Durham is nominated as a finalist for the Sustainability Institution of the Year in the Green Gown Awards 2024.

Durham University Recognized as Sustainability Institution of the Year Finalist

Durham University, a renowned institution in the UK, has been shortlisted as a finalist for the prestigious Sustainability Institution of the Year category at the Green Gown Awards 2024. This recognition comes as a testament to the university's unwavering commitment to sustainability and its strategic approach to addressing climate change and sustainability challenges.

The university's efforts towards sustainability extend far beyond the classroom. Durham University has refurbished James Barber House, part of Hatfield College, to be its lowest carbon building. The building, powered in part by solar panels and heated by heat pumps, is a shining example of the university's dedication to minimizing its environmental impact.

In addition to its estate and operations management, Durham University has also made significant strides in research. The institution has allocated £18m from the Strategic Research Fund to four large-scale, interdisciplinary sustainability research projects. This investment underscores the university's commitment to driving sustainability through research and collaboration.

Durham University's sustainability initiatives also extend to transportation. The university has replaced over 20 diesel vans with electric vehicles, reducing air quality impact and diesel consumption in Durham City. Furthermore, the university has installed over 525 kW of solar panels across several colleges, including Maiden Castle, Stephenson College, Josephine Butler College, Collingwood College, and Hatfield College.

The university's sustainability projects are not just about numbers. Durham University has planted out thousands of self-grown native wildflower plants, including two locally extinct wetland species, Skullcap and Water-Horehound. The university is also working to protect and enhance its ancient woodlands, restore and create new wetlands, and add more native wildflowers to its annually mown grasslands.

Durham University's Sustainability Ambition Statement outlines its intentions to drive sustainability through operations, curriculum, and research, with ambitious net zero targets for scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and biodiversity net gain. The university aims to reduce emissions by about 8,000 tCO2 per year by decarbonizing heat across most of its campus.

The project that earned Durham University this recognition is called Turning Sustainability Ambition into Action. This project reflects the university's holistic approach to sustainability, engaging with students to prepare each cohort with skills for a changing world, involving the student voice in education delivery, and student participation as a key driver in responding to climate change.

The university's commitment to sustainability is further demonstrated by its achievements. Durham University has achieved the Platinum Hedgehog Friendly Campus Award 2024 and completed a full biodiversity net gain account of 1000 land parcels across its estate. The university has also converted 9 hectares of grassland to annually mown meadow, increasing plant richness and attracting Buzzards to breed in Durham City for the first time in at least 200 years.

Durham University's rollout of a Carbon Costed Menus project across its colleges potentially impacts sustainable diets for over 6000 students each year. This project is part of the university's broader commitment to promoting and investing in research and teaching on environmental sustainability and the UN SDGs.

As a finalist in the Sustainability Institution of the Year category for the Green Gown Awards 2024, Durham University continues to set an example for other institutions to follow in its pursuit of sustainability. The university's strategic, whole-institution approach to addressing climate change and sustainability challenges is a beacon of hope for a greener future.

Durham is nominated as a finalist for the Sustainability Institution of the Year in the Green Gown Awards 2024.