Wolfson awarded Silver for its green impact

In addition, Zoë Goodwin, DPhil student at Wolfson College and former Environmental Representative, received a runner-up Green Impact Student Award. The results were announced on 15 June at the Sustainability Showcase held in the Blavatnik School of Government during Low Carbon Oxford Week.

Wolfson's new solar PV panels, MSC-certified fish and promotion of battery recycling are among the initiatives being undertaken around the College which have been recognised through this award. In addition to the Green Impact challenge, the Environment Team at Wolfson have been promoting composting, awareness of local hedgehog populations, energy efficient building upgrades, and an online portal to view the output of the College's solar panels (which have recently generated their first 1MW of electricity). 

I am delighted and proud that the College's Green Impact Team, working with the Home Bursar, have achieved so much to reduce the College's environmental impact. Our prize-winning new Academic Wing was built with environmental concerns to the fore, with its green Sedum roof and its natural ventilation system. Professor Dame Hermione Lee, Wolfson College President

Pieter Bogaert, Environment Representative from General Meeting, and Zoë Goodwin have been leading the College's Green Impact Team, coordinating the College's submissions and subsequent audit.

It is wonderful to see that the College's efforts to become more environment-friendly have now been recognised officially. I would like to thank everyone who helped make this possible, especially Zoë Goodwin and the Home Bursar. I hope that this award will be a stepping stone towards further greening the College. Pieter Bogaert, Environment Representative

Green Impact is an environment accreditation scheme developed by National Union of Students (NUS) and coordinated in Oxford by the University's Environmental Sustainability team. It is all about “Staff and students greening campuses, curriculums and communities” and extends beyond environmental sustainability to include the health and wellbeing of staff and students. Across Oxford University over 1,350 sustainable actions have been completed by teams of all sizes, including Colleges, buildings and laboratories.