Platinum success for four Green Impact teams

Imperial held its annual awards ceremony to celebrate the efforts of its Green Impact teams who engaged over 2,500 staff and students in sustainability initiatives this year.

Green Impact is an online platform that provides a toolkit of actions that colleagues can complete as teams to improve sustainability across Imperial and at home. Each action earns points that contribute to a team’s final score. 

It’s fantastic to see colleagues participating from all four faculties as well as central teams, and to see our first platinum awards won this year. Harriet Wallace Director of Sustainability

This year, 13 teams across the organisation took part and implemented more than 650 sustainability actions covering themes such as energy, procurement and engagement. The programme also supported 25 students in completing ISEP-accredited training as part of their roles as auditors. You can read the full report on our Green Impact webpage. 

At the awards ceremony on 26 January 2026 at The Invention Rooms, we were joined by special guests Lucy Talis from SOS-UK, and Imperial’s Director of Sustainability, Harriet Wallace, who commended the teams for their efforts in progressing our sustainability agenda.  

Harriet Wallace said: "Congratulations to all Imperial's Green Impact teams who have stepped up to improve sustainability here this year.  It’s fantastic to see colleagues participating from all four faculties as well as central teams, and to see our first platinum awards won this year." 

Congratulations to our award winners listed below.  

• Bronze Award: Aeronautics - Professional Services, Earth Science and Engineering, Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet, Imperial Business School 
• Silver Award: Centre for Haemotology, Centre for Inflammatory Disease, Library Services 
• Gold Award: Brain Sciences Level 7 Uren, Surgery and Cancer 
• Platinum Award: Chemistry, Environmental Research Group, Grantham Institute, Research Office

Special awards: 

Environmental Improvement Award: Environmental Research Group 

“ERG won a bid from the Royal Society of Chemistry to support a project focused on reducing plastic waste in scientific research. The project brought together three teams from across the department and enabled the training of a T-level student. Not only did the project demonstrate the technical feasibility of reusing laboratory plastics but also showed that such practices can meaningfully reduce the environmental footprint of large-scale analytical studies.” 

Innovation for Engagement Award: Research Office 

“During the 2024/25 Green Impact year, the Research Office established a number of new engagement activities including organising a launch-week with a bespoke climate literacy and local gardening session; an all-office picnic, promoting vegan food; engaging with family and friends by running a Big Butterfly Count creative competition and so much more.” 

Sustainability Hero Award: Katharina Kreissig, Earth Science and Engineering 

“Katharina has had sustainability in mind, since she started her journey in the MAGIC Labs in 2008. Since then, she has implemented many actions within the labs to reduce waste, save water and energy, with her hard work contributing to a LEAF accreditation. Building on her success, this year she implemented the My Green Lab Freezer Challenge, saving the department 2kW/h per day.” 

Student Leadership Award: Agnes Szwarczynska, Georgina Mace Centre for the Living Planet 

“This year, Agnes showed outstanding initiative, leading a project to make Silwood master student welcome boxes more sustainable, informative, and impactful. Agnes and her team of SSCP PhD researchers redesigned welcome boxes to include practical items and key information about sustainable living at university. They delivered their boxes to over 80 students receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback.” 

Community Action Award: Lisa Haigh and Trevor Ferris, Chemistry 

“Lisa Haigh and Trevor Ferris from the Chemistry Green Impact team developed their own positive community action initiative. They invited local schools to tour the department and gave presentations on their sustainability initiatives, demonstrating how they follow a green chemistry approach. Pupils were even shown how to build their own bug hotels to take away with them.” 

The UN-award winning programme is run internationally by SOS UK (Students Organising for Sustainability UK) which has been tailored to align with Imperial's sustainability policies and goal to achieve carbon net zero campuses by 2040. 

Do you want to get your team involved in 2026? Join our online re-launch session on 12 February to learn more.  

You can subscribe to our Sustainable Imperial newsletter to keep up to date on sustainability at the university and any opportunities to get involved.