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Photo: EAUC / Jas Sansi
The 2025 Green Gown Awards ceremony for the UK and Northern Ireland took place yesterday evening at the Library of Birmingham.
The Awards, established 21 years ago, celebrate the very best of tertiary education’s work to tackle the climate emergency. Yesterday’s event was attended by over 350 people eager to support the finalists and celebrate the winning entries from among the 112 shortlisted applicants.
There were four Scottish winners announced at this year’s ceremony and one highly commended finalist.
Glasgow Kelvin College won the category award for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Sustainability. Its Cycling for All project includes a confidence course for students who require learning support due to disability. The College’s ultimate goal is for a ‘just transition’ where all students, regardless of background or ability, have the same access to sustainable opportunities.
For its Sustainable Marcomms project, the University of Edinburgh, winner of the Tomorrow’s Employees award, provided over 300 staff with a basic introduction to sustainability in marketing and communications. A further 18 employees received advanced training to become advocates for long-term change.
The University of St Andrews carried away the Nature Positive trophy for its ambitious project to improve ecological integrity along 16 kilometres of the Fife coastline. Over 15 months, more than 400 students, staff and community volunteers took part in conservation opportunities and training sessions.
Fife College won the Next Generation Learning and Skills category for its partnership role in a ground-breaking Community Retrofit and Heating Innovation project. The initiative offered a two-day “Domestic Retrofit in Practice” course to residents and workers across Fife.
Queen Margaret University was highly commended in the Benefitting Society category for its on-campus Outdoor Learning Hub. The Hub includes a discovery trail, howff and small forest area designed to enrich students’ experience and contribute to sustainability, health and wellbeing.
Martin Farley, UKRI Associate Director of Environmental Sustainability Programme, said:
“The 112 finalists this year demonstrate the real impact that educational institutions can have in driving environmental innovation and creating positive change. These awards highlight the creativity and commitment of those who are leading by example.”
Full information about all the finalists and winners at the 2025 Green Gown Awards is available on the Green Gown website.
