The University of Salford has been nominated for an impressive five gongs at this year’s Green Gown Awards.
Established in 2004 in the UK and Ireland, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges. With sustainability moving up the agenda, the Awards have become established as the most prestigious recognition of best practice within the further and higher education sector.
Their Production Managing the Planet initiative in the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology has been shortlisted in the Next Generation Learning and Skills category. Delivered as part of several undergraduate and postgraduate film and television production programmes, the initiative encourages media professionals of the future to take action on sustainability. Their unique MSc Sustainable Air Transport Operations and Planning course has also been nominated in this category. They say they are proud that it is the first postgraduate air transport programme in the UK that is fully focused on all three pillars of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
MA Fine Art student Lizzie King is also in the running for Sustainability Champion of the Year. Lizzie uses sustainable photography practice to raise awareness and inspire action on climate crisis. She has advocated for the University of Salford Sustainability Strategy to increase engagement in campus green space and the development of a campus community garden.
Their one-of-a-kind research facility Energy House 2.0 has been nominated for a Research with Impact – Institution award. The world-leading initiative is forging the way in making our buildings carbon neutral. Through commercial and grant funded research Energy House 2.0 helps businesses understand how effective their products and services are in lowering consumers’ carbon footprint and reducing energy bills.
The Universities brilliant Friends of Energy House 2.0 scheme is also up for a Money for Good award. Launched in 2022 as a philanthropic arm to Energy House 2.0, the campaign raises funds from businesses to develop a pipeline of talent in sustainability, raises awareness of climate change issues, encourages the public to reduce their carbon footprint and tackles issues around fuel poverty.
Professor Will Swan, Director of Sustainability at the University of Salford, said:
“We are really pleased to so see so much success in the nominations for this year’s Green Gown Awards. We are making real strides with sustainability in the university and the awards give us a chance to celebrate the best of what we are doing and hopefully inspire more people to engage with sustainability issues.”
Charlotte Bonner, CEO, EAUC, said:
“As EAUC celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, so too does the Green Gown Awards. The Awards continue to recognise, celebrate, and share the most impactful and innovative sustainability action across the post-16 education sector. We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland, showcasing the exceptional sustainability initiatives from our higher and further education institutions. This year, we saw a remarkable increase in applications, highlighting the growing commitment to sustainability across the sector.”
Susan Simon, UKRI Environmental Sustainability Programme Director, added:
“The Green Gown Awards are consistently demonstrating the commitment of the research community to tackling the impact of science on the environment. Each year we are presented with new, innovative and inspirational projects nominated for these awards. We look forward to following the progress of another exceptional set of projects tackling this important global issue.”
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony which will take place on Wednesday 13 November at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh.
Learn more about the Green Gown Awards here: Green Gown Awards – Awarding Sustainability Excellence Since 2004 | Green Gown Awards
You can read more about Salford Universities Sustainability Strategy here: Sustainable Strategy | University of Salford
