We are delighted to have achieved a Silver Green Meetings award in recognition of our commitment to sustainability and action to deliver sustainable conferences and events on our Canterbury and Medway campuses.
The silver certification, overseen by Green Tourism, has been awarded to Kent’s event management service and the Darwin Conferencing Suite following action to raise the University’s sustainability standards. Examples include:
- Encouraging delegates to travel responsibly and sustainably by highlighting the campus’s secure bike storage areas, public transport routes and walking routes to the city centre
- Creating a dedicated accessibility guidance page to communicate to event organisers and delegates the accessibility features available
- Continually working towards our sustainable food action plan to ensure campus menus showcase local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients
- Encouraging delegates to make the most of campus green spaces, promoting the various trails and features of interest on campus.
This holistic approach to sustainability is reflected in the award criteria which assesses the three pillars of caring for people, places and the planet. The criteria takes into account accessibility, inclusion and community engagement alongside operational areas such as energy & water efficiency, waste reduction and sustainable travel.
Following this major achievement, the Conferencing and Events and Sustainability teams will be implementing recommendations from their assessment to further advance their sustainable event offerings with an aspiration to achieve Gold. The Sustainability team also plan to share their learnings from this award and create sustainable events guidance that can be used for all events across the university.
Sustainability Manager, Catherine Morris, said: ‘This award is a fantastic recognition of the work that’s been going on behind the scenes to make our events, and our university, more sustainable. It shows how collaboration across departments can create real impact, and it highlights the University’s ongoing commitment to environmental and social responsibility.’
Sandra Heyworth, Sales Manager for the Conferences and Events team, said: ‘It has been a privilege to work through the extensive required actions to provide clients with the sustainable service they have been asking for. This accreditation will enable us to support a wider range of organisations which prioritise sustainability and a reduction in environmental impact, with whom we are determined to work towards achieving a gold accreditation through further action that benefits our university community, the region, and the planet.’