Autumn 2022 marks twelve years since UCC students began an initiative that would lead to the development of the Green Campus Programme, not just on our campus but across the world.   In the years that have followed, UCC is proud to have been the first university in the world to be awarded a Green Flag.  We were also the first to successfully renew our Green Flag twice, and to achieve ISO 50001 accreditation for energy management.  We continue to maintain our strong standing in global metrics of Green Universities and actively contribute to the sustainable campus agenda on an international level.

We are continually making efforts to improve our impact on the environment and build on the excellent “grassroots” initiatives that are being undertaken in departments and buildings across the campus.  You can read more about these initiatives in the pages of this website.  The mission of our Green Campus is that all our activities are ‘student led, research informed and practice focused’.  This mission continues our long tradition of independent thinking and citizenship, and was further reinforced with the publication of UCC’s Sustainability Strategy in July 2016.  In May 2017, a Sustainability Officer was appointed to lead on the delivery of this strategy.

As chairs of the Green Forum, we welcome the involvement of the entire campus community in our sustainability initiatives and recognise the immense contributions that both staff and students have made over the last ten years to make our campus more sustainable.  We hope to continue these efforts over the coming years, and to further UCC’s role in contributing to a more sustainable society.

President John O’Halloran and Mark Poland (Green Forum Co-Chairs)