Reading gains 'First Class' in green university ranking

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

The University has been awarded a First Class Award in the People & Planet Green League 2013, the UK's only comprehensive and independent green ranking of universities.

Reading's position means it is the most improved among the UK's greenest universities, rising 42 places to 17 out of 143. Much of the work to achieve this has been carried out by the University's Clean and Green Team.

The University was awarded the highest award for its all-round environmental performance, particularly:

• its success towards achieving an ambitious target of 35% reduction in the University's carbon footprint by 2015/16
• a cumulative saving to date of £4 million and 11,137 tonnes of CO₂e
• its achievements in waste management - over 53% of all waste is currently recycled, and reductions in energy usage -there has been a 13% reduction in electricity and 26% reduction in gas since the 2008 baseline year
• a successful bid for £1.4 million to make its campuses more energy efficient through measures such as better insulation and lighting, as well as new sustainable energy sources, such as solar panels, all of which are delivering savings.

Vice-Chancellor, Sir David Bell said: "As a world-leading University in the field of climate science, it is important that we lead by example. Our Green League ranking is testament to the University's commitment to cut our carbon emissions and embed sustainability across our campuses.

"We have made excellent progress towards ‘greening' our University in the last few years with projects ranging from a commitment to use ethically sourced work uniforms to online environmental awareness courses for staff. However, as befits an ambitious University, we have aspirations to achieve even more in the future."

The People & Planet Green League, an annual ranking by the national student campaign group, assesses the environmental and ethical performance of all universities, awarding First Class 'degrees' to the greenest and Fail to those doing the least to address their environmental impacts.

Louise Hazan, who compiled the People & Planet Green League, said:
"The University of Reading thoroughly deserves its First Class ranking this year and is helping to drive up environmental and ethical standards for the higher education sector as a whole. Their success in reducing carbon emissions is exemplary. We congratulate Reading on listening to its students who are quite rightly demanding that the university tackles issues like climate change head-on."

The University holds the Carbon Trust Standard and has recently been awarded the ultimate accolade for its commitment to improving its green credentials, the Platinum EcoCampus award, a national Environmental Management System for the higher education sector. The University's Whiteknights campus has been judged as one of the best open spaces in the country in the prestigious Green Flag Awards, the benchmark national standard for parks and green spaces in the UK.

More information at www.reading.ac.uk/cleanandgreen