The University of Bristol Green Impact Awards aim to encourage, reward and celebrate environmental best practice within the University. Based on the highly successful Sound Impact Awards – an accreditation scheme for environmental best practice in students’ unions throughout the country – the Green Impact Awards will pitch departments against each other in a challenge to see which can be the greenest. All departments are eligible to participate, regardless of size, remit or location. All that is needed is a commitment to taking simple environmental actions, which, when carried out on a large scale, will make a significant improvement to the University’s environmental impact.

To take part, departments need to meet 20 essential environmental criteria. Those that fulfil the standards receive a bronze award, while those that excel have the opportunity of gaining a silver or gold award. Additional awards will be given to those departments identified by the porters as consistently switching off their lights, or by the cleaners for systematic recycling. An innovation award will be given to the department that shows real initiative in taking environmental actions. Twelve departments have already signed up, including the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.

For more information, or to take part, please email the Energy and Environmental Management Unit at environment-office@bristol.ac.uk.