Digital sustainability innovators in line for new award sponsored by Jisc
Jisc is supporting a new ‘digital futures’ category at this year’s Green Gown Awards UK and Ireland.
Digital sustainability innovators at three colleges and universities have been announced as finalists in the Jisc-sponsored digital futures category at the 2023 Green Gown awards.
Digital futures is a new category that recognises the important role digital transformation plays within education to improve the learner experience, campus environment and teaching/research practices, and highlights the impact of digital technology on carbon reporting.
As the UK digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research and innovation, Jisc is a fitting sponsor of this award.
The digital futures category finalists are:
- Askham Bryan College: Through its centre of excellence in mixed reality, the college is creating sustainable learning experiences for all subjects that can be shared across its campuses, limiting the need to travel or use resources.
- The University of Edinburgh: Its IT reuse project has repurposed 5,300 computers and over 5,000 items such as keyboards, mice and monitors since 2015, avoiding 32 tonnes of electronic waste and saving more than £500,000 and 800 tonnes of CO2. It has also donated old computers to the Edinburgh Remakery, an environmental social enterprise committed to diverting waste from landfill and promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
- University of Salford: The Virtual Peel Park project enables students and the local community to engage with their local environment. During two co-creation events, a virtual version of the park and surrounding area has been digitally visualised. It also provides students with opportunities to boost their employability by gaining new skills and volunteering experience, while providing value-for-money and reducing carbon emissions for the university.
Clare Casey, head of environmental sustainability governance at Jisc, said:
“Since the pandemic, the rate of digital transformation within colleges and universities has been rapid, and while the academic implications of this have been well documented, the environmental impacts have often been overlooked or hidden.
“It is encouraging, therefore, to see institutions not only considering the carbon impact of the technology they use, but also how digital transformation can provide innovative solutions to real world problems and experiences.
“Through our close relationship with colleges and universities, we know many institutions are doing great things to reduce their environmental impact, while also improving the learner experience, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements."
Fiona Goodwin, deputy CEO for EAUC, the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education, which delivers the Green Gown Awards, said:
“We are delighted to be working with Jisc on the new digital futures category for this year.
"With institutions increasingly transforming teaching and learning, it is essential that digital carbon footprints are considered in that, along with how the digital revolution is used to deliver even more sustainable campuses and wider student and community benefits.”
The Green Gown Awards ceremony, in association with UKRI, will be taking place on 30 November 2023 at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool, when the winners and highly commended entries will be announced. A list of all finalists can be found on the awards' website.
Further information
Jisc’s report, Exploring digital carbon footprints, provides advice and guidance around measuring and reducing digital carbon emissions. Jisc members (UK colleges and universities) can also attend workshops on a Vision for sustainable change.