As a regional Green Gown winner, the University progressed to represent the UK and Ireland on the global stage at the international awards.
The International Green Gown Awards recognise, celebrate and showcase exceptional sustainability initiatives from education institutions around the world.
The Climate Cup is a student-led engagement programme where Loughborough student sports clubs compete to be the most sustainable. The initiative used the power of competition to combat climate change and restore nature and was delivered in partnership with Carbon Jacked, a social enterprise that believes ‘saving the planet shouldn’t be boring.’
Throughout 2025, students took on challenges covering climate, nature and communications. These were supported by in-person sessions, social media campaigns, and career-focused events, all designed to empower students to take meaningful environmental action.
The Climate Cup inspired over 20 teams, representing thousands of students, to take impactful and diverse environmental action. Their actions included assessing team carbon footprints, fundraising for environmental charities, cleaning waterways, reducing waste, and promoting sustainable travel. Due to its success, the programme was rolled out to include all Athletic Union clubs this year.
Elliott Brown, Sustainability Manager, commented: “Being shortlisted as an International Green Gown Awards finalist is a fantastic recognition of the passion and leadership shown by our students. The Climate Cup demonstrates that sustainability engagement is most powerful when it is creative, competitive and rooted in communities that students already care about. We’re incredibly proud to see the direct actions our students take being represented on the global stage.”
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 7 September 2026.