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ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûRetains 1st Class People and Planet Award

14 December 2023

ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûhas proudly retained its first-class honours in the People and Planet University League 2023, for the 7th consecutive year - solidifying our position as a sustainability leader among UK universities.

ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûeast building with blue globe

The People and Planet University League, an independent ranking published by The Guardian, has assessed 153 UK higher education institutions based on various environmental and ethical criteria. ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûhas maintained its first-classÌýposition, securing an overall score of 71.4%, placing us 12th in the league and 2ndÌýamong the UK Russell Group universities.Ìý

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ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûreceived full marks for sustainable food, auditing and environmental management systems, sustainability staff, staff and student engagement, and education for sustainable development. Notably, a 94% score was awarded in workers' rights and 90% in environmental policy.Ìý

Expressing his enthusiasm, Jason Clarke, ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûAssistant Director of Sustainability, stated:

"I’m delighted to have retained our first-class status and achieved an overall score of 71.4% in this year’s People and Planet League. The league, independently assessed by a student campaign group, reflects UCL's unwavering commitment to integrating sustainability into our operations, research and education.

However, we acknowledge that there is still significant work ahead to transform ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûinto a genuinely sustainable institution. We are currently in the process of developing a new ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûSustainability Plan that will lead us to 2027, specifically addressing areas such as the accessibility of our scope 3 emissions targets. Our dedication to continuous improvement to sustainability continues."Ìý

UCL's achievements, as highlighted in the recent 2021-22 Annual Sustainability Report, showcase our commitment to sustainability across many areas. Notable recent successes include the development of UCL's first Net Zero building at PEARL and the establishment of a UCL-wide Climate Hub, representing the university at COP27 and COP28.Ìý

The People and Planet League also supports UCL’s recognition in other areas. Earlier this year, ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûwas awarded the ''University of the Year 2024'' by the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide. The guide highlighted our new and 'visionary' ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûEast Campus and the prominence of our climate change experts in the media.Ìý

Despite these achievements, ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûacknowledges several areas for improvement raised by the People and Planet League.ÌýActive steps are being taken to address these concerns, and we are working on a new ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûSustainability Plan, set to launch in Spring 2024, collaborating with experts from the community to align with the ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹û2022-2027 Strategic Plan.Ìý

The introduction of the ÐÂÏã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûGrand Challenge on the Climate Crisis, coupled with the appointment of the new Pro-Vice-Provosts, Prof. Mark Maslin and Prof. Lisa Vanhala,Ìýfurther reinforces UCL's commitment and efforts in addressing climate change and sustainability.ÌýWe invite our community to join this exciting phase in our sustainability journey, acknowledging both the progress made and the challenges ahead. Ìý

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