BU top 10 in People and Planet Green League

29 May 2012

BU receives first class honours for the third year running for its commitment to environmental and ethical improvement.

Bournemouth University (BU) is ranked 7th in this year’s People and Planet Green League, receiving first class honours for the third year running.

Published in The Guardian newspaper, the People and Planet Green league table ranks 145 higher education institutions across the UK on their commitment to environmental and ethical improvement and is the only comprehensive and independent green ranking of universities.

BU scored an ‘excellent’ rating in the Environmental Policy, Environmental Auditing, Sustainable Food, Staff and Student Engagement and Curriculum categories, placing BU third among the University Alliance peer group.

The proudest green achievement for BU this year is ‘Raising the game: enhancing capacity’. This is an initiative to broaden involvement in environmental management within the University in 2011/2012. To do this senior management are encouraged to lead by example, as well as broadening student engagement and providing training for students and staff at all levels.

The first class award reflects a comprehensive environmental programme that is underway at BU, including an EcoCampus award for BU’s environmental management systems, a challenging carbon reduction target with over 20 projects completed to date and the roll out of a food waste recycling scheme.

Amanda Williams, BU’s Environment & Energy Manager, said: “We are delighted that our strong environmental performance and practice has been recognised again by People & Planet in the Green League this year. It is acknowledgement of the importance that we place on sustainability here at BU.

“With so many exciting projects already underway and many more to come, we look forward to making further improvements in our environmental performance over the coming year, but our greatest challenge will be to ensure we continue to strive for continuous environmental performance improvements as the University continues to grow.”

Across the higher education sector there is a target to reduce emissions by 43 per cent between 2005 and 2020 and this year, for the first time since the league was started in 2007, carbon emissions were down overall.

Louise Hazan, from People & Planet, said: “Congratulations to all the staff and students at Bournemouth University for their role in creating one of the greenest universities the UK has ever seen. Their success in finding creative ways to engage staff and students in the transition to sustainability is exemplary.

“National improvements across the People & Planet Green League results this year show universities are listening to the 70% of students who are demanding greener degrees and that the university sector is leading the way to a low-carbon and sustainable future.”

The University will receive the first class award at a special ‘graduation ceremony’ to be held in Westminster by People & Planet on 21 June 2012.

News and Events

BU top 10 in People and Planet Green League