Submitted by Grainne Kennedy on Mon, 2016-12-19 16:06
On 10 November at the Athena in Leicester, the twelfth annual Green Gown Awards ceremony was held, recognising sustainability excellence in Universities and colleges across the UK and Ireland. The University of Cambridge had five finalists in five categories! Videos were produced to highlight some of the achievements at Cambridge and these are available to watch…
Nan Taplin, Sustainability Champion
As a proactive Environment and Energy Coordinator at the University of Cambridge, Nan Taplin has encapsulated the true spirit of a sustainability champion. Nan has acted as the glue holding together one of the University’s most successful ‘green teams’, leading the Faculty of Modern & Medieval Languages through the bronze, silver and gold Green Impact awards. Her efforts have earned her many plaudits, such as the University’s own Environmental Hero Award, for her dedication and enthusiasm. One Green Impact auditor stated “I have never met someone so passionate about the environment in my life!”. Perhaps more astonishing however, is that all of Nan’s environmental achievements have been completed on top of her role as a busy Senior Secretary in the Department of Italian and Modern Greek. Nan truly demonstrates how one person can successfully embed ‘green’ thinking into the culture of a workplace by enthusing and motivating staff, and using an inclusive, collaborative approach.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Biskn4Im8fk&t=249s
Major energy & carbon reduction works at Cambridge University Library
Since 2014, major energy and carbon reduction projects have been carried out at Cambridge University Library. The works, costing approximately £1.45m, have delivered significant energy savings of 705,000kWh electricity and 1,650,000kWh gas, while cutting carbon emissions by 25%. A further £1.73m is due to be spent on improvements to the Building Management System (BMS) to reduce annual carbon emissions by a further 200 tonnes by 2017. The challenging project took into account the particular needs of one of the world's most important repositories of the recorded word, with many of the archive areas requiring stringent environmental controls.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fv_AxhsPFZE&t=97s
Cambridge, cups, compost: Vegware’s compostable disposables enabling zero waste catering
Conventional takeaway packaging is a challenge to recycle, with most going to incineration or landfill. In November 2015, the University Catering Service (UCS) switched to Vegware’s compostable takeaway packaging. Instead of going to landfill, 1.5 tonnes of waste packaging now goes in the food waste bin every month. The final destination is a local facility where the packaging is combined with other waste and composted into soil improver, or anaerobically digested into biogas within a matter of weeks.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7XHlebvE60
Martin Howes, Sustainable Professional Award nomination
When it comes to anything energy or environment related at the Department of Plant Sciences, Martin is the person to contact. Plant Sciences is a research-heavy and energy intensive department, housed in a building over one-hundred years old. Together these factors pose a real challenge when trying to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact.
Martin leads efforts to tackle these with openness and enthusiasm. The many energy-related projects running at the department span a broad range of applications; from innovative plant growth LED projects (Highly Commended at Green Gown Awards 2015), to building services optimisation, to a ‘Green Reps network’ that spreads advice and information through research groups.
Thanks to Martin’s endeavours, the Department of Plant Sciences has developed into an exemplar of how to approach reducing environmental impact in a scientific department.
North West Cambridge Development - Creating a long-lasting, sustainable new district for the University and City of Cambridge
The North West Cambridge Development is a new urban extension to Cambridge covering 150-hectares for a future community of approximately 8,500 people. The vision is to create a long-lasting place for a mixed academic and urban community that will be an exemplar of sustainability.
Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/VQ2ULgJHltI
For more information on the Green Gown Awards winners visit http://www.greengownawards.org/winners-announced