Nottingham College has been named a national finalist for the Association of Colleges Beacon Awards in the Sustainable Development category. This recognition highlights the college’s ongoing efforts to reduce its environmental impact and provide students with training in emerging green technologies across its campuses, including its site in Beeston.
College representatives, including Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Comyn, Sustainability Lead Matt Bunn, and Wilding Campuses Manager Liz Morley, attended a ceremony at the House of Commons in March 2026 to receive a certificate for reaching the final three colleges in the United Kingdom for this category.
The nomination follows a period of significant environmental progress for Nottingham College. Since the 2019/20 academic year, the institution has reduced its carbon emissions by 45 percent, amounting to 1,448 tonnes. The college remains committed to achieving carbon net zero for its type 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.
Beyond reducing its own carbon footprint, the college has focused on expanding education in environmental fields. Within the last 18 months, it has developed 22 new green qualifications and trained more than 500 students. This includes the opening of a 250,000 pound Green Skills Centre at the Basford campus in June 2025, which features training bays for solar power, air source heat pumps, and electric vehicle charging.
The college’s sustainability efforts have also involved direct student and staff participation. The Wilding Campus initiative has seen 547 students and 100 staff members plant over 700 trees across 15 different habitats. Additionally, the Sustainable Futures Project engaged 193 students to act as environmental problem-solvers, providing funding for student-designed solutions to local sustainability issues. This latest finalist achievement arrives shortly after the college won the Green Gown Sustainability Institution of the Year Award in November 2025.
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