About The Awards

The ISCN Excellence Awards recognize exceptional contributions by universities toward advancing sustainability in higher education. Now in its seventeenth year, the 2025 Awards will highlight innovative initiatives, transformative programs, and impactful projects that exemplify global best practices and inspire action across the higher education community.

The ISCN Awards recognize excellence in the areas of Whole Systems Approach, Partnerships for Progress, and Cultural Change for Sustainability.

In addition, the Honorary Member Award may be granted to an outstanding project from a non-member institution that demonstrates a strong commitment to ISCN’s guiding principles.

Award recipients receive a commemorative plaque and are featured on the ISCN website, where their work is showcased as a case study to inspire universities worldwide.

Application Process

Applications are reviewed by an international jury of sustainability experts, who evaluate submissions using standardized criteria to select one winner per category. The ISCN Secretariat will notify all applicants of the outcomes once the judging process has concluded.

Application dates and detailed guidelines for the 2025 ISCN Awards will be announced soon. We encourage you to start considering which projects you may want to submit, and sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest updates.