ANGLIA RUSKIN WINS INTERNATIONAL GREEN AWARD

Only UK winners at ISCN event to recognise and celebrate sustainability on campus
Anglia Ruskin University’s green credentials have been recognised after it was presented with the Excellence in Integration award at the International Sustainable Campus Network’s annual conference in Singapore.

The ISCN connects people and ideas relating to campus sustainability and this year’s conference – and the fifth annual ISCN Sustainable Campus Excellence awards ceremony – was hosted by the National University of Singapore, a founding ISCN member and a forerunner in campus sustainability.

Anglia Ruskin has placed sustainability at the core of its corporate vision. As well as carrying out internationally-recognised research in sustainability and striving to exceed benchmarks for the sustainability of buildings and processes, it aims to make sustainability a key part of every student’s experience.

To underpin these commitments, Anglia Ruskin was the first UK university to sign the Rio+20 Declaration of Higher Education Institutions. Anglia Ruskin was also one of the first UK universities to achieve ISO14001 in 2009 and has been recognised for its innovative approach to integrating research and education with physical environmental management.

In 2011 Anglia Ruskin established the Global Sustainability Institute (GSI), which has already built an international reputation for its research focusing on behaviour change, resource scarcity, policy and climate finance.

The GSI has established partnerships with business, not-for-profit organisations, the UK Government, the EU Commission and the United Nations, as well as participating in UK research council-funded projects. Earlier this year Anglia Ruskin launched a Masters Degree in Sustainability with the Eden Project, the first time the educational charity and visitor attraction has partnered with a university on an academic programme.

Dr Aled Jones, Director of the GSI, said: “We are very proud to have been selected by the International Sustainable Campus Network as a winner in the integration category for 2013.

“Anglia Ruskin has been building strong momentum in embedding sustainability into teaching, estates, student experience and research. We are particularly pleased that the work in bringing these areas together has been recognised.”

Dr Alison Greig, Director of Education for Sustainable Development, added: “The ISCN conference and awards ceremony has provided an opportunity for Anglia Ruskin to showcase its sustainability work on an international stage. This Excellence in Integration award also provides a strong platform for us to develop our plans further.”

The awards are open to any college or university worldwide that has developed outstanding planning, construction, or educational projects that promote sustainability on campus and in the surrounding community. Other awards were won this year by the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), Zhejiang University (China), Chatham University (United States) and Lappeenranta University of Technology (Finland).

Matthew Gardner, of the ISCN Secretariat, said: “This year’s award winners have clearly demonstrated that the energy and ingenuity found in higher education can be used to solve the challenges of sustainability.”

The ISCN provides a global forum for universities pursuing sustainability across education, research and operations. ISCN Members commit to sustainability principles and report their performance according to the ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter which was jointly developed with the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders Forum. More information can be found at http://www.international-sustainable-campus-network.org/