Sustainability

Sustainability at South Devon College

Sustainability is a key priority for South Devon College. We are committed to raising awareness and the implementation of sustainable practices in all aspects of College life.

But what does sustainability mean?

We have broken it down into three areas environmental, social and economic:

Environmental

This is the most talked about aspect of sustainability by our students. Environmental Sustainability is “the conservation of natural resources and the reduction of human activities that impact on our ecosystems.” The environmental impact of human activity.

Social

The United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (or Global Goals) demonstrate and support examples of social sustainability that include Wellbeing, Quality Education, Gender Equality amongst others. The SDGs are incorporated into our strategy and run throughout the college, linking to our policies. The SDGs combine social aspects of justice & equality, alongside the environment and economy.

Economic

This means working towards creating a greener, cleaner, Net Zero economy that provides decent jobs and improves quality of life for all. 

Did you know that we generate 60,000 KW per year from the Roof of our Paignton Campus alone? That’s enough energy to type on a laptop for 1.2 million hours (almost 137 years) or play on a games console for 300,000 hours (over 34 years).

By buying and supporting sustainable goods and services, and efficiently managing our resources, we can lower our carbon emissions, reduce waste and limit pollution. Considering the life cycle of what we use and how we use it, can benefit not only our organisation, but create positive and innovative social, environmental and economic outcomes. 

To reduce disposable/take away cups we introduced a levy on drinks served in disposable cups, with profits of this going to support sustainability ideas/projects. We also encouraged the use of Coffee Cups through our “loyalty cup scheme” that offers a discount for reusing our College branded cups. Disposable paper coffee cups have been removed and replaced with compostable alternatives.

We invest in sustainable alternatives each year and our LED lighting upgrade is close to completion across our Paignton Campus.

Our Commitment

At South Devon College we are committed to continuously improving our sustainability approach, through the promotion of environmental awareness and responsibility, and embedding sustainability principles across the College. Sustainability leads are appointed within our governor and leadership teams to ensure that this remains a key focus.

The College Sustainability Curriculum Working Group and Sustainability Board meet on a regular basis to discuss cross-college activity, share ideas, consider current issues and the effects of our activities on, not just college, but all of our lives and futures.

We have a green campus where we maintain and monitor the trees and species that we share it with and take these into consideration in everything that we do.

We have a clear strategy to show our commitment and our mission statement is “putting sustainability at the heart of what we do.”

If you have any ideas or initiatives, or any feedback in general please contact me on [email protected]

Matt Green – Sustainability Lead, South Devon College

Our Recent Activity

• We completed the SDG Accord in June 2025, accompanied by a case study. This explores each of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals in detail and has a significant impact on our Sustainability Agenda going forward. It provides a clear and recognisable link between College activities and the SDGs.
• The College continues to utilise its grounds and conservation area to support land-based activities. We are now regularly producing fruit and vegetables for use in both our teaching and retail food outlets. Our Forest School is now an established and very popular teaching space.
• We received a generous donation of saplings from the Woodland Trust. All staff and students were invited to take part in the tree planting, promoting wellbeing while contributing to the College’s sustainability goals. 420 saplings — including silver birch, hazel, common oak, wild cherry, holly, blackthorn, crab apple, elder, and dog rose – were planted. Learning Opportunities students were involved throughout, from designing the planting scheme to digging, and they did a fantastic job, planting rows of saplings in just a couple of hours. Canes were purchased to support the trees, along with biodegradable tree guards to protect them, ensuring they will grow and flourish for years to come.
• The tree planting was a great opportunity to promote our sustainability efforts, and we aim to continue this initiative annually. It took place on open yet sheltered ground that will not be developed, allowing the trees to live and grow here for decades to come.
• We now have two large murals (one designed by a higher education student) displayed in key areas of the College. These feature our sustainability messages and help raise awareness.
• We saw significant investment in 2023/24, with a £2 million Salix-funded project installing air source heat pumps to replace ageing gas boilers and heat our main campus building. A further £2 million Salix investment funded a new roof, replacing old structures, improving insulation through retrofit, and enabling the installation of additional photovoltaic panels.
• We are raising awareness by embedding sustainability into all of our tutorial programmes.
• Regular litter picks and beach cleans are undertaken by staff and students.
• We actively engage in the study of local wildlife, particularly within the marine environment.
• Our Leadership Team attends regular regional and national meetings to ensure we remain up to date with this fast-moving and important agenda.

Awards and Recognition

Green Gown Awards

International Sustainability Institution of the Year – Finalist

Following the success of winning the prestigious Green Gown Award for UK Sustainability Institution of the Year last year, South Devon College is thrilled to hear it is going global after being selected as a finalist for International Sustainability Institution of the Year! 

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Sustainability Institution of the Year

South Devon College scooped the coveted Green Gown Award for Sustainability Institution of the Year (2024).

The College was recognised for its “unbroken green thread”- its ambitious sustainability strategy that has woven sustainability into the hearts, minds and actions of students and staff.

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Devon Business Awards

Planet Saver

Winning the accolade, as part of the annual Devon Business Awards, is yet another amazing achievement in the College’s commitment to being at the forefront of sustainability action and the green skills landscape.    

 

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AOC Beacon Awards

South Devon College won the prestigious Nous Group Award for Education for Sustainable Development as well as the RCU Award for Support for Students.  

The Nous Group Award for Education for Sustainable Development recognises, celebrates and promotes examples of colleges that support the transition to greener economies and fairer societies and integrate critical issues such as climate change, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable consumption and production, into the curriculum. The RCU Award for Support for Students – seeks to recognise, celebrate and promote examples of student support provided by colleges for a significant group of students, across a whole provision or college wide approach. 

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Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.” The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by the year 2030.

Policy

If you want a deeper understanding of how seriously we take sustainability here at the College, read our Sustainability Policy below: