Winners of the 2024 UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards announced

13th November 2024

South Devon College takes home the Sustainability Institution of the Year Award as 37 other institutions are recognised for innovative sustainability initiatives.

EAUC has announced this winners of this year's UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards in association with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Now in their 20th year, the awards recognise outstanding and exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken in the post-16 education sector across the UK and Ireland.

From a shortlist of 133 projects from 83 institutions,  22 winners and 23 highly commended awards announced at a ceremony and dinner at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on the evening of 13 November.

Amongst the winners is South Devon College who scooped the coveted Sustainability Institution of the Year Award. The college was recognised for its "unbroken green thread"- an ambitious strategy that has woven sustainability into the hearts, minds and actions of students and staff over the past 15 years. 

Christine Calder of Dundee and Angus College and Dr Noha Saleeb of Middlesex University were both crowned Staff Sustainability Champion, an award sponsored by Salix. Both were recognised for spearheading initiatives to embed sustainability into learning and teaching in their respective institutions and empowering others to do the same.

The Student Sustainability Champion Award, sponsored by Salix, was awarded to Hayley Hill, a recent graduate of the University of Plymouth for her undergraduate research and outreach efforts to inspire young people to play a role in tackling the climate crisis. Since graduating, Hill has used her knowledge to design and deliver free environmental science workshops to school children and staff across the UK, as well as landing a job as an education coordinator with a local climate organisation. 

With categories ranging from sustainability reporting to research with impact, individual actions and whole-organisation approaches, the Green Gown Awards continue to provide a national platform to showcase effective sustainability practice taking place in the post-16 education sector.

Commenting on the results, Charlotte Bonner, Chief Executive of EAUC, said:

“EAUC, and in turn, the Green Gown Awards, are both celebrating their 20th anniversaries this year, with the Green Gown Awards having been an integral part of the sector’s sustainability journey over the last two decades. This year’s outstanding winners and highly commended entries for the Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland once again provide an inspiring and diverse array of initiatives, from impactful projects to passionate individuals, all dedicated to advancing sustainability. These awards demonstrate that sustainability is a collaborative journey, not a competition, with each effort contributing to the broader goal of transformative change for the post-16 education sector and beyond. Congratulations to all our winners, highly commended entrants, and finalists.”


Dr Susan Simon, UKRI Environmental Sustainability Programme Director, said:

“Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s Green Gown Awards. On this special 20th anniversary year, we are delighted to not just be celebrating the excellent achievements of this year’s finalists, but to also reflect back on the exceptional projects, initiatives and individuals that have been highlighted over the years. We look forward to many more years of the awards celebrating the innovative and inspirational projects that are helping our sector to reach net zero and address climate change.”

2024 Winners

2030 Climate Action, sponsored by TEC
Highly Commended: Derby College Group
Highly Commended: Queen’s University Belfast
Highly Commended: Technological University Dublin
Winner (small organisation): The Bedford College Group
Winner (large organisation): University of the West of England

Benefitting Society
Highly Commended: Queen’s University Belfast
Highly Commended: The University of Edinburgh
Winner (small organisation): Edinburgh College
Winner (large organisation): University of Kent

Creating Impact, sponsored by the Scottish Funding Council
Highly commended: Chelmsford College
Highly Commended: University of Aberdeen
Winner: Hull College
Winner: University of Lincoln

Campus Health, Food and Drink
Highly commended: University of Cambridge - Darwin College
Highly Commended: University of Southampton
Winner: Forth Valley College
Winner: Cardiff University

Digital Futures, sponsored by Jisc
Winner: University of East London

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Sustainability
Highly Commended: Cardiff University & WWT
Winner: University of the Arts London - London College of Fashion

Money for Good
Winner: Nottingham Trent University

Nature Positive
Highly Commended: University of the West of England
Winner: Coventry University

Next Generation Learning & Skills, sponsored by CMI
Highly Commended: Kingston University
Highly Commended:  Technological University Dublin
Winner: New City College

Reporting with Influence, sponsored by HI Group
Highly Commended: University of Aberdeen
Winner: Royal College of Music

Research with Impact, sponsored by Praxis Auril
Highly Commended: Nottingham Trent University
Highly Commended University of Salford
Winner: University of Plymouth

Student Engagement
Highly Commended: Barnsley College
Highly Commended: University of Leicester
Winner: York St John University

Sustainability Champion – Staff, sponsored by Salix
Highly Commended: Miles Richardson, University of Derby
Winner (small organisation): Christine Calder, Dundee & Angus College
Winner (large organisation): Dr. Noha Saleeb, Middlesex University

Sustainability Champion – Student, sponsored by Salix
Highly Commended: Kim Del Kaze, Cranfield University
Highly Commended: Aaliyah Gardner, Emily Stevenson and Charlie Beale - Keele University
Winner: Hayley Hill, University of Plymouth

Sustainability Institution of the Year
Winner: South Devon College


Tomorrow’s Employees
Highly Commended: Northumbria University
Highly Commended: The Sheffield College
Winner (small organisation): Sparsholt College
Winner (large organisation): University of Leicester

For a full list of projects and details, please see the Winners’ Showcase.