College handed £2.6m for green improvements

NOTTINGHAM College has been awarded £2.6 million to fund energy efficiency initiatives and decarbonisation across its estate over the next two years.

With £2 million being given to the Adams building in the Lace Market and £600,000 being allocated towards Highfields, part of Nottingham Science Park, the projects are set to play a role in bringing down the college’s overall carbon footprint over the next six years.

The college’s carbon reduction strategy includes becoming completely carbon neutral by 2030 as part of its “Zero” campaign. It includes a tree-planting programme which has seen more than 400 trees being planted across the Basford campus. The funding, from the Department for Energy Security and run by Salix, will stretch across both campuses.

The college plans to use the cash to make upgrades to benefit both the environment and its students. Lighting and ventilation systems are set to be upgraded as well as heating and boiler systems. New measures are also being introduced to reduce water usage and reliance on consumables.

The Adams project is estimated to take two years, with work commencing in autumn 2024 and the Highfields project will begin in 2025 and is planned to be completed in 2026

Janet Smith, chief executive and principal of Nottingham College said: “We’re really pleased to have been successful in our bid for this funding. As a college with a rich heritage and wide range of facilities across the city, this funding will help us on our journey to be carbon net zero by 2030.

She added: “Nottingham is a city that is taking climate change seriously with the city aiming to be the first UK net zero city through the city council’s CN28 project. As such, funding like this is going to make an excellent contribution to that objective.”