The University of South Wales has risen 59 places in the People & Planet University League table for 2024-25, placing 23rd overall out of 149 institutions in the UK and 4th in Wales.
People & Planet’s University League is an independent and comprehensive ranking of UK universities based purely on environmental and ethical performance. It is compiled annually by student campaigning network People & Planet, and is used by prospective students who prioritise the sustainability of their education.
Now ranked as a 1st class university, USW scored 100% for Environmental Policy, Engagement and Sustainability Staff, and is placed 4th of all universities for Energy Sources, 7th for Carbon Reduction, 12th for Carbon Management, and 21st for Waste and Recycling.
Neil Bradley, Sustainability and Energy Manager at USW, said:
“We are thrilled to have achieved such a huge rise in the People & Planet University League table, from 82nd to 23rd place in the space of a year. This result is testament to the work of dedicated colleagues who are helping to drive positive and sustainable change across the University.
“We pride ourselves in the sustainability measures we have implemented so far, and are committed to making a better, more sustainable future for our students and achieving long term sustainability on our journey to Net Zero by 2040.
“We will use this success as a springboard to deliver further improvements over the next 12 months, which will continue to improve our sustainability profile in Wales and across the UK.”
USW said its Environment and Sustainability Policy and 2020-2030 Carbon Strategy shape its actions and approach to embedding sustainability into day to day activities and drive continual improvement in its environmental performance.
It said that its Sustainability Committee provides governance, direction and scrutiny of sustainability activities and periodically reviews and monitors progress against the University’s Net Zero strategy to ensure continued delivery of carbon reduction.
