Leeds ranked as one of the best universities for environmental sustainability

In a recent league table published by People & Planet, Leeds Uni was ranked at 23 out of 150 for environmental sustainability, making it a first class uni (which we all knew anyway, let’s be real). We beat Beckett which ranked at 46, and Manchester, which ranked at an abysmal 110.

Universities were ranked on various sustainability factors, including environment policies and strategies, carbon management, workers rights, and energy sources. Leeds gained a massive score of 100 for environmental  policies and strategies, staff and student engagement, and education for sustainable development. Ethical investment, and water reduction were the only two factors that scored a zero.

Over a quarter of all UK unis have now committed to divest from the fossil fuel industry, although only 24 per cent of universities are still looking likely to meet carbon reduction targets of 43 per cent by 2020.

However, Leeds does not look like it has this same target, as it currently has no divestment commitment, and has invested £6,988,254 in fossil fuels. It has also received £1,915,500 in research funding from the fossil fuel industry, including BP, Shell, and Exxon Mobile.

In a statement about this in April, Leeds said: “It would be ethically questionable for the University to divest from fossil fuel companies while continuing to rely on fossil fuels for much of its day-to-day activity”, and that the university can be most effective in the aim to reduce fossil fuel consumption “through teaching, and through research to reduce emissions from the use of fossil fuels and develop alternative energy sources”.