University rated First Class in People and Planet University League

University of Gloucestershire has achieved First Class status in the 2023/24 People and Planet University League, underlining its long-standing commitment to sustainability and track record for performance and innovation in this area.

The annual People and Planet University League is the only comprehensive and independent assessment of UK universities ranked against a set of criteria that takes in all aspects of their sustainability, environmental and ethical performance.

University of Gloucestershire, which is committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030, is among only 29 universities to achieve First Class status in the 2023/24 League out of the 151 to be assessed this year.

The University placed 21^st in the overall league table and has increased its scores on several categories, including its specialist staff, education, engagement and ethical investment.

Dr Alex Ryan (pictured), Director of Sustainability at the University, said: “We are really pleased to be positioned as one of the First Class standard universities in this ranking.

“People and Planet is still the only sustainability league for universities that recognises the issues students care most about and rewards integration of sustainability into core courses as well as operational actions.”

The University was ranked inside the top 300 in the world in the Environmental Sustainability category in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024, which assesses an institution’s strategy and operations towards an environmentally sustainable future.

Last week, the University’s commitment to sustainability excellence was recognised at the 2023 UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards for a collaborative sector project helping to drive improvements and support transparency around core curriculum sustainability learning.

In 2021, the University announced its plans to reach carbon net zero emissions by 2030 to create greener, cleaner and more energy efficient campuses, for the benefit of students, staff and the wider community.

The University’s measures to tackle environmental issues includes the launch in 2019 of the UK’s first digital-only undergraduate prospectus, featuring fully accessible and interactive online content, which won a Gold Award at the 2021 Heist Awards for its sustainable nature.