Results of the 2023 UK & Ireland Green Gown Awards

30th November 2023

Last night we attended the fantastic Awards Ceremony of the 2023 UK & Ireland Green Gowns, in association with UKRI. We hosted education and sustainability guests, nominees, and supporting partners from across the country, at the Titanic Hotel Liverpool, for an evening of prize-giving and celebration. It was wonderful to gather to celebrate the exceptional work and ambitions of the universities and colleges. The evening was hosted by Charlotte Bonner, CEO EAUC, and Emeritus Professor Peter Liss, CBE, FRS, University of East Anglia and currently Interim Executive Chair of NERC.

As the delivery partner of these Awards, the EAUC would like to congratulate all who received a Green Gown Award! The 2023 results showcase 20 Winner and 17 Highly Commended institutions.

This includes wins for Northampton College and the University of the West of England, Bristol, who each won in the Sustainability Institution of the Year category, which is sponsored by EAUC. Firstly Northampton College for their prize-winning ‘Go-Green Project’, which is opening their students’ eyes to new practices and facilitates new learning opportunities. Speaking on the College’s success, Pat Brennan-Barrett, Principal, shared: “Winning this Green Gown Award is one of our proudest achievements because sustainability runs through everything we do at Northampton College. Going Green has reaped incredible environmental and financial benefits for us and expanded our students’ skills dramatically, giving them an important edge as they embark on their careers.”

The University of the West of England, Bristol, also won in this category, for their stand-out strategic plan, ‘Transforming futures: Our path to 2030’ articulating their commitment to a just transition. Professor Steve West, Vice Chancellor, said: “Winning this prestigious award is a fantastic endorsement of UWE Bristol’s exceptional commitment to sustainability and of the efforts of many staff and students. It validates our efforts to inspire and motivate others to practice sustainability and responsibility."

The UK & Ireland Green Gowns are supported by sponsors, including the UKRI, academic institutions and sustainability organisations. The Awards welcomes new sponsors and partnerships yearly, so we invite your organisation to support the Awards next year. This opportunity is suited to bodies which deliver sustainability projects or initiatives or offer support to the Higher and Further Education sector. Visit the site for more information.

The ethos of the Awards is to share, inspire and replicate these great sustainability initiatives. The showcase of all the winners, highly commended and finalists' entries, including project summaries, top learnings and short videos and infographics can be visited here: www.greengownawards.org/showcasing-our-2023-finalists