Governance and policies

Institutional sustainability 

The Estates Governance Board oversees the drafting and implementation of the university’s institutional sustainability work, including:

• energy, water and waste management 
• sustainable travel, transport and parking
• environmental management 
• biodiversity and nature 
• staff and student participation
• sustainable food
• sustainable procurement.

Trade unions

The university works with the following trades union representatives on sustainability issues that impact on students and staff.

• UCU
• Unison

The university is keen to encourage involvement from trade unions in contributing to the development of a sustainable working environment, and have invited Unison to join the Estates Governance Board to input on sustainability issues and decision making. 

Student representation 

Students are represented by the University of Brighton Students’ Union on over 35 committees, working and oversight groups across the university's activities, including:

• The Academic Board
• Equity and Diversity Delivery and Oversight Committees
• Quality and Standards Committee
• Campus Operations Groups
• Cost of Living Oversight Group
• Prevent Steering Group
• Travel and Transport Working Group
• University Education and Student Experience Group 
• NeverOK Oversight Group
• Hardship Panel
• Student Voice forums for each school

The Students’ Union President and Students’ Union Chair of Council are also members of the Board of Governors which oversees resource allocation and finance at the university.

Our commitments

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all our activities. 

The university was awarded an Athena Swan Silver Award in 2021, demonstrating our progress and impact in embedding gender equality across the institution. In 2025, we achieved a Race Equality Charter Silver Award and are committed to improving representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students. We are a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion – a programme which supports and promotes fair practice in relation to the employment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff – which reaffirms our commitment to equality for LGBT+ staff and students. We are also a Disability Confident employer – a government scheme designed to support disability equality in staff recruitment and retention practices.

Additionally, the university has signed the non-disclosure agreement pledge from Can’t Buy My Silence, which is a campaign aimed at ending the misuse of non-disclosure agreements for those who have been subjected to sexual violence, harassment, or abuse.

Student support

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion is at the heart of all our activities. 

The university was awarded an Athena Swan Silver Award in 2021, demonstrating our progress and impact in embedding gender equality across the institution. In 2025, we achieved a Race Equality Charter Silver Award and are committed to improving representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students. We are a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion – a programme which supports and promotes fair practice in relation to the employment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender staff – which reaffirms our commitment to equality for LGBT+ staff and students. We are also a Disability Confident employer – a government scheme designed to support disability equality in staff recruitment and retention practices. 

Additionally, the university has signed the non-disclosure agreement pledge from Can’t Buy My Silence, which is a campaign aimed at ending the misuse of non-disclosure agreements for those who have been subjected to sexual violence, harassment, or abuse.

Ethical investment 

We are fully committed to being socially and environmentally responsible in our investments, as outlined in our Ethical Investment Policy (pdf). View our Ethical Investment Statement 2022.

We therefore do not invest in companies or funds directly involved in:

• the production of land mines, cluster bombs, nuclear and conventional weapons
• tobacco manufacture, alcohol, pornography, gambling
• support of oppressive regimes
• anti-social sales and marketing practices relating to alcohol and tobacco
• violations of international conventions and norms in the areas of human rights, employment practices and climate change.

We also declare that:

• we currently hold no direct investments in extractor fossil fuel companies
• we will never directly invest in these companies.

The policy is reported on annually to the Board of Governors, Finance and Employment Committee and Audit Committee.

We also publish publicly a list of sectors in which we invest to ensure transparency to staff, students and the public.

Sustainable procurement 

The university has a number of policies in place to ensure that sustainable procurement is embedded across the university’s purchasing practices, including:

• all copier and printer paper should be recycled
• staff should check the online reuse portal Warp-it prior to purchasing new furniture
• the sustainability credentials of stationery should be considered when purchased
• all uniforms bought for university staff should be made using Fairtrade cotton.

The university is also a member of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium (SUPC), which is affiliated to Electronics Watch. Electronics Watch informs, organises, investigates and influences public procurement demand for decent working conditions in electronics supply chains.