Northumbria University rated as most sustainable in North East

Northumbria University has been rated as ‘first class’ for sustainability and is the highest ranked university in the North East in the latest People & Planet University League table.

More than 150 universities and smaller specialist institutions were included in the table, which ranked Northumbria as 17th overall for sustainability in the UK.

This year’s rankings provided the first opportunity to analyse how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the sector’s sustainability performance. A signatory of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Accord, Northumbria scored 100 per cent of all available marks on environmental policy criteria.

Northumbria also achieved full marks for its auditing and environmental management systems, which are externally verified by specialist industry bodies, and 97 per cent in education for sustainable development.

Having incorporated changes to carbon intensity, reducing carbon emissions and water consumption, People & Planet rated Northumbria at a notable 78 per cent for carbon reduction and 72 per cent for water reduction.

Professor George Marston, pro vice-chancellor (Strategic Projects) and sustainability lead for Northumbria, said: “Northumbria University is supporting the response to some of the biggest challenges facing the world today, including the global fight against climate change.

“From institutional and individual commitments, through to innovative research teams bringing multidisciplinary perspectives to a huge range of studies, the University is taking action to address the impact of climate change and help ensure a safer, more stable future for our planet.

“We are thrilled to see our sustainability efforts recognised so positively through People & Planet’s University League for 2021. We are delighted to be ranked so highly, both within the top 20 in the UK overall, and as the best university in the North East region.”

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