Sustainability success for Northumbria University

5th December 2017

Northumbria University, Newcastle, has risen 64 places in the past five years in the ultimate UK universities’ environmental table, and gained recognition in the national Green Gown Awards.

The University has risen to 37th place in the Annual People & Planet University League - its highest ever ranking in this league table.

Scoring particularly well in the areas of staff and student engagement, carbon management, and waste management, Northumbria has risen up the Annual People & Planet University League 2017 from a starting position of 101st in 2012.

Northumbria also went on to be shortlisted and ‘highly commended’ in two categories at the prestigious Green Gown Awards, organised by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC).

The awards ceremony, which took place on Wednesday 15th November, in Manchester, celebrated the inspirational sustainability initiatives of 113 finalists, representing over 1.5 million students and 244,000 staff.

This was the first year Northumbria had entered the awards and the University was highly commended in the Best Newcomer and Carbon Reduction categories.

Damon Kent, Director of Campus Services at Northumbria University, said: “Our progress in the Annual People & Planet University League is excellent news for Northumbria and demonstrates our consistent and genuine improvement in the area of Environmental Sustainability. Thanks go to all of our staff and students who are helping realise fantastic advances in our sustainability performance. Further success at the Green Gown Awards is evidence of our tremendous progress in this area of activity.”

Significant work has taken place at Northumbria University around environmental sustainability and has achieved significant benefits. These include saving £950,000 on the University’s energy bills, reducing its carbon emissions by 28% in 2 years, running over 70 sustainability events and working with hundreds of staff and students. The University looks forward to building on these achievements further across all areas of its activity and to further Improving Sustainability Together.