¹û¶³´«Ã½ of Worcester ‘Leading the Way’ in Battle to Tackle Climate Change
Wednesday, 12 October 2022
The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ of Worcester has once again been judged to be ‘leading the way’ in the battle to reduce carbon emissions, according to independent research by SOS-UK.
The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ has been ranked as the joint 3rd higher education institution by Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK), working alongside the National Union of Students (NUS), the ¹û¶³´«Ã½â€¯and College Union (UCU) and People & Planet (P&P), who have assessed universities and colleges across the UK on their ambitions to take action on the climate emergency and ecological crisis.
It is the latest in a very long line of sustainability accolades awarded to the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ in recognition of its commitment to tackling the climate emergency.
SOS-UK gave each institution a score, and the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ of Worcester has received one of the very highest scores in the UK – 90 out of 100. Only two other universities scored higher.
You can view the full list on the .
¹û¶³´«Ã½ of Worcester Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor David Green CBE, said: “As a global community we must all take decisive and urgent action to reduce our carbon emissions if we are to protect humanity from unimaginable disaster. At the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ of Worcester, we are working collaboratively to embed sustainability into all of our work and aim to inspire students, staff and the wider community to take action themselves. We have taken significant steps to reduce our carbon footprint and aim to be net zero by 2030. This may be ambitious, but it is essential. Staff and students are all united in this cause as we work together for a sustainable future.”
The ¹û¶³´«Ã½, in close partnership with the Students’ Union, has pioneered many initiatives to promote sustainability over the last 15 years, including much improved recycling, promoting walking and cycling wherever possible, and practical changes such as introducing less energy intensive lighting, solar heated hot water and generating our own electricity via photovoltaic panels. The ¹û¶³´«Ã½ has built up an enviable record of sustainability and has been awarded First Class Honours in the People and Planet ¹û¶³´«Ã½ League, which measures sustainability performance at higher education institutions, for more than a decade.
From sustainable development projects, to piloting innovative transport schemes, to community awareness initiatives, the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ is always looking for ways that it can make a difference, including working with developers to ensure the ¹û¶³´«Ã½’s physical campus is as energy efficient and low impact as possible, and with contracted caterers to reduce food waste and source food more sustainably.  It has also invested in a fleet of electric vehicles. Many of the ¹û¶³´«Ã½’s ideas have been co-created with students, who also are pivotal in auditing and checking the work and helping the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ to continuously learn and improve.
In 2019, the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ of Worcester and Worcester Students’ Union both signed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord, pledging officially to work towards a more sustainable future and supporting the United Nations’ internationally agreed 17 Sustainable Development Goals.