Cambridge Regional College (CRC) has been given a top environmental award for its ambitious carbon reduction plans.

The college was given a ISO14001 certification after proving it could lower its carbon footprint by up to 40 per cent over the next five years.

Sarah Bearpark, environmental and sustainability manager at CRC, said the ISO accreditation was a huge achievement for the college.

“We are absolutely delighted to be the first FE college in England to receive the accreditation for our whole site,” she said.

“Reducing our carbon footprint by 40 per cent is an ambitious target, but we are determined to make a real difference.”

Cambridge Regional College will save 384 tonnes of carbon over the next few months by replacing all of its lighting with LED lights.

Other measures include installing timers on electronic equipment and reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

“There are many small things we can do which together can have a big impact,” Bearpark added.