Green Gown Awards nominations
The University is celebrating being nominated in no less than four categories at the prestigious UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards.
Representing more than one million students, 172,000 staff and a combined annual turnover of £15 billion, the Awards are leading the way with their commitment to the global sustainability agenda and proving the value universities and colleges bring to the economy and society.
Finalists emphasise an institution’s role in enabling and empowering young people to tackle pressing global issues to ensure they have a better tomorrow.
To be held at York’s historic National Railway Museum on 8 November, the Awards ceremony recognises sustainability best practice within the further and higher education sectors. The Awards provide the sector with benchmarks for excellence and are respected by Government, funding councils, senior management, academics and students.
Leeds is nominated in the Benefitting Society, Research With Impact, Tomorrow’s Employees and Total Reporting categories.
Katie McGuire, the University’s Deputy Director Sustainability Services, said: “The Green Gown Awards represent the highest accolades for UK universities in sustainability, so we are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted as finalists for four awards this year.
“This celebrates a successful year for Sustainability Services, seeing the growth of programmes, such as Living Lab and Positive Impact Partners (PIP), along with the achievements of our Student Sustainability Architects, who continue to support us to embed sustainability throughout the University, whilst gaining valuable work experience.
“We hold our fingers crossed as we prepare our finalists submissions and look forward to the awards ceremony in November.”
The four categories Leeds is nominated for once again demonstrate the huge strides being made to further embed sustainability in schools, faculties and services at the University.
Total Reporting
The University’s core purpose is to increase knowledge and opportunity for the betterment of society, and Leeds has made firm commitments to take its economic, social, environmental and cultural responsibilities seriously.
As a result, its Annual Sustainability Report is a total impact report – a more holistic appraisal of the University’s social, environmental, economic and cultural impacts. It is full of case studies, commitments, progress, facts and figures. Together, these tell the story of the amazing work Leeds is doing to become an even more sustainable university.
Benefitting Society
Through Positive Impact Partners, University staff and their Third Sector partners work together, combining their personal, professional or research expertise to create new collaborative projects that build capacity and encourage positive social change.
Tomorrow’s Employees
Student Sustainability Architects are part-time paid positions at the Sustainability Service, providing support for student engagement activities, events, campaigns and initiatives. They take the lead on delivering projects that align with the University’s strategic objectives and also develop their own ideas to increase student participation with sustainability.
Research With Impact
Driven by the University’s commitment to embedding sustainability through knowledge, engagement, collaboration and innovation, the Living Lab brings together students, academic and operational staff to research and test sustainable solutions, enhance the curriculum and solve real world challenges, using Leeds as both a testbed and a space for co-created research-led teaching.
Projects to date have ranged from monitoring and mapping air quality across campus to trialling the mixed ability sports model through workshops and taster days for staff and students. It is hoped these will be scalable to our communities, the city and beyond.
Iain Patton, Chief Executive at the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, which administers the Awards, said: “The Green Gown Award applications show the truly pioneering initiatives being borne in post-16 education.
“Every day, tireless environmental, social and sustainability leaders across the UK and Ireland are driving change and showing the value universities and colleges bring to the economy and society. The Green Gown Awards exist to give them the recognition and platform they need to share their learning and do even more.”
Posted in: University news