Green Gown Awards 2012 shortlist announced

6th August 2012

The EAUC are delighted to announce the shortlist of applicants for this year’s Green Gown Awards. 2012 has proved to be another excellent year for applications to the Awards, the most prestigious recognition of best practice within the tertiary education sector. 

View the 2012 shortlist

Now in their eighth year, the Green Gown Awards recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK. With sustainable development moving up the global agenda, the Awards are now established as the most prestigious recognition of sustainability excellence within the tertiary education sector, as well as the environmental sector.
 
The Green Gown Awards provides universities and colleges with benchmarks for excellence and are well respected by governments, funding councils, senior managers, academics and students alike. In fact, the on-going popularity of the Green Gown Awards in the UK, which are administered by the EAUC and governed by a cross agency steering group, has meant they now have an international presence. The Australasian Green Gown Awards have been established since 2010 and are run by Australasia Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS).
 
Applications to the UK’s 2012 Awards were received across 14 categories, including the new ‘Modernisation - Effectiveness and Efficiency in the Estate’ and ‘Best Newcomer’ categories. Also new this year is the International Green Gown Award with the UK winners from the Continuous Improvement, Social Responsibility and Student Initiatives and Campaigns categories going head to head with the winners from Australasia.Stage one applications for the Awards closed in July and a judging panel, representing the diversity of the tertiary education sector, provided a shortlist of entrants. The winners of the Green Gown Awards 2012 will be announced in November.

"Given the pressure we are all under it is heartening to see the sustainability excellence being pioneered in our sector. Environmental and social innovation and responsibility is coming of age as we all work harder to run more efficient and accountable institutions," says Iain Patton, Chief Executive of the EAUC.

“The quality of the applications has been very high and creating a shortlist was incredibly difficult. We are now looking forward to learning more about the successful projects in Stage 2 of the process, and ultimately to unveiling the winners of the 2012 Green Gown Awards in November."