University sponsors Best Green Business category in Stratford Herald Business and Tourism Awards 2024

ROBOTS that can grow crops, British baked beans and a net zero target by 2030 are just some of the projects in progress at the University of Warwick as it approaches its 60th anniversary.

The university is sponsoring the Best Green Business category in the Stratford Herald Business and Tourism Awards this year and it’s a perfect fit for one of top universities which has an impressively broad spectrum in research, including environment and sustainability. It also has invested in expanding its Wellesbourne Campus, where important work is taking place to help with climate change and net zero issues in mind.

But is it too late? Should sustainability have been discussed ten years ago? Prof Simon Swain, vice-president for engagement at the University of Warwick, said it should, but it’s better late than never.

“It affects all of us,” he said. “The university has declared a climate emergency and we are doing everything we can to become net zero by 2030.

“We are working to generate our own power and all new buildings are designed to be environment friendly, using minimum power sources while older buildings are upgraded wherever possible to meet building standards.

“Our Wellesbourne Campus is currently the base for a major European manufacturing group and a cleaner vehicles project. Meanwhile, we’re giving back to the grid like many universities are doing now.

“Our campus sites are not an ivory tower, people can come in walk around and see how we work to help improve sustainability.”

While Prof Swain is pragmatic, he’s also immensely positive about the future – he believes it’s the students now studying at the University of Warwick who are going to shape that future.

“They will be the ones who determine the next 30, 40, 50 years. What’s needed now is a debate on how to make progress without trashing the planet.

“Once again, our Wellesbourne Campus leads the way with research into smart pesticides and plant diseases. In the future, one of the big areas of discussion will be food supply and sustainability. We’ve produced the Warwick baked bean, which is currently going through commercial trials in Lincolnshire, and it could mean we won’t have to import baked beans from other countries anymore and that helps the climate.

“We’re working on our robots project – you can see them in action at our open days. Robots will be able grow and pick crops and weed in the future.

“We are committed to green principles on campus and in everything we do.”

Those principles are why the university is the new sponsor of the Best Green Business at this year’s Herald awards.

“We were genuinely very pleased to sponsor the Herald Business and Tourism Awards and the Best Green Business is a great category to support. We had looked at sponsoring the innovation award, but the green profile of the award suits the University of Warwick well.”

He added: “Wouldn’t it be great if a small company that we’ve never heard of wins Best Green Business because these awards help showcase the talent of all the companies that enter. From little companies big companies grow as they develop the energy, concentration and vision of the smaller company.

“Sponsoring this award is a visible way of giving a helping hand to business so when we were invited by the Herald to sponsor Best Green Business we knew it suited us. It’s absolutely vital to pat people on the back for their efforts in business, especially after Covid.

This year’s categories are:

Best Online Business

Best Family Business

Team of the Year

Community Support Award, sponsored by Stratford-upon-Avon School

Top Attraction, sponsored by Crowne Plaza hotel

Best Business Innovation, sponsored by Porterbrook

Employer of the Year, sponsored by Stratford College

Best New Business

Charity of the Year, sponsored by Orbit

Best Customer Experience

Best Green Business, sponsored by the University of Warwick.

Best Pub/Bar/Restaurant, sponsored by EFX

Employee of the Year, sponsored by Stratford District Council

Business of the Year, sponsored by Shakespeare Martineau

To enter this year’s awards, visit www.stratfordheraldawards.co.uk.