Trinity College Dublin raises Green Flag for commitment to sustainability

Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action Jane Stout raised the flag on Friday 28 April, alongside Sustainability Manager Jane Hackett and representatives from the Green Campus Committee. Jane said:

“The Green Flag symbolises our commitment to environmental sustainability at Trinity – it is awarded on the basis of the work staff and students have done to improve our campus, and the associated links with research, education, and the wider community. It is also in recognition of the work we plan to do – we have a long way to go, but by working together as a connected college community, we can make the changes that are urgently needed to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises”

The Green Flag is awarded through the Green Campus programme for completing seven required steps. Trinity was first awarded the Green Flag in 2013 with subsequent renewal flags in 2016, 2019 and now 2023. Our submission was completed by past and present Green Campus committee members as well as key staff who have supported sustainability initiatives during the last three years.

Some highlights from Trinity’s Green Flag submission were:

35.9% improvement in energy efficiency from 2006-2021
61.9% reduction in total water use from 2006-2021
66% reduction in paper use from 2011-2021
18.6% of campus space is biodiverse or pollinator friendly, which is a 12.4% improvement from 2011-2012
72% of all tenders sought environmental information
17% of all courses (undergraduate, postgraduate, Trinity electives and online courses) now have content related to sustainability
While much has been achieved, Prof Jane Stout acknowledged that there is still much to do. They are working on developing a roadmap to meet the University’s carbon reduction targets as set out by Government while embedding sustainability across all sectors of Trinity. This includes research, education, operations, outreach and commercialisation.