The University of Plymouth has been award the top spot in the People & Planet’s Green League 2010, unveiled today by the UK’s leading student campaign network.
The Green League is the only league table ranking all UK universities by environmental performance.
It is based on 11 environmental policy and performance-related criteria including carbon emissions per head, waste recycling rates and new criteria measuring the sector’s efforts to engage students and staff in cutting carbon emissions.
The University of Plymouth topped the table with strong scores in both the environmental policy and performance sections. Also in the top five are the universities of Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Central Lancashire, Aston and Nottingham Trent.
For the first time ever, the Green League 2010 compared the scope and ambition of universities’ carbon reduction plans against sector-wide climate targets introduced earlier this year by HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE.
While some universities are on track to cut emissions by 34% over the next 10 years, the majority (107 universities) have short-term targets equivalent to less than 3.5% annual cuts.
According to the People & Planet campaign group this shows a severe lack of ambition and urgency across the majority of the sector, despite the fact that capital funding will soon be linked to emissions cuts.
Louise Hazan, People & Planet’s climate campaigner, said: “We expected this year’s Green League to show the sector making a clear transition towards low-carbon operations - students have been demanding this for years.
“Despite clear improvements across the board on policy and student engagement, we found that the sector as a whole is emitting 25% more carbon now than it did 5 years ago. That’s obviously incredibly worrying with regards to climate change”
As more universities than ever are embarking on low-carbon transition programmes, this year’s Green League reveals many are adding as much as a third to their staff and students’ carbon footprints through a lack of effective environmental management and leadership.
Emissions come from fossil-fuel based energy, inefficient buildings, and lack of recycling facilities and green transport options.
Iain Patton, chief executive of the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges, agrees that student engagement is key, and said: “If you make every university graduate 10 per cent more sustainable, however you measure it, that’s more impact than if you switch off all the lights in every university for a year”
People & Planet’s Director, Ian Leggett, added: “People & Planet congratulates all those universities which achieved First Class awards in this year’s Green League. Their success is a tribute to sustained leadership and comprehensive efforts to achieve the necessary transition to a low-carbon higher education sector. But we can’t leave it to a small number of leading institutions: all universities must play their part and take urgent and ambitious environmental action now. This year’s Green League shows us that too many in the sector are not responding to the challenge.”
More universities than ever participated in this year's People & Planet’s Green League, with 133 of the 137 eligible for inclusion providing People & Planet and HEFCE with enough information to be entered.
This year People & Planet strengthened its methodology and process to make the Green League 2010 the most rigorous yet. After extensive consultation with environment managers and experts in the sector the research team has added new criteria to measure carbon reductions, sustainable procurement initiatives and the levels and impact of student/staff engagement.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne, said: “The Green League throws a spotlight onto the work being done in universities to cut emissions, and I hope it will encourage universities and students to redouble their efforts in the fight against climate change.
“It is the students in universities today who will be carrying on the work to build the low carbon Britain of tomorrow, and it is vital that universities and Government set a good example.
For the first time ever, the Green League 2010 compared the scope and ambition of 133 universities’ carbon reduction plans against sector-wide climate targets introduced earlier this year by UUK, GuildHE and HEFCE.
Whilst some universities are on track to cut emissions by 34% over the next 10 years, the Green League also shows a severe lack of ambition and urgency across the sector more broadly.
If you are concidering going to uni check out it’s performance first as studying or working at the greenest UK unis has a minimal impact on your carbon footprint, whereas studying at the worst in People & Planet’s Green League 2010 adds almost a third to the average UK carbon footprint.
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