Wolfson wins highest award at University sustainability awards

Green Impact is the University's environmental accreditation scheme. It supports and encourages departments and colleges across the University in reducing their environmental impacts.

Wolfson’s second consecutive Platinum award follows three previous Gold awards and an Excellence Award for the creation of the Wolfson Living Lab, which supports sustainable projects in College.

This year’s accolade is the result of coordinated sustainability initiatives across the College, led by Head Gardener Oscar Holgate, alongside Laura Jeffrey in the Library, Emeritus Fellow Dr Steve Hoath, Food Services Manager, Charles Correa, as well as many others who are committed to improving sustainability across the entire College. 

“I am so proud how the team worked hard to achieve platinum for a second year,” said Oscar. “It’s a testament to all the staff and students on the team who are passionate to want to make positive changes to Wolfson. 

“We will de-brief and work towards a new year of making more changes from grass roots to upper-scale changes that will educate, influence, and make Wolfson stand out as one of the best green colleges in Cambridge.”

Inspirational green leaders

This year’s awards ceremony – which took place at Wolfson, and follows other successful University-wide green events held in College – also saw inspirational individuals recognised for leading the way with sustainability activity.

Deidre Boodoosingh, MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development, won the Student Leadership Award for excellence within her role as Cambridge Climate Society Green Officer Coordinator, as well as Convener for the Interdisciplinary Research Hub in Sustainability and Conservation (S&C) Hub, and in the WCSA Green Society.  

“I am incredibly honoured to receive this sustainability award,” said Deidre. “It has been a privilege to work with such passionate individuals who share the vision of creating a more sustainable future and I am immensely grateful to the Wolfson community for their hard work and commitment to sustainability.

“As the Cambridge Climate Society Green Officer Coordinator, I have been privileged to collaborate with Green Officers from across the colleges, supporting their work and fostering a sense of community and collaboration. Together, we have successfully organized two university-wide Cambridge Green Weeks over this year which has been truly inspiring.”

Head Gardener, Oscar Holgate, was also "Highly Commended” in the Sustainability Hero Award category.

“Oscar embodies sustainability inspiration, hope and action to many at Wolfson College,” said Charlie Barty-King from the College’s S&C Hub. “He goes above and beyond his departmental duties time and again, often creating and leading on sustainability initiatives not just for biodiversity and estate outcomes, but for our collective and individual well-being.”

Another Wolfson initiative, the Sustainability Thinking Space, was also “Highly Commended” in the Innovation for Engagement Award category.

The Sustainability Thinking Space – which took place in In Michaelmas Term 2022 – was a free, interactive sustainability education and thinking space open to all Wolfson members and beyond, which provided a guided space to develop sustainability thinking, action and development.

Led by Rick Manlove, Wolfson alumnus and graduate of the CISL Masters in Sustainability Leadership, Elizabeth Wild, Wolfson alumna and graduate of the CISL Masters in Sustainability Leadership, and Lili Jia, Senior Research Associate at the Department of Engineering, the Sustainability Thinking Space provided eight sessions alternating between a ‘Personal’ and ‘Research’ space.

Discover more about sustainability at Wolfson

Check out the upcoming one-day conference, Transforming Sustainability at Wolfson. The conference showcases Wolfson’s sustainability initiatives and celebrates three years of the S&C Hub, which has helped put sustainability at the heart of the College.

You can find out more about sustainability at Wolfson on our Environment and Sustainability page, and learn more about the Sustainability & Conservation Hub on their homepage.