University sustainability rankings 2019

by Laura Brown in Extra Guides, Student News

Updated 23 July 2019

Unis are under increasing pressure to be kinder to the environment – but how many are actually taking action? These university rankings reveal the best and worst places for sustainability.

Credit: Tetiana Shumbasova (background) – Shutterstock

The general UK university rankings can tell us a lot, but when it comes to some of the issues we really care about, like (a big one!) the planet, they can fall a bit short.

If you've been wondering how sustainable your university is, wonder no more. Here are the comprehensive results on the environmental and ethical performance of unis in the UK.

Find out where your university ranks in the world – there are a fair few UK unis in the top 200.

How the university sustainability league is calculated

Credit: CBC

These rankings were compiled by People & Planet, including 154 unis across the UK.

You'll see in our run-down of the results below that each university's been given a total percentage score. This is worked out based on their performance in 13 categories:

Environmental policy
Sustainability staff
Environmental Management System (EMS) auditing
Ethical investment
Carbon management
Workers' rights
Sustainable food
Engagement
Education
Energy Sources
Waste and recycling
Carbon reduction
Water reduction

Each university's scores across all categories are combined, with some categories carrying more weight than others. An overall total percentage is calculated, and the higher the total percentage, the higher the ranking!

Now on to the interesting bit...

Thinking about moving to more eco-friendly countries? Here's how much it can cost to study abroad.

10 most eco-friendly universities

Credit: NBC

Here are the 10 most sustainable universities in the UK:

University of Gloucestershire – 80.6%
Manchester Metropolitan University – 79.9%
Nottingham Trent University – 75.2%
Northumbria University – 66.6%
City, University of London – 66.4%

University of Worcester – 66.4%

Coventry University – 65.9%
University of Bedfordshire – 65.3%
Aston University – 63%

Swansea University – 63%

If you're wondering how the University of Gloucestershire managed to come out top in these rankings, it probably had something to do with scoring 100% for sustainable food, 100% for carbon reduction, 100% for auditing and EMS and (you guessed it!) 100% for carbon management. Wow.

The University of Gloucestershire's response

University of Gloucestershire

How did the University of Gloucestershire respond to being number one for sustainability?

In a joint statement, Dr Alex Ryan (Director of Sustainability) and Miriam Webb (Sustainability Engagement Manager) from the uni told us:

We are thrilled that we’ve topped the league table again!

Since the league started in 2007 – when it was optional to take part – the whole sustainability agenda in the university sector has moved on.

There is friendly competition among the growing number of universities of all sizes who are making moves in this agenda, which is pushing progress forwards all the time.

This isn't the first time the University of Gloucestershire have come first in this league...

We were last at the top of the league in 2008 and we have held a top 10 position since the start (we’re the only university who has held top 10 place on every run of the league) but the performance levels increase each year so it takes more to be ahead of the curve.

So for our university, as one of the original pace-setters, to still be able to compete with the larger players, is a great credit to the commitment and the results that we’ve achieved, which are now led by students, staff and partners across the university.

While places like the University of Gloucestershire are leading the way in terms of sustainability, others, in comparison, are doing much (much!) less. Let's hope your uni doesn't appear on the list below.

10 least eco-friendly universities

Credit: ABC

Stranmillis University College – 15.5%%
The University College of Osteopathy – 15.4%
Glasgow School of Art – 15.2%
Royal Academy of Music – 14.7%
University of Bolton – 14.3%
Leeds Trinity University – 13.7%
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Drama – 13.1%
Royal Veterinary College – 11.6%
University of the Highlands and Islands – 10.2%
Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance – 9.8%

Scoring 0% across eight categories, including sustainable food, workers' rights, sustainability staff and ethical investment, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance is placed 154th out of 154 universities.

But, it's important to note that, if People & Planet can't find information for some categories (i.e. if the university hasn't made some info public), they will give them a score of zero. So, we hope, Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance may be a bit more sustainable than the results suggest.

If you've not seen your university yet, check out the full university league table for sustainability below.

Full university league table for sustainability

Ranking	University	Total score
1	University of Gloucestershire	80.6%
2	Manchester Metropolitan University	79.9%
3	Nottingham Trent University	75.2%
4	Northumbria University	66.6%
5=	City, University of London	66.4%
5=	University of Worcester	66.4%
7	Coventry University	65.9%
8	University of Bedfordshire	65.3%
9=	Aston University	63%
9=	Swansea University	63%
11	University of Bristol	62.9%
12	Newcastle University	61.5%
13	London School of Economics and Political Science	60.5%
14	University of Greenwich	59.8%
15=	De Montfort University	59.6%
15=	Plymouth University	59.6%
17	Canterbury Christ Church University	58.7%
18	UCL	58.2%
19	Keele University	58.5%
20	University of the Arts, London	58.3%
21	Bangor University	57.9%
22	King's College London	57.8%
23	University of Leeds	56.5%
24	Glasgow Caledonian University	56.4%
25	University of Bradford	56%
26	University of Brighton	55.9%
27=	Bath Spa University	55.7%
27=	Bournemouth University	55.7%
29	University of Reading	55%
30	University of East Anglia	54.6%
31	University of Wales Trinity Saint David	53.3%
32	SOAS, University of London	53.2%
33	University of Winchester	52.8%
34	Birmingham City University	51.9%
35	University of Leicester	51.4%
36	Birkbeck, University of London	51.3%
37	University of Exeter	50.4%
38	University of Edinburgh	49.3%
39	University of the West of England, Bristol	48.9%
40	University of Kent	48.2%
41	London Metropolitan University	48%
42	University of Central Lancashire	47.8%
43	Anglia Ruskin University	47.4%
44	University of Essex	47.2%
45	University of Oxford	46.9%
46	Cardiff University	46.8%
47=	Glyndwr University	46.6%
47=	University of Hull	46.6%
49	University of West London	46.4%
50	Sheffield Hallam University	45.5%
51	University of Sussex	45.3%
52=	London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine	44.9%
52=	Southampton Solent University	44.9%
54	Teesside University	44%
55	Edinburgh Napier University	43.8%
56	University of Derby	43.7%
57	University of Ulster	43.5%
58	Loughborough University	43.4%
59	University of Manchester	43.1%
60	University of Warwick	42.9%
61	Leeds Beckett University	42.4%
62	University of Chester	42.2%
63	University of Westminster	42%
64	University of Salford	41.9%
65	London South Bank University	41.6%
66	University of Sheffield	41.4%
67	University of Cambridge	41.3%
68	Cardiff Metropolitan University	41.2%
69	Royal Agricultural University	40.4%
70	University of Bath	40.3%
71	Liverpool John Moores University	39.9%
72	Oxford Brookes University	39.8%
73	University of St Andrews	39.5%
74	Middlesex University	39.1%
75	University of Nottingham	39%
76	Newman University	38.5%
77	Guildhall School of Music and Drama	37.8%
78	Royal College of Music, London	37.4%
79	University of York	37.2%
80	University of Lincoln	36.8%
81	Buckinghamshire New University	35.9%
82	University for the Creative Arts	35.7%
83	Queen Mary University of London	35.1%
84	Aberystwyth University	34.4%
85=	University of Chichester	33.5%
85=	University of Glasgow	33.5%
85=	Staffordshire University	33.5%
88	Arts University Bournemouth	33%
89	University of Birmingham	32.8%
90	Cranfield University	32.2%
91	Lancaster University	31.6%
92	Edge Hill University	30.5%
93	Kingston University	30.4%
94	University of Southampton	30.1%
95	University of Hertfordshire	29.7%
96	Durham University	29%
97	University of Stirling	28.7%
98	Bishop Grosseteste University	28.5%
99	University of Liverpool	28.2%
100	University of Sunderland	27.8%
101	Goldsmiths, University of London	27.7%
102	University of Northampton	27.5%
103	Queens University of Belfast	27.4%
104	University of Suffolk	27.1%
105=	Heriot-Watt University	26.9%
105=	University of East London	26.9%
107	University of Portsmouth	26.4%
108	Falmouth University	26.2%
109	University of Huddersfield	26%
110	Ravensbourne University of London	25.9%
111	University of Cumbria	24.8%
112	Brunel University London	24.6%
113	University of Surrey	24.4%
114=	The Robert Gordon University	24.1%
114=	The University of the West of Scotland	24.1%
116	University of Abertay Dundee	23.9%
117	University of Aberdeen	23.3%
118=	Royal Northern College of Music	23.2%
118=	University of Strathclyde	23.2%
120=	Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London	23.1%
120=	Liverpool Hope University	23.1%
120=	Royal Holloway, University of London	23.1%
123	University of Wolverhampton	22.4%
124	York St John University	21.3%
125	University of South Wales	21.2%
126	Leeds Arts University	20.8%
127	The Open University	20.4%
128=	The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama	20.1%
128=	Queen Margaret University	20.1%
130	Imperial College London	20%
131	Writtle University College	19.8%
132	Roehampton University	19.7%
133	Harper Adams University	19.2%
134	University of Dundee	19%
135	University College Birmingham	18.3%
136	St George's, University of London	18.1%
137	Norwich University of the Arts	17.2%
138=	The Institute of Cancer Research	17.1%
138=	St Mary's University College Belfast	17.1%
140=	London Business School	16.8%
140=	Royal College of Art	16.8%
140=	St Mary's University, Twickenham	16.8%
143	Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine	16.1%
144	University of St Mark and St John	15.9%
145	Stranmillis University College	15.5%
146	The University College of Osteopathy	15.4%
147	Glasgow School of Art	15.2%
148	Royal Academy of Music	14.7%
149	University of Bolton	14.3%
150	Leeds Trinity University	13.7%
151	Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance	13.1%
152	Royal Veterinary College	11.6%
153	University of the Highlands and Islands	10.2%
154	Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance	9.8%

How to live sustainably on a budget

Credit: Watchara Ritjan – Shutterstock

Sometimes, it can feel like an impossible task to save the environment and your bank account. But, thankfully, there are ways to live more sustainably without spending a fortune.

One easy way to cut down on plastic waste, and save money in the process, is by no longer buying cups of coffee or bottled drinks while you're out.

Buying a reusable water bottle like a travel coffee cup will make a massive difference. After the initial purchases, you'll be able to fill them up for free with tap water, or get small discounts off hot drinks at some chain coffee shops for using your own cup.

Also, you can avoid food waste (and the extra cost of replacing out-of-date food) with some careful changes to how you buy and store food. Check out our tips on how to keep food fresh for longer.

It's also worth reading our guide on how to cut down on plastic and save money to see how our editor, Jess, got on when she tried the plastic-free challenge on a budget.

The University of Gloucestershire's tips

With the University of Gloucestershire ranking first for sustainability in these league tables, we asked their sustainability team how students can reduce their impact on the environment without spending a fortune.

Dr Alex Ryan and Miriam Webb from the University of Gloucestershire's sustainability team told us:

We know students care deeply about sustainability and the long term big picture for communities across the globe, but students also have to wrestle with difficult financial pressures every day.

Sustainability has to bring the concerns of planet and purse together.

As part of their Live Smart programme, they offer advice to students on living sustainably for less. You can find their tips here.

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