Arts University Plymouth shortlisted for Company of the Year in the National Sustainability Awards

UK’s newest arts university recognised as a national pioneer of sustainability

Arts University Plymouth has been shortlisted for Company of the Year and for the Facilities Management Award in the National Sustainability Awards 2022.

Now in its second year, the National Sustainability Awards aims to recognise national pioneers of sustainability, showing how society can be led through the post-pandemic recovery into a new and more sustainable path. The awards highlight stories of innovation and best practice across all sectors, recognising organisations that are working to ensure that future generations will be able to live in a cleaner, greener world.

Arts University Plymouth has been shortlisted for Company of the Year alongside national companies such as leading energy technology company OVO and UFO DRIVE, the leading self-service electric car rental company in Europe.

Arts University Plymouth has been shortlisted for the Facilities Management Award alongside familiar household names such as NatWest Group and Zurich International.

Arts University Plymouth has actively embraced sustainable practices throughout its city-centre campuses, from reducing food waste and increasing recycling to reducing its carbon footprint through the use of electric vehicles and LED lighting, as well as switching to a carbon-neutral tariff.

An enormous amount of work has been put into the estates and facilities within Arts University Plymouth, with opportunities for staff and students to get involved in improving sustainability on campus and within the wider community. In 2018 the university’s Craft, Design and Fabrication workshop was awarded BREEAM Excellent status (the world's longest established method of assessing, rating, and certifying the sustainability of buildings), something that only 4% of new builds in the UK achieve.

Nicola Turvey, Sustainability & Facilities Officer at Arts University Plymouth, said: “Arts University Plymouth prepares graduates who are uniquely placed to provide creative solutions to the complex problems faced by modern society, including sustainability and the climate emergency. As such it’s vital that across all areas of our work we strive to improve sustainability and embrace best practice, setting an example for staff, students and our peers.”

The National Sustainability shortlisting comes not long after students voted Arts University Plymouth the top arts university in the UK for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS).

Earlier this year Arts University secured University Title (transitioning from its former name of Plymouth College of Art) and in the same month also won Best Small or Specialist University at the 2022 WhatUni Student Choice Awards in May 2022. The WUSCA Small or Specialist category celebrates the overall experience of students, with a focus on lecturers and teaching quality, the Students’ Union experience, facilities and student life, and is determined based on the reviews of students currently enrolled at the institution.