Students and staff at a leading Midlands college group have been planting trees to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
WCG, which includes six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, is taking part in the Queen’s Green Canopy, an initiative which invites people to ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’ to mark the Queen’s 70 years of service and enhance the environment.
Students and staff at Royal Leamington Spa College, Rugby College, Warwick Trident College, Moreton Morrell College, Evesham College and Pershore College have come together to plant a rowan tree at each of the sites.
The young rowan trees, which are a favourite for wildlife, were supplied by Pershore College Garden Centre and Nursery.
The initiative’s focus on sustainability mirrors the college group’s own green ethos, and the tree planting comes as the college group is awarded the Planet Mark sustainability certificate for an eighth consecutive year, which recognises organisations that make year-on-year reductions in carbon emissions.
WCG reported a 7.5 per cent reduction in carbon emissions in 2020/21 compared to the previous year.
This reduction was supported by the college group’s detailed Environmental Policy, which is fundamental to its business strategy and is linked to its Sustainability Policy.
It has now set a target in conjunction with Planet Mark to reduce its carbon footprint by another 2.5 per cent in the 2021/22 academic year, alongside launching its revised Sustainability Strategy and Climate Action Roadmap.
Angela Joyce, Chief Executive of WCG, said: “We are extremely pleased to support the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative and add a rowan tree to the grounds of each of our colleges.
“The trees will not only be a lasting legacy in recognition of the Queen’s 70 years of service, but also help to enhance the environment.
“We run a number of land-based courses at WCG so sustainability is something that is embedded in both our policies and our curriculum, and we have worked hard to reduce our carbon footprint, cut down waste and crack down on single use plastics.
“This is why we are also thrilled to be awarded the Planet Mark sustainability certificate for the eighth consecutive year.
“We are continuing to develop our policies and engage with students and staff about the importance of carbon reduction and are committed to reducing our carbon footprint even further during this academic year and beyond.”