Inspire Education Group Win Sustainability Award at the 2025 Peterborough Telegraph Business Awards

Inspire Education Group (IEG) has been awarded the Sustainability Award at the 2025 Peterborough Telegraph Business Awards, recognising the organisation’s long-term commitment to environmental leadership, innovation, and the development of green skills across the region.

Judges commended IEG for taking a strategic and evidence-driven approach to sustainability, embedding environmental responsibility across its curriculum, estates, operations and community engagement. The Group’s winning submission demonstrated measurable progress in reducing carbon emissions, improving resource efficiency and supporting large-scale behaviour change across its workforce and student population.

Central to IEG’s success was its award-winning Circular Solution for Waste Management project, which transformed disused campus materials into durable, zero-waste recycling stations. This initiative diverted 100% of materials from landfill and reduced procurement costs by more than 97%, while encouraging greater understanding of circular economy principles across campuses. The project has already received international recognition, earning IEG a 2025 Green Apple Environment Award for Sustainable Development.

Over the last 18 months, IEG has delivered significant improvements to its carbon performance and resource use. Between 2022/23 and 2023/24, the Group reduced its overall carbon footprint by 1.5%, with a 6.6% reduction in Scope 1 emissions and a drop of over 295,000 kWh in electricity usage. Energy-efficiency upgrades — including LED lighting installations, high-efficiency boilers, improved insulation and double glazing — have supported this progress, guided by annual audits and IEG’s Carbon Reduction Plan.

IEG has also reduced its annual print volume by one million pages through enhanced digital systems and upgraded multi-function devices, preventing unnecessary waste and generating a saving of approximately £130,000. These behavioural and digital improvements complement the Group’s operational work and contribute to its long-term sustainability goals.

A further contributor to IEG’s award win is its leadership in green skills development. The Group’s new £13.7 million Centre for Green Technology at Peterborough College — designed to be net-zero ready and powered by solar energy — will equip hundreds of students each year with expertise in retrofit, renewable energy, electric vehicle maintenance and low-carbon construction. Developed with employers such as Worcester Bosch and Rolec EV, the centre plays a vital role in meeting local and national demand for a skilled green workforce.

IEG has been a member of Investors in the Environment for 12 years and has consistently achieved the organisation’s highest-level Green Award. This long-term commitment, alongside its operational, educational and community impact, reflects the organisation’s role as a sustainability leader within the FE sector and the wider region.

IEG was also proud to sponsor this year’s awards, celebrating innovation, enterprise and positive environmental impact across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

These efforts support the UK’s net zero targets, regional climate action plans, and local authority sustainability ambitions — while preparing students for future-focused careers in green industries.