annually. This enables Edge Hill to monitor emissions from field trips and offer support with reduction suggestions over the long term.
Daniel explained: "I worked on the creation of the Fieldtrip Carbon Emission Calculator, which aims to log details of all field trips being carried out throughout the University. This data helps to calculate the carbon emissions of these trips and begin to look at ways we can reduce the emissions for future years."
He added: "I initially started working for the Sustainability team during my second year, as I needed to undertake a work placement for the requirements of the module. Choosing that module could be one of the best decisions I have ever made, and now the work on the C-CAT has contributed to Edge Hill winning the Silver AUDE Sustainability Impact Initiative Award 2026!"
University Commitment to Net Zero
Edge Hill's Sustainability team is dedicated to improving the environmental performance of the University for the benefit of current and future students, staff, and stakeholders. Creating the C-CAT was a collaborative project aimed at achieving the University's goal of Net Zero.
Dr. Keziah Stott, Head of Sustainability at Edge Hill, said: "Winning this award highlights not only the holistic approach being taken to address sustainability at the University, it also demonstrates how much value there is in providing placement opportunities for students. Dan has been heavily involved in this project as part of his second-year placement work and in his current corporate sustainability intern role. His work has been vital in the project's success, and without his support it's not likely to have been shortlisted, let alone win the silver award."
Placement Experience Boosts Skills
Placements are an important part of degrees at Edge Hill, and students are encouraged to take up opportunities to put their knowledge and skills into practice. Using the University's strong business connections, students gain incredible experiences that enhance future interviews while building networks and gaining workplace insights.
Daniel continued: "My placement has been a great experience, allowing me to apply the knowledge from my Physical Geography course in an office environment. It has significantly improved my interpersonal skills, as I have had the chance to speak to a variety of stakeholders throughout the university. Alongside this, I've developed my knowledge of software I'll be using in the workplace such as Microsoft Word and Excel, plus more specialist software like ArcGIS and PowerBI. My analytical skills have also developed as I have examined a range of quantitative and qualitative datasets from surveys to draw conclusions and recommend action points for the team."
Edge Hill works closely with employers across the region and beyond to help students access quality placements where they can have a real impact and see live projects unfold. Throughout their studies and up to three years after, students can access careers guidance from a dedicated team to find placements and graduate roles in their chosen industry.
Daniel added: "I think the experience will significantly enhance my employability when I graduate. This opportunity has widened my vision to another sector that I had not previously considered for a future career path. With the relevant experience and skills I have developed during this placement, I am in a significantly better position when looking at jobs after I graduate. If I was to give advice to future students, it would be to say yes to as many opportunities as possible. There is so much that is offered to you as an Edge Hill student. Whether that is online webinars, paid part-time jobs or volunteering positions, all of them develop your skills for later employment, and you get to meet some great people and have a laugh along the way!"
To find out more about placements and work experience opportunities at Edge Hill, visit ehu.ac.uk/careers. Find out more about studying at Edge Hill University here.
