Sustainability

Winners of the 2016 Sustainability Awards Office and Lab categories announced

We're delighted to announce the winners of the 2016 Sustainability Awards in the Office and Lab categories.

Sustainability Awards

The Sustainability Awards recognise staff and students who make a difference and contribute towards the University becoming more socially responsible and sustainable.  Since the Sustainability Awards launched in 2010, an increasing number of staff and students have taken part every year. 35 sections of the University from every campus, group and college are now involved, finding new ways to conserve resources, save energy, streamline scientific and research practices, fundraise for good causes and build links with the local community.

The Sustainability Awards are part of the National Union of Students’ Green Impact environmental accreditation scheme, which runs in over 50 UK further and higher education institutions. The lab awards are also based on the criteria of the international S-Lab programme.

Congratulations to all of our teams for their hard work and commitment this year!   

2016 Awards recipients

Office Awards

17 teams have received Office Awards for 2016, including seven new teams.

To achieve an Office Award, participants must promote sustainable ways of working and follow resource efficient practices. This year’s winners successfully completed criteria across a range of social responsibility and sustainability themes including energy saving, sustainable travel, responsible purchasing and staff wellbeing.

Gold level recognises exemplary teams that designed and implemented a unique project with a demonstrable sustainability impact.

Team name Level
Easter Bush Campus Gold
Institute for Academic Development Gold
Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine Gold
Printing Services Gold
Procurement Office Gold

Queen's Medical Research Institute

Gold

50 George Square Silver
Edinburgh Global & Student Recruitment and Admissions Silver
Sport and Exercise Silver
Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility Silver
Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation

Working towards Silver

Biomedical Sciences, Central Area Bronze
Centre for Dementia Prevention Bronze
Centre for Open Learning Bronze
Edinburgh College of Art Textile Studio Bronze
Financial Information Services (FIS) Bronze
FloWave Bronze

Moray House School of Education

Bronze

Lab Awards

Seven lab teams participated in 2016, including one new team.

To achieve a Lab Award, participating teams demonstrated compliance with a wide range of sustainable lab practices including efficient use of fume cupboards, management of chemicals and samples, and reducing waste, water and energy consumption.

Team name Level
Roslin Institute Gold
Chemistry - Joseph Black Building Silver
Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine Silver
SRUC Biomarkers Lab Silver
Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility Silver
Centre for Integrative Physiology (Hugh Robson Building) Bronze
Queen's Medical Research Institute - full building Bronze

Awards carried over

Once achieved, Office and Lab Awards are valid for two years. The following teams still hold awards from assessments in 2015 and continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to sustainability.

Office Awards

Team name Level
Chancellor's Building Gold
Chrystal Macmillan Building Silver
Kennedy Tower Silver
School of Chemistry, Joseph Black Building Silver
University Website Programme Silver
Careers Service Bronze
Central Area Trades Team Bronze
Easter Bush Trades Team Bronze
Edinburgh College of Art Technical Learning Services Bronze
Edinburgh Parallel Computing Centre Bronze
Pollock Halls Trades Team Bronze
School of Law Bronze
School of Mathematics Bronze

Lab Awards

Team name Level
Chancellor's Building Gold
Biological Teaching Organisation Silver
Centre for Reproductive Health (QMRI) Silver
SynthSys Labs Silver
SRUC Peter Wilson Building Bronze

Ceremony

Office and Labs Awards recipients will be honoured at the Sustainability Awards ceremony on the afternoon of Tuesday 28 March 2017 in the Playfair Library, Old College. Office and Lab teams will be awarded trophies, along with the winners of our Student Awards, Student Residence Awards and Special Awards categories.

Find out more

Interested in participating next year?  Find out more information and register your interest in the 2017 Sustainability Awards which will launch in February. We can put you in touch with an existing team or help you start your own!

Register your interest