For the first time, the Environmental Sustainability Team and Central Procurement Office collaborated to deliver the annual sustainability celebration and awards and the inaugural supplier awards. The event took place on 8 November in Whitworth Hall.

The event was attended by over 200 people with the audience made up of staff from all corners of the University alongside various suppliers, partners and institutional representatives from across Manchester.

Whilst celebrating sustainability and responsible purchasing across the University as a whole, the event focused on three main areas; the relaunch of the Sustainability Champions network, the annual Green Impact awards and the inaugural supplier awards. The event was a fantastic showcase of the University’s ongoing work in sustainability and procurement. Over 70 awards were handed out to Green Impact teams within the University and to external suppliers. The supplier awards were created to recognise and celebrate suppliers demonstrating responsible procurement in line with the University’s core strategic goal of social responsibility.

The event saw a number of external speakers invited along to the event. Simon Jakeman (BEM) of London Fire Brigade kicked off the guest speeches with a very inspirational speech on engaging colleagues with sustainability. Simon then shared his opinions and experiences with Green Impact during an on-stage panel session.

This was later followed by Councillor Alex Ganotis, leader of Stockport Council and Chair of the Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub who delivered an informative speech on the sustainability plans for Greater Manchester.

The final keynote speaker of the event was Paul Gerrard, Group Policy and Campaigns Director at The Co-op Group who delivered a captivating speech on Manchester’s history of slavery and the issues of modern slavery, ending with how The Co-op is tackling this issue through responsible practises.

There was some great live music and interactive artwork throughout the day, and attendees were fuelled by the fantastic locally sourced and sustainable catering provided by Christie’s Bistro.

The event also outlined sustainability and procurement plans for the forthcoming year, highlighting opportunities and addressing challenges.

If you wish to know more about the event or to learn more about environmental sustainability and responsible procurement, then please contact the Environmental Sustainability Team.

On 8 November we are hosting our annual flagship environmental sustainability event. Run in conjunction with the Environmental Sustainability Team and Central Procurement Office, this year’s event will include a relaunch of the Sustainability Champions network, the annual Green Impact awards and will play host to the inaugural supplier awards. The supplier awards have been created to recognise and celebrate suppliers demonstrating responsible procurement in line with the University’s core strategic goal of social responsibility.

We are delighted to welcome our guest speakers who will provide a wider context on sustainability. These include Alex Ganotis, leader of Stockport Council, who will talk about sustainability in Greater Manchester, Paul Gerrard, Group Policy and Campaigns Director at The Co-op Group, and Simon Jakeman of London Fire Brigade. Live music and interactive artwork will feature throughout the day and there will be plenty of opportunities for networking.

The event is a great opportunity to showcase and celebrate the fantastic sustainability work the University and its suppliers have been carrying out over the past 12 months. We will also outline our plans for the forthcoming year, highlighting opportunities and addressing challenges.

If you wish to attend the event to learn more about environmental sustainability and responsible procurement at The University of Manchester, or have any questions about the event, then please contact es@manchester.ac.uk.