The People & Planet University League, published since 2007, ranks 150 UK universities on the basis of their green credentials, measuring both commitment and performance.
Topping the list (for the third time) is Nottingham Trent University, closely followed by the University of Brighton and Manchester Metropolitan University.
The reasons for Nottingham Trent’s commitment to carbon reduction go beyond the environment, with NTU’s environmental manager Grant Anderson stating that: “We think it will give our students an edge in their careers to have considered some of the environmental challenges they will face in their lifetime.”
Despite these spirited individual performances, as a whole the commitment of British institutions towards the environment looks shaky compared to previous years.
The study noted that less than a quarter of UK universities are on course to meet carbon reduction targets in the next four years, down from over 40 per cent in previous rankings. This is despite the fact that 42 institutions are already committed to divesting fossil fuel companies from future endowments.
People & Planet outlined the reason for these struggles as a reduced amount of government support and incentivisation, noting a decrease in the number of dedicated environmental staff at universities, as well as a reduction in government environmental initiatives since 2010.
People & Planet University League: UK universities ranked on environmental credentials
|
Rank |
University |
Environmental Class |
Total Score (%) |
|
1 |
1st |
76.2 |
|
|
2 |
1st |
74.8 |
|
|
3 |
1st |
73.8 |
|
|
4 |
1st |
73 |
|
|
5 |
1st |
72.8 |
|
|
6 |
1st |
71.4 |
|
|
7 |
1st |
70.6 |
|
|
8= |
1st |
68.2 |
|
|
8= |
1st |
68.2 |
|
|
10 |
1st |
64.8 |
|
|
11 |
1st |
64.7 |
|
|
12 |
Plymouth University |
1st |
64.3 |
|
13 |
1st |
64 |
|
|
14 |
1st |
63.5 |
|
|
15 |
1st |
62.6 |
|
|
16= |
1st |
62.1 |
|
|
16= |
1st |
62.1 |
|
|
18 |
1st |
60.9 |
|
|
19 |
1st |
60.6 |
|
|
20 |
1st |
60.1 |
|
|
21 |
1st |
59.5 |
|
|
22 |
1st |
59.3 |
|
|
23 |
1st |
57.4 |
|
|
24 |
1st |
56.9 |
|
|
25 |
Soas, University of London |
1st |
56.4 |
|
26 |
1st |
55.8 |
|
|
27 |
1st |
54.9 |
|
|
28 |
1st |
54.6 |
|
|
29 |
University College London |
1st |
54 |
|
30 |
1st |
53.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31 |
2:1 |
52.2 |
|
|
32 |
2:1 |
51.9 |
|
|
33 |
2:1 |
51.6 |
|
|
34= |
2:1 |
50.8 |
|
|
34= |
2:1 |
50.8 |
|
|
36 |
2:1 |
50.7 |
|
|
37 |
2:1 |
50.1 |
|
|
38= |
2:1 |
49.2 |
|
|
38= |
2:1 |
49.2 |
|
|
40 |
Anglia Ruskin University |
2:1 |
48.3 |
|
41 |
2:1 |
46.7 |
|
|
42 |
2:1 |
46.5 |
|
|
43 |
2:1 |
46.3 |
|
|
44 |
2:1 |
46.1 |
|
|
45 |
2:1 |
46 |
|
|
46= |
2:1 |
45.9 |
|
|
46= |
2:1 |
45.9 |
|
|
48 |
2:1 |
45.6 |
|
|
49 |
2:1 |
44.6 |
|
|
50= |
2:1 |
44 |
|
|
50= |
2:1 |
44 |
|
|
52 |
2:1 |
43.7 |
|
|
53 |
2:1 |
43.5 |
|
|
54 |
2:1 |
43.4 |
|
|
55 |
Ulster University |
2:1 |
42.8 |
|
56 |
2:1 |
42.5 |
|
|
57= |
2:1 |
42.3 |
|
|
57= |
2:1 |
42.3 |
|
|
59 |
2:1 |
41.6 |
|
|
60 |
2:1 |
41.5 |
|
|
61 |
2:1 |
41.1 |
|
|
62 |
2:1 |
41 |
|
|
63 |
2:1 |
40.7 |
|
|
64 |
2:1 |
40.1 |
|
|
65 |
2:1 |
39.9 |
|
|
66 |
2:1 |
39.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
67 |
2:2 |
39.2 |
|
|
68= |
2:2 |
39 |
|
|
68= |
2:2 |
39 |
|
|
70= |
2:2 |
38.8 |
|
|
70= |
2:2 |
38.8 |
|
|
72= |
Southampton Solent University |
2:2 |
38.7 |
|
72= |
2:2 |
38.7 |
|
|
74 |
2:2 |
38.6 |
|
|
75 |
2:2 |
38.5 |
|
|
76 |
2:2 |
38.4 |
|
|
77 |
2:2 |
38 |
|
|
78 |
2:2 |
37.9 |
|
|
79 |
2:2 |
37.7 |
|
|
80 |
2:2 |
37.4 |
|
|
81 |
2:2 |
37.3 |
|
|
82 |
2:2 |
37 |
|
|
83 |
2:2 |
36.7 |
|
|
84 |
2:2 |
36.6 |
|
|
85 |
2:2 |
36.5 |
|
|
86 |
2:2 |
36.3 |
|
|
87 |
2:2 |
35.5 |
|
|
88 |
2:2 |
35.2 |
|
|
89 |
2:2 |
35 |
|
|
90 |
2:2 |
34.9 |
|
|
91 |
2:2 |
34.8 |
|
|
92= |
2:2 |
34.5 |
|
|
92= |
2:2 |
34.5 |
|
|
94 |
Brunel University London |
2:2 |
34.4 |
|
95 |
2:2 |
34.3 |
|
|
96 |
2:2 |
33.4 |
|
|
97 |
2:2 |
33.3 |
|
|
98 |
2:2 |
33.1 |
|
|
99 |
2:2 |
33 |
|
|
100 |
2:2 |
32.9 |
|
|
101 |
2:2 |
32.6 |
|
|
102 |
2:2 |
32.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
103= |
3rd |
32 |
|
|
103= |
Staffordshire University |
3rd |
32 |
|
105 |
3rd |
31.8 |
|
|
106 |
3rd |
31.7 |
|
|
107 |
3rd |
31.3 |
|
|
108 |
3rd |
31 |
|
|
109 |
3rd |
29.1 |
|
|
110= |
3rd |
28.4 |
|
|
110= |
3rd |
28.4 |
|
|
112 |
3rd |
28.3 |
|
|
113 |
3rd |
28.2 |
|
|
114 |
3rd |
27.9 |
|
|
115 |
3rd |
27.5 |
|
|
116 |
3rd |
27.4 |
|
|
117 |
3rd |
26.7 |
|
|
118= |
3rd |
26.4 |
|
|
118= |
The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
3rd |
26.4 |
|
120= |
3rd |
25.7 |
|
|
120= |
3rd |
25.7 |
|
|
122 |
Roehampton University |
3rd |
25.2 |
|
123 |
3rd |
25 |
|
|
124 |
3rd |
24.9 |
|
|
125 |
3rd |
24.2 |
|
|
126= |
St Mary’s University College Belfast |
3rd |
24 |
|
126= |
3rd |
24 |
|
|
128 |
3rd |
23.9 |
|
|
129= |
3rd |
23.7 |
|
|
129= |
3rd |
23.7 |
|
|
131 |
University of Abertay Dundee |
3rd |
23.5 |
|
132 |
Glyndwr University |
3rd |
23.4 |
|
133 |
3rd |
23 |
|
|
134= |
3rd |
22.8 |
|
|
134= |
Open University |
3rd |
22.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
136 |
Fail |
20.7 |
|
|
137 |
Fail |
20.4 |
|
|
138 |
Fail |
20.2 |
|
|
139 |
Fail |
20.1 |
|
|
140 |
Fail |
19.6 |
|
|
141 |
Heythrop College |
Fail |
19 |
|
142 |
Writtle College |
Fail |
18.3 |
|
143 |
University of St Mark and St John |
Fail |
17.8 |
|
144 |
Fail |
14.3 |
|
|
145 |
Fail |
13 |
|
|
146 |
Fail |
12.8 |
|
|
147 |
Fail |
10.4 |
|
|
148 |
Fail |
9.5 |
|
|
149 |
Fail |
7.1 |
|
|
150 |
Fail |
6.8 |
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