Cardiff Met scoops silver for sustainability at estates and facilities awards
Cardiff Metropolitan University has been awarded silver for improving sustainability throughout its estate in the AUDE Awards 2025 – an organisation which works with estates and facilities management professionals at universities.
The annual AUDE awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of estates and facilities professionals in the UK higher education sector.
Cardiff Met was awarded silver in the AUDE Sustainability Impact Initiative category - which gives recognition for a specific initiative having a significant impact on the institution, the sector, or profession.
The University received the award for their Smart Estate initiative which addresses systematic challenges in estate management through a scalable, data-driven framework that optimises space utilisation, improves internal environments, and reduces energy waste and emissions.
By integrating sensors and real-time analytics, the University avoided the need for construction works valued at £5.1m that would have emitted 457 tonnes of CO2 for planned works in 2023/24, while evidence-based analysis has mitigated the need for future planned construction works estimated to otherwise cost £53m for growth in general teaching space.
When the awards were submitted, phase two of the initiative, which focuses on energy reductions, had achieved a 483 MWh reduction in gas and electricity over five months compared to the prior year.
Since the original award submission, the University has achieved a 1.6 giga watt hour reduction in energy consumption in an eight month period, comprising a reduction of more than 18% in gas and 7% in electricity compared to the prior year, saving over £500k as a result.
Graham Lewis, Chief Officer University Environments and Property at Cardiff Metropolitan University said: “Receiving an AUDE silver award is a huge achievement for Cardiff Met and we are delighted to have been able to counter some of the false narratives about the cost of net zero. Our initiative has resulted in significant reductions in cost and carbon without the need for major investment or disruption. In celebrating this award I’d like to shine the spotlight on our estates and facilities team who made this possible.
“So often our operational teams are invisible except when things go awry, so it is fabulous that the hard work of our energy manager Lee Davies and the rest of the team has been recognised in this way. We thank them for their ongoing commitment to improving our campus for staff and students, and the work they are doing to put sustainability at the top of the agenda.”
Cardiff Met’s win at the AUDE Awards is further testament of the work the University is doing to transform campus spaces and save money and carbon. The Aude Award builds on earlier industry recognition of our sustainability activities, supported by AI-powered building analytics company SmartViz, with whom we won the ‘best use of technology’ TechFest Award at the Festival of Innovation and Technology.
The AUDE Awards team congratulated this year’s winners, saying: “The AUDE Awards are an annual highlight for the association, giving us a chance to focus on some of the fantastic estates and facilities teams, and their projects, that contribute so significantly to the success of our universities, year-round.
“Many congratulations to all of our award winners, shortlisted and nominated individuals, projects, organisations and teams.”
Cardiff Met is currently ranked 12th in the UK and is the most sustainable university in Wales in in the People and Planet University League 2024/25 - the only comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance.
Find out more about sustainability at Cardiff Met on the University webpage.