University declares climate emergency

This builds on the university’s long-standing commitment to sustainability which has already delivered a 34 percent reduction in its carbon footprint since 2010 and seen it receive a first-class award every year since 2012 from the People & Planet University Green League.

Setting out the case for the declaration, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris said: “The scientific evidence on climate change is clear and unequivocal and we can all see for ourselves the serious impacts it is already having on our world. All responsible organisations have a duty to act and universities like ours have an important additional role to play through our teaching, research and innovation on sustainability. We felt that it was important to declare a climate emergency backed up with meaningful targets through to 2025 and will be pushing ahead to develop further targets to achieve zero carbon as soon as possible thereafter.”

Solar panel array at the university

The university’s sustainability commitment includes a number of practical actions including to reduce carbon emissions from energy use, to reduce car use, increase recycling and build sustainability into all future investment decisions.

The approach builds on a range of initiatives already taken by the university which include the installation of solar panels across all of its campuses, and the use of Combined Heat and Power and District Heating.

More widely, the university already plays a leading role in Clean Growth UK which works with businesses to support green innovation and business growth and the university is working with Brighton and Hove City Council on a number of low carbon and circular economy projects. Its Waste House is an internationally recognised testbed for the circular economy in building construction and its Brighton Futures research agenda has sustainability at its heart.

Sustainability principles and practices are also embedded into academic teaching programmes at the University including architecture, arts, design, business, health, engineering and environmental sciences.