A celebration of outstanding sustainability work: UK and Ireland Green Gown finalists announced
The finalists of the 2026 UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards, delivered by EAUC in association with UKRI, have been announced.
The awards celebrate exceptional sustainability initiatives from universities, colleges and other post-16 institutions across the UK and Ireland.
Established in 2004, the awards have become one of the most prestigious recognitions of leading sustainability practice in the education sector.
This year's finalists were selected from a record number of entries, reflecting a continued and growing commitment to sustainability action despite a challenging external environment.
The 2026 shortlist comprises 156 finalists from 91 institutions across 16 categories.
It features a diverse range of innovative approaches to environmental and social sustainability, celebrating actions taken by whole institutions as well as individuals and teams.
In keeping with the programme's founding ethos of sharing good practice and inspiring peer-to-peer learning to tackle some of the biggest sustainability challenges in education, details of all the finalist projects are now available to view as part of the finalist showcase.
The showcase is designed to enable other institutions to:
- draw inspiration from replicable projects
- gain a better understanding of the successes and challenges of the initiatives
- make connections between sustainability work at an institution-level and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Peer-to-peer learning, rigour and review is also built into the judging process. This year, over 100 volunteer judges from colleges, universities, education bodies and sustainability organisations contributed to the assessment of submissions across 16 categories.
The winners will be announced at the UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards ceremony on Monday 16 November at New Dock Hall, Leeds. Early bird tickets are now available to buy.
Finalists have been contacted and, where applicable, provided with guidance on what to submit as part of the second stage of the judging process.
Explore the full list of finalists here.
Image: Harper Adams University won the 2025 Campus, Health Food and Drink category. Credit: Harper Adams University
| 30 July 2026 | |
| News | |
| EAUC |
