Sustainability

It is important to everyone at the College that sustainability is at the heart of the cutting-edge learning environment.  Sustainability and net zero gains are at the forefront of any new development at New College Swindon.

We are committed to minimising our carbon footprint and achieving net-zero goals. Every project is designed with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind. 

Our Net Zero Commitment 

We are making continuous improvements across our campuses and are working on aligning our net zero targets. By investing over £1 million in green technologies, the last review of the College’s Carbon reporting showed New College Swindon had reduced its carbon footprint by 166 tonnes (15%) in the past year, meaning we are well on our way on our journey to Net Zero.  

Why Now?

As the leading education provider in the local area, it is important that we are aligning our values with the local community and local businesses to make a positive contribution in the local area.  There are a lot of activities and projects that we have either already commenced or are able to start work on soon that will deliver impressive carbon footprint reductions. 

What We’ve Done So Far

Solar Panels

600kw of solar panels installed across both campuses have already seen the College’s energy requirements reduce by 20% and the addition of LED lighting across both campuses means that NCS is significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Major Improvement at QD Campus

Major improvement works at the Queens Drive Campus have seen £1 million spent to replace the roof on the main building as well as replacing the plant equipment for the buildings air conditioning and air handling systems. 

Planting Trees

315 trees, donated by the Woodland Trust have been planted on the North Star Campus and we continue to work with the Woodland Trust into 2025.

Diverting Waste Away from Landfills

From April 2025 we are working with Hills Waste management offering a more local solution to disposing of our waste in the most sustainable way possible.  Hills believe in recycling as much waste as possible and diverting waste away from landfills, using landfill only when there are no viable alternative solutions. They are also keen to generate energy from waste wherever possible too. 

Removing Gas Fossil Fuels

Major improvements to the professional kitchen and hospitality facilities in our Lyra building on the North Star campus. Removing the gas fossil fuels has allowed us to move to electric heating/ cooling and hot water systems supported by the installation of solar PV, further reducing our carbon footprint. 

Thermal Improvements

The Motor Vehicle Centre has had a new roof, and the building cladded to ensure the equipment and cars are secure, also supporting thermal improvements. With the addition of 50kw of solar panels this greatly improves the green credentials of the Motor Vehicle Centre. 

Recognising Future Skills Gaps in the Green Energy Industry 

Work has now begun on the region’s first-ever Electric Vehicle (EV) Training Hub, a innovative facility set to bridge the growing skills gap in the EV industry. 

It is predicted that by 2030, 90,000 automotive technicians will be required to provide a sufficient workforce to service the volume of zero-emissions vehicles to be on the roads. The team at NCS recognised the need for this type of training locally in an important and growing market sector and are proud to be the leading provider of Electric and Hybrid training in the area. 

Our Future Plans

We recognise there is tonnes more to be done and have the following plans in place for the next few years, including: 

• A focus on introducing additional air source heat pumps and solar panels across all sites. 
• The expansion of the North Star campus to create The Green Skills Centre.