Another Green Award for King’s
07 Nov 2008, PR 237/08
King’s College London has won a Green Business Award in the Best Construction or Property Business category for the ‘comprehensiveness of its green construction programme in a physically and politically complex environment’.This award adds to the growing recognition of King’s for its environmental strategies. In June of this year the College was one of the first universities in Britain to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard for reducing carbon emissions. In 2007 King’s won the Green Gown Award for Sustainable Construction for its refurbishment of the South Range of the King’s Building.
Ian Caldwell, Director of Estates and Facilities, King’s College London, comments: ‘I am delighted that the College has won this important award. Our aim at King’s College London is to promote environmental best practice throughout the College community, both in building projects and operations. This award reflects the contribution of many members of staff across the College.’
Reduction in energy consumption
A number of initiatives have led to the College winning this award. King’s has implemented a three-pronged carbon management strategy and energy-awareness campaign leading to a reduction in energy consumption by 8,999MWh, equivalent to 4,935 tonnes of CO2.
It has also invested in data collection management and reporting tools to monitor progress against measurable targets. Additionally, more than 60-70 per cent recycling of dry waste has been achieved, and there was a ten per cent reduction in energy use in student residences last winter.
The recent refurbishment of the top three floors of the Strand Building has been undertaken creating low-energy offices and study space. This includes solar shading, to minimise solar gain, chilled beams, movement detectors for lighting and for heating/cooling the area.
In the earlier redevelopment of the South Range of the Strand Building, energy efficient solutions were employed including emphasis on natural ventilation rather than air conditioning and adjustable window shutters. Around 80 per cent of the construction waste was recycled.
The new Cicely Saunders Institute building at the Denmark Hill Campus has achieved a Breeam (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) ‘excellent’ certification which considers several key aspects of a building’s environmental fitness including energy consumption, water usage, pollution, waste land use and ecology.
The Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, was appointed a ‘London Leader’ in September 2007 by the London Sustainable Development Commission. Their objective is to provide a ‘Greater London’ in all senses: a sustainable London which supports its residents and thinks of future generations.
The Green Business Awards, sponsored by Haymarket, aim to highlight and reward leadership on environment, sustainability and climate change by British companies. They are a barometer of the newest, most innovative, most ambitious and most effective initiatives by UK business to respond to the pressing challenges of global sustainability.
Notes to editors
King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2008) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 150 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of approximately £450 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.
King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – a total unsurpassed by any other university.
Further information
Melanie Gardner, Senior Public Relations Officer,
Public Relations Department, King’s College London.
Tel: 020 7848 3073; email melanie.gardner@kcl.ac.uk
This information is provided by the Public Relations Department
Tel: 020-7848 3202 Fax: 020-7848 3739 Email: pr@kcl.ac.uk