In a nationwide search for the UK's 'greenest' universities and colleges, Pembrokeshire College has been short-listed in three different categories for its sustainable initiatives and is representing the county at a high-profile award-ceremony in London on June 23.

The prestigious 'Green Gown' awards have attracted entries from nearly 100 academic institutions throughout the country; the shortlist reads like a who's who of the UK's top universities, including Cambridge, London School of Economics, Oxford Brookes, University of London, Imperial College - and Pembrokeshire College.

These awards recognise the exceptional initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the UK to become more sustainable.

In a competition which attracted 178 applications, Pembrokeshire College is one of only a handful of institutions to receive a short-listing in three separate categories:

• Continuous Improvement - Institutional Change - for 'embracing the sustainable challenge on all fronts'.

• Sustainable Construction and Refurbishment - for becoming the first further education building in the UK to achieve BREEAM EXCELLENCE at both design and post-completion assessment stages for the newly-built Construction Technology Centre.

• Social Responsibility - for the outstanding results of its PET Community-based learning project's social auditing.

Glyn Jones, Pembrokeshire College's principal, said: "We take our sustainable policies very seriously - as a major employer in the county, with 8,000 learners using our facilities, developing sustainable practices was vital to take on the challenge of reducing our carbon footprint and consumption of resources - for example - we have reduced our electricity consumption by 20 per cent and our gas consumption by 54 per cent over five years.

"Projects include using sustainable designs in our new building; a three-year scheme that took tutors to our learners to reduce car-use - saving more than a third of a million car miles; and by the entire organisation pursuing sustainable policies - such as using bikes and minibuses to travel to work - and embedding these policies in all aspects of our curriculum and daily operations.

"The commitment and time shown by college staff in achieving the benefits has been invaluable. I am very proud of what we have achieved and delighted that the college's hard work is being recognised at a national level."