Our Sustainability Commitment
Actively embedding sustainability into all disciplines, operations and activities of the university community.
The sustainability framework articulates the University's commitment in implementing new ways of governing and operating in a warming world.
The commitments that have been formalised in writing are deliberately ambitious and represent a strengthened commitment to lead and act on sustainability challenges. The University acknowledges the seriousness and urgency of the threats posed by a changing climate and fully support a lower emissions future. Focussing on the integration of sustainability in research, teaching and engagement, governance and operations, the University aspires to developing its campuses as models of resilient communities.
To develop the Sustainability Plan the University consulted widely with students, staff, and the wider community where the passion for achieving a sustainabe campuses was strongly evident.
Sustainability is not only critical within the University community but also in the external relationships which impact our processes, procurement and operations.
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Reporting
Sustainability Reports
- Sustainability Report 2018
- Sustainability Report 2017
- Sustainability Report 2016
- Sustainability Report 2015
Environmental Impact Management
- Biodiversity Management Plan: the University’s approach to valuing and maintaining on-campus biodiversity by integrating its management into the three major aspects of operations, research and learning and teaching.
- Greenhouse Gas Inventory: summarising total greenhouse gas emissions with a breakdown by contributing activity.
- Green Star Communities: the first and only University to achieve a 6-Star Green Communities rating.
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Investments
- Sustainable Investment Framework released
- Sustainable Investment Framework - Process for Development: the University’s approach to developing a Sustainable Investment Framework in line with the priority actions detailed in the Sustainability Plan 2017 – 2020.
- Investments Forum: in March 2016, a forum to debate the most effective approach a university can take to support the limiting of global warming to 2 degrees.
Sustainability Survey
The biennial Sustainability Survey asks staff and students across all campuses about their behaviours and views towards sustainability at the University. We ask the University community to evaluate how well we embed sustainability practices, how they think our initiatives are performing, and what they identify as key concerns.
The 2020 Sustainability Survey closed on Friday 19 June, with the findings to be published as a report later in the year.
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Survey reports
The University uses the findings of the Sustainability Survey to determine future initiatives and improve sustainability on campus. Check out the survey findings of previous years by downloading the following reports.