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CSC landmark wins award for sustainable excellence

Copenhagen Science City-partner the University of Copenhagen has been awarded the prestigious Building and Innovative Infrastructure Award for the Maersk Tower’s excellence in sustainability performance.

The Maersk Tower is the newest landmark of Copenhagen Science City. Inaugurated in 2017, the 15-storey building houses state-of-the-art research laboratories, offices and teaching facilities for the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen.

The announcement of the award for the Maersk Tower took place at the International Sustainability Campus Network (ISCN) 2018 Conference held in Stockholm on 13 June 2018. Here more than 240 participants from 120 different universities and higher-education organisations were brought together to celebrate achievement in sustainable development.

Awarding the best within sustainable development

Every year the ISCN conference brings together leaders, practitioners and change agents for a unique opportunity to exchange perspectives and form global partnerships in pursuit of sustainability. The aim of this year’s conference was to emphasise the current and future role of higher education institutions for sustainable development.

One of the most anticipated events at the conference was the annual ISCN Sustainable Campus Excellence Award Ceremony. These awards recognise universities for their exceptional sustainability efforts in campus planning, integration with academics, student leadership, and exemplary building projects.

Prioritising sustainability from the start

The Building and Innovative Infrastructure Award specifically recognises campus infrastructure projects intended to improve the sustainability performance of the built environment on campus.

Sustainability was a top priority in designing the Maersk Tower from the beginning, and a large number of solutions targeting sustainability challenges have been integrated into the building’s design and construction. Rainwater is collected and recycled for flushing toilets and watering the campus park. Energy use and ventilation systems are based on principles of sustainability and energy conservation, for instance, ocean water from the Oresund is used for district cooling and solar panels are used to produce energy. Besides this, the campus also offers first class bicycle facilities to motivate students and staff to bike to work. Read more about all the sustainable solutions here.

Towards a sustainable society

Higher education is an exciting and growing area for sustainability, with many opportunities to reduce impact through innovation and leadership. Higher education institutions have a unique role and responsibility for the future and for driving the development of a sustainable society.

This award underlines the position of the University of Copenhagen and the Maersk Tower as a global flagship in the effort to integrate sustainability in higher education institutions. It inspires other universities around the world to develop innovative solutions and methods to address a sustainable future.