Derby College Group named finalist in two categories at national sustainability awards

The Equine Carbon Calculator is having a significant impact

Derby College Group has been named a finalist in two categories at the Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland 2026, which recognise excellence in sustainability across the education sector.

The College’s shortlisted projects are Next Generation Learning and Skills, for the Equine Carbon Calculator, and Tomorrow’s Employees, for the UK’s first Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship, delivered in partnership with Vaillant.

With the UK needing to decarbonise the heating of more than 30 million homes and businesses to meet Net Zero targets, the government has set a goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. But the sector is short of trained installers, with only around 4,500 qualified heat pump engineers nationally as of 2023, against an estimated need for over 50,000 by 2030.

In response, Derby College Group has launched the UK’s first Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship, one of six new Royal Apprenticeships created to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. Since launching in 2023, 22 apprentices have enrolled, and DCG now accounts for more than a fifth of all Low Carbon Heating Technician apprentices in England.

The programme includes a bespoke, paid foundation year, unusual in an apprenticeship of this kind, during which apprentices gain a Level 2 plumbing qualification alongside skills in brickwork, plastering and electrics.

This means graduates can carry out full installation and retrofit work rather than fitting heat pumps alone. |A boiler manufacturer has also funded a dedicated low carbon heating training facility at the College, used by all plumbing students, and has supported apprenticeships in other departments including business administration, mechatronics maintenance engineering and manufacturing.

The Equine Carbon Calculator is a free tool developed by Derby College Group with Hartpury College, Sparsholt College Group and White Griffin, adapted from the established Farm Carbon Toolkit, to help equestrian yards, riding schools, event venues, colleges and universities measure and reduce their carbon footprint.

Since launching in March 2024, the calculator has been visited by 3,600 people, with 500 users creating accounts to measure their yard’s impact, a take up rate of more than 63% among those who engage with it.

Organisations including the British Horse Society, Derby College and Hartpury University now have three years of activity data, allowing them to track emissions and sequestration over time. The tool has been recognised by HRH The Princess Royal at the National Equine Forum and by the British Horse Council, and is now being explored for use in Europe and Asia.

Beyond the equine sector, the project has sparked wider sustainability conversations across the College, from engineering and motor vehicle departments to food technology and agriculture, and supports the development of digital, English, maths and green skills among students and the wider community.

Jon Collins, Vice Principal at Derby College Group, said: “To be named a finalist in two categories at this year’s Green Gown Awards is a fantastic reflection of the ambition and creativity of our staff, students and industry partners. From training the country’s first Low Carbon Heating Technicians, to helping the equestrian sector measure and reduce its carbon footprint through the Equine Carbon Calculator, both of these projects show what’s possible when we combine practical skills with a genuine commitment to sustainability. Congratulations to everyone involved, and good luck to them at the awards.”

The Green Gown Awards UK & Ireland are run in partnership with the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges, and are widely regarded as the leading sustainability awards for the further and higher education sector.

Winners will be announced later this year.