Since 2004 the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK and Ireland. With sustainability moving up the agenda, the Awards have become established as the most prestigious recognition of best practice within tertiary education.
The Green Gown Awards are administered by the EAUC and are governed by a cross agency steering group. The judging panel are representatives of sector organisations, which changes yearly.
As the ethos of the Green Gown Awards is to ensure the lessons and examples of good practice are shared within the tertiary education sector. We work hard with the partners of the Awards to ensure this information is disseminated far and wide, by sharing the case studies from applicants and prize winners throughout each awards season.
Click here to find out more about the Green Gown Awards
The Awards were brought to Australasia in 2010 and are delivered by our partners ACTS. The Awards are open to all tertiary education institutions in Australia and New Zealand.
The Australasian Awards are managed by ACTS and governed by a cross sector steering group. ACTS is a non-profit member based organisation representing higher and further education institutions within Australia and New Zealand. ACTS aim to inspire, promote and support change towards best practice sustainability within the operations, curriculum and research of the tertiary education sector.
The International Green Gown Awards were established in 2014 and bring together our regional winners as well as the wider global audience.
Recognising exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by the world's universities and colleges, the International Green Gown Awards set the bar and put every learning institution at the heart of delivering the UN Global Goals.
We are delighted to be working in partnership with United Nations Environment Programme, The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), International Association of Universities (IAU) and the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI).
If you are interested in delivering the Green Gown Awards in your region please contact us.
The Griffith MBA has evolved to embody three key values: responsible leadership, sustainable business practices and a global orientation
The Sustainability and Environment Programme has been instrumental in implementing a culture of sustainability within the University
The Academic-Operations Sustainability Integration Programme (AOSIP) was developed in 2010 with the vision of enabling learning for the ‘sustainability’ literate...
Victoria University students undertook the green challenge of converting a heritage listed house into a sustainable EcoLiving Centre, the first of its kind in Melbourne’s...
John Curtin Weekend, 'Curtin Volunteers!’ largest community project began in 1999 when six groups of students and staff undertook community-initiated projects at...
The Solar Decathlon Competition challenges teams of university students to design, build and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient and attractive.
Student engagement and communication forms a key part of James Cook University’s sustainability strategy
AUT University has and continues to implement sustainable transport, energy efficiency and waste reduction initiatives as a three-pronged approach to reducing carbon emissions
CarbonBuzz is a unique online platform used by architects, engineers, property owners and operators in the public and private sector.
Grow Allot is an exciting initiative created by the City College Plymouth to restore an area of disused ground at its Kings Road site into an allotment style, community garden.
Ian Brown has driven the College’s vision to be a sustainable organisation at the heart of its community; identifying, developing & embedding new environmental schemes...
Clive Wilson is both a leader and engager in equal measure. As a leader Clive initiated Ecoversity, one of the first full institution sustainability programmes in our sector.
The Biodiversity Index is an interactive web-based tool that enables people with little knowledge of ecology to do a rapid but scientific assessment of the level of plant...
The Sunshine Coast TAFE (SCT) has a vision to be a leader in Education for Sustainability (EfS) and Sustainable Operations.
Many business premises, areas of public land, historic buildings and even airports use grazing as a way of managing their grass areas.
Looking to continually improve, Durham University’s Procurement Service has worked collaboratively with senior management, suppliers and internal stakeholders to improve...
This course helps students gain the knowledge, skills and capabilities they will need to act as a catalyst to inspire and bring about change towards sustainability.
Humanitarian Sustainability uses Add+Vantage (A+V) employability modules to teach students the importance of applying sustainability concepts in humanitarian response situations.
A sustainable approach pilot to theatre production, using a musical theatre project, which is a core part of the curriculum for 3rd year BA Acting /Theatre Production students.
A student led ESD initiative, reflecting a commitment to offering students opportunities to learn about issues of global importance such as environmental awareness &...
Coventry University’s grounds team have created an interactive campus for fun, learning and research replacing places of traditional planting and bedding .
To meet the University’s target of a 30% carbon reduction, the Catering department analysed its carbon footprint and identified ways to improve environmental performance.
Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) estate comprises over 240 hectares of land across its three campuses, ranging from city centre to farmland.
Manchester Veg People is a multi-stakeholder co-operative of local organic growers and buyers who are working together to develop a new model for the local food supply chain.
GLEE, the University of Bradford’s Student Experience enhancement project that has radically improved the old, inefficient learning environment of the City Campus Library.
The £9.8M Centre for Global Eco-Innovation unites the expertise, resources and global contacts of Lancaster University, the University of Liverpool, and Inventya Limited.
LCF students were invited to showcase their design work, which uses plants from the College’s dye garden to colour cloth, at Chelsea Flower Show in May 2013
The Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) is an internationally leading academic facility for pioneering pure and applied green and sustainable chemical research.
The vision of Eat Your Campus is to plant fruit and nut trees along cycle paths and footpaths planted by people who live, work and pass through these places.
The University of Sheffield and ReCycle Bikes are working together to provide students with reliable, cheaper alternatives to new bikes.
The university established an initiative to engage more staff to support the strategic development of state schools in its local communities by volunteering as School Governors.
Falmouth Exeter Plus is the shared services delivery partner of Falmouth University and the University of Exeter at their £200M shared campus in Cornwall.
Harrow Colleges’ sustainability objective has benefitted staff, students, contractors, wildlife and the local community by raising awareness and improving working practices.
The project has improved the knowledge and skills of staff, learners and their families about what they can do to save and sustain resources in their home, neighbourhood and city.
This project is about embedding sustainability into the student curriculum and into their and staff’s lives at South Essex College.
Situated on a rural campus 4.5 km S of Lancaster city centre, the area is hilly and can experience inclement weather, not ideal geographical conditions for a successful Travel...
This facility will provide unique curriculum and learning opportunities for further and higher education and for research and development throughout Belfast and Northern Ireland.
The Rosalind Franklin refurbishment has been a cornerstone in the School of Science and Technology teaching and learning facilities at Nottingham Trent University.
The Manchester College upcycled a derelict Grade 2 listed public baths building, designed by renowned architect Henry Price in 1910
The aim of the project was to embed sustainability and environmental management as a core principal of the college and make significant year on year improvements
EcoBCoT is a strategic initiative that started in September 2012 and has made a huge impact in its first twelve months at Basingstoke College of Technology
“That bit extra” promotes engaging projects that has included everything from plants to pants.
The Finalists' brochure gives you an overview of each of our Finalists' and about their initiatives
A case study from a Green Gown Award winner about the Carbon Challenge scheme which has achieved significant savings to the university during its two years of operation.
Late 2009, Engineers without Borders, a student engineering society in the University of Warwick, sought support from the university Estates Office for a 1kW wind turbine project.
The winners’ brochure from the 2012 Green Gown Awards, recognising the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by tertiary education across the UK &...
New Life for Old Pants is a successful textile waste reduction and recycling programme at the University of Salford.
On the evening of Friday 27th April 2012, 255 students and staff at the University of Southampton successfully completed the first campus-wide energy audit.
From 2007 we’ve operated a very successful and holistic programme of waste minimisation projects using all of the elements of the waste hierarchy.
South Lanarkshire College’s low-energy house is a practical project...
The winners' brochure from the 2010 Green Gown Awards.
In October 2010 Northern Ireland’s South Eastern Regional College (SERC) opened a brand new Environmental Skills Centre on its refurbished and extended Ards Campus.
To promote student engagement with SRS, the University of Edinburgh has developed an online resource called OurEd which makes SRS relevant and engaging for students.
The University of Edinburgh’s sustainability programme has achieved significant positive impact across the University and contributes to sector-wide improvements in...
New College Stamford (NCS) recently established an Environmental and Sustainability strategy with high emphasis placed on social responsibility.
Imperial College formulated a comprehensive Green IT Policy, which resulted in ICT leading a number of sustainability initiatives across the institution.
Imperial College London is committed to provide a sustainable and operable estate, despite extensive refurbishment/new build and staff/student growth.
Completed in July 2010, the £4.2m Durning Centre at Edge Hill University is a building that incorporates unique sustainability innovations.
A university’s carbon brainprint of research, consultancy or teaching is an estimate of the change in carbon emissions from its known and predicted outcomes in practice.
Confronted with the rising cost – both financial &environmental – of conventional fuel, Blackpool & The Fylde College has driven its sustainable transport using waste...
Salford Energy House provides a platform for academics to collaborate with industry in the development of products to reduce the carbon emissions.
The University of Hertfordshire has carried out a green ICT project to achieve a number of objectives associated with its data centres.
The One Planet MBA is a unique programme designed to develop a new generation of managers and leaders who will transform businesses and deliver more sustainable strategies.
Commencing in April 2010, this survey gives an invaluable insight into the use of the NTU estate, recording the utilisation of over 300 rooms every hour.
Green Gown Awards 2009 - winners' brochure from the annual awards, recognising excellence in sustainability within the further and higher education sector
Case studies from the Winner and Highly Commended for the Student Initiatives category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
In their 6th year the Awards recognised the exceptional initiatives being undertaken by higher and further education institutions across the UK to become more sustainable
With 240 applications in 2011, 25% up from 2010, the Green Gown Awards are firmly established as prestigious recognition of sustainability excellence in tertiary education.
Case studies from the winner and highly commended for the Colleges category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
Case studies from the Winner and Highly Commended for the Sustainable Construction category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
Case studies from the winner and highly ommended for the Continuous Improvement category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
Green Gown Awards 2007-8 - winners brochure from the annual awards, recognising excellence in sustainability within the further and higher education sector
Case studies from the Winner and Highly Commended for the Course Content category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
Case studies from the Winner and Highly Commended for the Energy & Water category from the 06/07 Green Gown Awards
Green Gown Awards 2006-7 - winners' brochure from the annual awards, recognising excellence in sustainability within the further and higher education sector
The winners' brochure from the 2005-2006 Green Gown Awards
The winners' brochure from the 2004-2005 Green Gown Awards
The University of Leeds took part in the UTravelActive project, which promotes health, well-being and sustainable living through encouraging and facilitating active travel.
Green Gown Awards 2011 - winners' brochure from the annual Awards, recognising excellence in sustainability within the further and higher education sector
Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has embarked on a comprehensive utilisation survey for the whole academic year in order to gain an insight into the use of the estate. The...
Coventry University’s Carbon Challenge scheme is an inter-faculty energy competition with eagerly anticipated monthly reports, quarterly league tables and prizes....
Imperial College London is committed to provision of sustainable operation of its estate, despite a strategy of refurbishment, new build and staff/student growth. To support...
"Greenthing" is a project to employ a shared Environmental Manager post between five Bloomsbury Colleges of the University of London.