The ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester has been recognised for its continued commitment and work on sustainability.
After being named Sustainability Institution of the Year in the last Green Gown Awards, this year saw it take home another accolade, as winner in the Reporting with Influence category. The award was shared with the ºüÀêÊÓƵ of the West of England.
The Green Gown Awards recognise exceptional sustainability initiatives by universities and colleges and best practice within the further and higher education sector. The award relates to the ºüÀêÊÓƵ’s annual Sustainability Report; it assessed how sustainability is reported and how the report was used to have impact and influence within the institution.
Professor David Green CBE, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the ºüÀêÊÓƵ of Worcester, said: “The Climate Emergency is real and is getting worse. At the ºüÀêÊÓƵ we are committed to doing all we can to promote sustainability and cut greenhouse gas emissions. We lead by practical example, from sourcing local food to making our buildings more efficient to piloting an e-bike share scheme. We are very proud of all the staff and students who have contributed so much to these successful initiatives and more.”
Professor Green added: “We also work to research, educate and inspire on a broader scale – showing how to manage orchards to increase beneficial pollinators and how to improve river management to cut flooding risk for example. There is so much to do, and we can all contribute. Working together with science, expertise and commitment we can and must tackle the Climate Emergency.”
Iain Patton, CEO of EAUC (The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education), which runs the Awards, said: "Our winners, Highly Commended and indeed all of our finalists have shown the sector’s resilience and adaptability on how to collaborate to build back better and play a pivotal and leading role in tackling climate action, in even these most challenging of times. We hope that others will be inspired to take similar actions in their institutions to benefit staff, students and their local communities."
The ºüÀêÊÓƵ’s ongoing commitment to sustainability saw it win Sustainability Institution of the Year at the 2019 Green Gown Awards. In 2020 the ºüÀêÊÓƵ became the first UK institution in the decade to be Globally Highly Commended with an International Green Gown, awarded at the United Nations in New York.
The ºüÀêÊÓƵ was ranked in the top three UK universities for Quality Education, and the top 10 in the UK overall, in the prestigious Times Higher Education’s global ºüÀêÊÓƵ Impact Rankings last year. The rankings highlight the contribution made by universities around the world to achieving the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2016.
In addition, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ’s commitment to cutting carbon emissions to net zero by 2030 saw it ranked joint third of universities in the country in the Carbon Targets ratings, which are run by Students Organising for Sustainability UK, alongside the National Union of Students, the ºüÀêÊÓƵ and College Union and People & Planet. These carbon targets are ambitious and include both direct and indirect emissions.
Photo taken in 2019 to celebrate ºüÀêÊÓƵ's Green Gown Award for Sustainability Institution of the Year