Trinity raises fifth consecutive Green Flag

Posted on: 12 May 2026

Pictured above:  Green Campus Committee members, Trinity Sustainability and Estates and Facilities colleagues with representatives from An Taisce with the newly awarded Green Flag. 

This afternoon, Students' Union Environmental Representative Amelia Flanagan raised a new Green Flag, which serves as an international sustainability benchmark that operates in 30 countries around the world.  In Ireland, it is awarded through An Taisce’s Green Campus programme for completing seven required steps that measure commitment and action toward environmental sustainability. Trinity was first awarded the Green Flag in 2013 with subsequent renewal flags in 2016, 2019, 2023 and now 2026.

The Green Flag is awarded through the Green Campus programme which encourages a partnership approach between students and staff members to embed sustainability across the campus. The Green Campus committee is a fundamental part of the programme and is chaired by the Sustainability Manager, Jane Hackett and SU Environmental Representative Amelia Flanagan.

The renewal process happens every three years with the submission of a comprehensive renewal application which is reviewed by a panel of expert assessors. The assessors then visit the University for a presentation, meet the committee and key stakeholders and carry out a sustainability tour of the campus. The assessors recommended the University was awarded its fifth Green Flag and commented that “An Taisce and the panel members wish to congratulate Trinity College on their achievements thus far and look forward to working further with the campus long into the future.”

  Key highlights from An Taisce’s report include:

• A multifaceted approach to sustainability: Nature Positive Campus, Climate Smart Campus, Green Labs, Active Travel campus, Circular Campus, Sustainable & Healthy food initiatives, Green procurement, Education for Sustainable Development at Trinity, Library sustainability initiatives and the sustainability newsletter were all given as examples in the report.
• High-level commitment through embedding sustainability in the University’s Strategic Plan:
• Well organised commitment and impact on biodiversity through the hiring of a Biodiversity Officer and development of a Biodiversity Plan
• Reduced energy usage and increased efficiencies across campus
• Significant increase in labs participating in and becoming certified through My Green Labs with the support of a new Green Labs Officer and Green Labs Committee.
• Transport – the Campus Travel Plan, additional secure bike parking and active travel promotion were mentioned.
• Student-led activities such as Trash to Treasure and new student ex-officio roles in the Green Campus Committee
• Well established and embedded processes of environmental review, action planning, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation

“I am delighted that Trinity has been awarded its fifth Green Flag in recognition of sustained action for sustainability by so many members of the Trinity community over so many years. Congratulations to the Green Campus Committee for all their work, and to everyone across Trinity who is involved in making our campus more sustainable. In particular, Jane Hackett, our Sustainability Manager, has done a terrific job of bringing everything together in the renewal application - this was no small task, given the amount and breadth of work in this area over the past three years. With biodiversity and climate action embedded in the Trinity Strategy, Thrive, I sincerely hope Trinity will be a Green Flag University for many years to come."” said Vice President for Biodiversity and Climate Action Jane Stout. 

If you would like to get involved with the Green Campus Committee and sustainability efforts on campus, email sustainability@tcd.ie.  

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