Wrexham University rated first-class for sustainability and ethics

Date: Friday, December 22, 2023

Prifysgol Wrecsam/Wrexham University has been rated as a first-class institution for its sustainability and ethics in the People & Planet League table.

The University, which last year achieved a 2:1 classification, has moved up eight places to be ranked 28th overall.

And in further good news for the institution – it ranked 5th in the UK for ethical careers and in the top 10 for ethical investment.

With an overall score of 62.2%, Wrexham University also:

• Scored 100% in three categories – staff and student engagement, policy and strategy, and staff and HR.
• Scored 95% for education for sustainable development.
• Scored 92% overall for ethical careers and recruitment.

Last year, Wrexham University became the first institution in Wales to end fossil fuel recruitment on its campuses. The University adopted an Ethical Careers Policy stating that it “will not hold relationships of any kind with oil, gas or mining companies as part of its commitment to increased sustainability and addressing the climate crisis.”

People & Planet is the UK's largest student campaigning organisation. Its annual People & Planet University League ranks 151 UK universities against sustainability and ethics criteria.  

Jenny Thomas, Health, Safety and Environmental Manager at Wrexham University, said: “We are incredibly proud of our performance in the People & Planet League table. To be rated as a first-class institution for our sustainability and ethics is absolutely fantastic – and is testament to the hard work and commitment of our staff and student body.

“Our students are incredibly engaged with issues relating to sustainability and the environment. This year, our Students’ Union achieved an ‘Excellent’ score in the Green Impact initiative, which is assessed by Students Organising for Sustainability UK.

“The Students’ Union work extremely hard to keep environmental issues at the forefront of everyone’s minds, particularly through the various events and projects, which they work with us jointly on throughout the year. Some of which include their annual Green Fair and Go Green Week, which features a range of activities where everyone can find out how they can live more sustainably.

“In collaboration with staff, they also help take care of the University’s communal garden.”

Lynda Powell, the University’s Executive Director of Operations, added: “We’re immensely proud of the work we do relating to the environment and sustainability across the University, working collaboratively with our student and staff community. 

“This year’s People & Planet League is true testament to the tireless commitment of our students and colleagues to driving sustainability and improvements.

“However, despite our strong performance – we must not rest on our laurels. There is still plenty to do to reduce our carbon footprint, to inform best practice and work towards the solutions we so urgently need.”

As part of the People & Planet League, universities are assessed against published criteria, based on the information available on their websites and data reported to the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA).

The criteria cover a range of categories including policy and staffing, carbon management, student and staff engagement with sustainability, and education for sustainable development.