Ƭ

Skip to main navigation Skip to main content
The University of Southampton
×
Sustainability

Sustainability League Table Submissions

People & Planet League Table

People & Planet is a UK based independent Not for Profit University League table focusing on universities sustainability performance. We have provided information on this page to demonstrate the comprehensive range of evidence that People & Planet review to assess universities’ performance. The information provided is up to date and reviewed monthly to ensure transparency and clarity for those wanting to understand further how universities are assessed and ranked for sustainability league tables.

Policy and Strategy

Publicly Available Strategy

The University of Southampton has a publicly available environmental policy here. This policy was updated in 2023 and signed by Professor Mark E. Smith CBE President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Southampton.

The policy will be reviewed annually as part of our Environmental Management System review and Sustainable Development Goals reporting, the Sustainability Implementation Group provide regular updates on progress throughout each year.


The University has a publicly available Sustainability Strategic Plan 2020-2027 (updated from the 2020 – 2025 plan in 2023). Read the strategic plan here.

SMART Targets

The University has set SMART targets in key areas of sustainability.

· Construction & Refurbishment

· Emissions & Discharges

· Community involvement

· Biodiversity

· Waste management

· Travel and Transport

· Sustainable procurement

· Water

Staff & HR Working in Sustainability

The University of Southampton has a well-resourced and growing sustainability team of over fifteen members of staff across numerous departments and roles. The Sustainability Strategic Board comprises of executive staff, with the Sustainability Implementation Group reporting to them directly as they progress our Sustainability Strategic Plan and it’s six goals.

Governance - Senior Staff

Senior Vice President (Academic) Professor Phillip Wright is the Sustainability Strategic Plan Owner and the University of Southampton’s Sustainability Champion. Professor Wright sits on the executive board and his portfolio includes the Sustainability Strategic Plan and other University Sustainability activity.

Dedicated and Expert Staff

The Sustainability Strategy within the University of Southampton is delivered by the following:
The Sustainability Strategy Board chaired by Philip Wright, Senior Vice President (Academic) with members of the University Executive Board leading as ‘Champions’ of the six goals of our Sustainability Strategic Plan and student representation from the President of the Southampton University Students’ Union (SUSU).

The Sustainability Implementation Group chaired by Prof. AbuBakr Bahaj with the Sustainability Strategy Goal Champions and Goal Leads whose roles concern promoting sustainability and implementing the goals, outside of any academic commitments to research or teaching. Additional members of the Sustainability Implementation Group are representatives from faculties and professional services.

The Institutional Strategy Delivery Team

Each of the six goals of our Sustainability Strategic Plan has an executive member of staff as it’s ‘Champion’ and a member of staff who is the goal ‘Lead’ delivering work on the goal. These Goal Leads are drawn not only from academic staff but also from our estates and professional teams, reflecting our holistic outlook on achieving sustainability at the University of Southampton.
Each Faculty has a designated representative in the Sustainability Implementation Group, with the Student’s Union President and the Head of Sustainability representing our student community by articulating their concerns.


Executive Sponsor/Sustainability Strategic Board Chair Phillip Wright - Senior Vice President (Academic) p.c.wright@soton.ac.uk


Executive Director, Estates & Facilities - Kevin Argent k.argent@soton.ac.uk


Sustainability Implementation Group Chair AbuBakr Bahaj - Prof. of Sustainable Energy a.s.bahaj@soton.ac.uk


Goal 1: achieve net zero emissions for Scope 1 & Scope 2 by 2030. Champion Kevin Argent Executive Director Estates and Facilities k.argent@soton.ac.uk.


Goal 1: achieve net zero emissions for Scope 1 & Scope 2 by 2030. Lead Hayden Matthews -Director of Engineering and Infrastructure h.d.matthews@soton.ac.uk


Goal 2: Measure our total emissions footprint and set targets for Scope 3 emissions reductions. Champion Wendy Appleby - Vice President (Operations) w.j.appleby@soton.ac.uk


Goal 2: Measure our total emissions footprint and set targets for Scope 3 emissions reductions. Leads Eychelle Heywood - Head of Procurement, John Preston - Prof. in Rail Transport e.m.heywood@soton.ac.uk j.m.preston@soton.ac.uk


Goal 3: Set a business travel emissions reduction target and implement through an appropriate action plan. Champion Professor Jane Falkingham Vice President (Engagement & International) j.c.falkingham@soton.ac.uk


Goal 4: Ensure that sustainability is a part of every University education programme by 2025. Champion Deborah Gill - Vice President (Education) d.p.gill@soton.ac.uk


Goal 4: Ensure that sustainability is a part of every University education programme by 2025. Lead Simon Kemp - Prof. of Education for Sustainable Development, Geography & Environmental s.kemp@soton.ac.uk


Goal 5: Make sustainability a cornerstone of UoS' research and societal impact. Champion Mark Spearing - Vice President (Research & Enterprise) s.m.spearing@soton.ac.uk


Goal 5: Make sustainability a cornerstone of UoS' research and societal impact. Lead John Holloway - Assoc. Vice President (Interdisciplinary Research) j.w.holloway@soton.ac.uk


Goal 6: Implement a sustainable and ethical investment policy. Champion Alison Jarvis Executive Director of Finance – Planning & Analytics a.jarvis@soton.ac.uk


Goal 6: Implement a sustainable and ethical investment policy. Lead Sally Crabb Group Finance Controller sally.crabb@soton.ac.uk


Estates and Facilities Sarah Puckett - Environment and Sustainability Manager sarah.puckett@soton.ac.uk
Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences Representative Felix Eigenbrod - Professor of Applied Spatial Ecology f.eigenbrod@soton.ac.uk


Faculty of Social Sciences Representative Ven Tauringana - Prof. of Accounting & Sustainability v.tauringana@soton.ac.uk


Faculty of Medicine Representative Edd James - Prof. in Cancer Immunology e.james@soton.ac.uk


Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science Representative Andy Cruden - Associate Dean (Academic Infrastructure) a.j.cruden@soton.ac.uk


Faculty of Arts and Humanities Representative Anna Collar - Lecturer in Archaeology a.collar@soton.ac.uk


Public Policy Southampton Representative Gareth Giles Head of Public Policy g.giles@soton.ac.uk


SUSU Representatives Emma Brown - SUSU President president@soton.ac.uk and Liz Harris – Head of Sustainability Liz.Harris@soton.ac.uk


In attendance:
Tara Chilcott , Strategic Major Project Sustainability Programme & Senior Project Manager, Strategy Office (Strategy Delivery and Transformation Department) t.l.chilcott@soton.ac.uk


Rahul Jain, Data Analyst (Sustainability) r.jain@soton.ac.uk


Ellis Ridett, Senior Research Assistant ellis.ridett@soton.ac.uk


Phillip Turner Research Fellow p.a.d.turner@soton.ac.uk


Luke Blunden Senior Research Fellow lsb1@soton.ac.uk


Craig Hutton, Director Sustainability & Resilience Institute cwh@geodata.soton.ac.uk

Siobhan Balfour,Environment & Sustainability Programme Administrator s.balfour@soton.ac.uk

The Sustainability Delivery Team

Sarah Puckett, Environment and Sustainability Manager sarah.puckett@soton.ac.uk


Responsible for managing the University's ISO14001: 2015 Environmental Management System, which improves legal compliance, reduces environmental risk and monitors environmental performance. This role helps to drive sustainable initiatives across the University to help to reduce our environmental impact and create positive change.


Mike Travers, Waste, Recycling, Cleaning and Landscaping m.travers@soton.ac.uk


Responsible for managing waste and recycling and external cleaning across the university. The waste and recycling team consists of a team of 13 staff based at Highfield campus and the halls of residence. This role also oversees our Landscape Maintenance Team, who manage the vast array of natural areas across the estate.


Felice Foscheri, Catering Manager f.s.foscheri@soton.ac.uk


Responsible for all of the catering and catering outlets across the campuses. The team are continually making changes to improve sustainability, take measures and review practices to reduce waste, manage our procurement processes to support and protect the environment.


Hannah Jezard, Hospitality Operations Manager h.l.jezard@soton.ac.uk


This role has evolved from operations management of delivered catering, conferencing and events to also assisting with overseeing the various retail outlets on Highfield Campus and the wider business, identifying areas where we can reduce our environmental impact.


Amanda Boorer, Landscape Services Manager a.boorer@soton.ac.uk


Responsible for overseeing the Landscaping Team, who look after the green areas of our University estate. The team work hard to ensure that the university grounds are enjoyable for all staff, students and wildlife.


Elliot Prescott, Transport Manager e.prescott@soton.ac.uk

The Sustainability & Resilience Institute (SRI):

The Sustainability and Resilience Institute seeks to promote sustainable development through the University of Southampton’s world leading research and enterprise, alongside providing a wide range of education opportunities for students of all levels in the area of sustainability.


SRI monitor and report on the University of Southampton’s sustainability performance in a variety of metrics, including league tables and provide specialist advice and recommendations to the University across all departments, faculties and senior management.

Craig Hutton, SRI Director, ch9@soton.ac.uk

Craig provides the strategic leadership of SRI, as it aims to tackle the most critical challenges facing society and our environment through evidence-based solutions and collaborative work.

Lindsay-Marie Armstrong, SRI Deputy Director (Research & Enterprise) l.armstrong@soton.ac.uk

Lindsay oversees the SRI’s Renewable Energy & Decarbonisation theme, providing insight and experience into cross-sector engagement with industries as we collaboratively work towards decarbonising the regional economy.

Simon Kemp,SRI Deputy Director (Education & Sustainable Development Goals) s.kemp@soton.ac.uk

Simon leads the SRI Centre for PostGraduate Research (CPGR) alongside the education and student experience work, providing a progressive approach to sustainability through the undergraduate and postgraduate curricula across the whole university, focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Jon Lawn, SRI Collaboration Manager J.P.Lawn@soton.ac.uk

Jon promotes internal collaboration and networking between University of Southampton academics, manages SRI’s external partnerships, and oversees SRI’s funding opportunities.

Alice Brock, SRI Sustainable Development Goals Officer a.brock@soton.ac.uk

Alice is the University’s dedicated project officer for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She oversees the University’s monitoring and reporting to the Sustainability League Tables and supports the integration of EDI within sustainability.

Grace Compton, SRI Specialist Policy Office G.P.Compton@soton.ac.uk

Grace provides University of Southampton researchers with timely policy analysis and insight focused on sustainability at local, national, and international levels. She also supports University of Southampton researchers in engaging with policy makers, including the sharing of evidence and research with policy makers.

Lou Payne, SRI Communications & Marketing Manager l.s.payne@soton.ac.uk

Lou provides strategic communications and marketing oversight for the Institute, as well as day-to-day input to SRI’s sustainability communications, both internally and externally, to raise awareness of, and increase engagement in, the work being undertaken.

Ellie Pun, SRI Coordinator e.v.pun@soton.ac.uk

Ellie provides administrative support to SRI and assists with the running of SRI’s meetings, events, communications and engagement.

SUSU (Students' Union)

Liz Harris- Head of Sustainability liz.harris@soton.ac.uk

Liz leads SUSU’s sustainability work; embedding environmental and ethical initiatives in the Student Union’s operations, supporting student officers, reps and student societies on sustainability activities, and challenging the University to be ambitious in its delivery of the Sustainability Strategic Plan and all other environmental initiatives.

All Staff

The University of Southampton has launched a Sustainability Community of Practice open to all staff members. The Sustainability Community of Practice provides feedback and insight to all staff at the University, and holds monthly meetings and sessions to discuss sustainability activity, collaborate and share best practice.


Each faculty, and professional services, has a representative in the Sustainability Implementation group allowing staff to engage in improving the environmental sustainability performance of the University.

All staff and student inductions include a compulsory Southampton Sustainability Solutions e-module; This e-module explains sustainability, carbon management, introduces the SDGs, gives examples of sustainability work happening across the university, and helps participants make sustainability lifestyle choices. They will also meet the sustainability team, key players across the University and come away with a great understanding of sustainability and why it matters to them and the world.


The University of Southampton’s Sustainability and Resilience Institute’s membership is open to all academic, professional services and operational members of staff, along with all undergraduate and postgraduate students to engage with sustainability work across the university.

Environmental Auditing and Managing Systems

Accreditation to an External Environmental Management System

The University of Southampton has an externally validated annually updated ISO14001 Environmental Management System read here .

We are proud that as part of our commitment to continual improvement of our environment and sustainability work, we report and discuss our progress on this Policy and associated targets on an annual basis to our University Executive Board (UEB) (the most senior university governance board) which is chaired by our President and Vice-Chancellor Prof Mark E Smith. The most recent report took place in March 2023. Not only is this a requirement of our ISO14001 EMS, it also demonstrates how embedded our environmental and sustainability work is within our university governance systems.

In August 2023, we achieved recertification for a further 3 years against the ISO14001:2015 standard. This also brought our Student Union (SUSU) within the scope of the EMS certificate for the first time, illustrating further our holistic approach to environmental management.

Our externally validated EMS is entered into .

Ethical Investment and Banking

The University of Southampton has an active, robust and publicly available Ethical Investment Policy as part of our overall finance policy reported on at the senior level here. This policy was updated in 2021 and approved by the University Council, Finance Committee and authored by Julie Fielder, Director of Finance – Planning & Analytics. This policy applies to the full scope of institution’s investments and is integrated within our overall investment policy.


As stated in our financial policy:


“The IC (investment committee) recognises the importance of Environmental, Social & Governance factors. As such, the IC will consider investing the University’s assets in line with the Paris Aligned Investment Initiative, with a commitment to reducing carbon emissions and will consider aligning its portfolio to the goals of the Paris Agreement, assuming Governments remain committed to this Agreement. The IC will also consider other initiatives that enhance the commitment to the wider consideration of sustainability. Where the assets are not currently invested in line with these initiatives, the IC will look to ensure a just and workable transition over time. The IC believes that Climate change is a key ESG risk which should be specifically addressed within the investment strategy. ”


From the IC Short Term and Medium Term sections:


“The IC wishes to:
Exclude investments which involve activity in the following areas: tobacco and/or vaping, adult
entertainment, unethical lending, thermal tar and coal sands, and modern slavery.

Engage with companies which involve activity in the following areas: animal testing, armaments, fossilfuels, and those highly exposed to climate-risk.”

Our Commitment to Screen out Specific Sectors

Our Ethical Investment Policy as part of our Finance Policies and Regulations details the excluded/ restricted areas of investment here.

Transparency and Accountability

Our Ethical Investment Policy is embedded in our overarching financial policy and is easily accessible and publicly available. Further information can be found in the regulations section of our website hereor in our Regulations, Policy and Student Charter section of our website here.


We publish a Fossil Fuel Exposure Report annually, the Report for 2024 exposure is being passed to the Finance Committee for approval on the 7th July 2025, following review and comment by the Sustainability Implementation Group and approval by the Investment Committee. Following approval this report will be available publicly online. Our Fossil Fuel Statements are available here.


Our annual list of investments is easily accessible and publicly available. See the list of investments here.
Our list of committee members that oversee investments is easily accessible and publicly available. See the committee members here.

Ethical Careers and Recruitment

Ethical Careers Policy

Our active and publicly available ethical careers policy can be found here and was updated in 2024 and signed off at a senior level.

Our Commitment to Screen out Specific Sectors

Our careers policy details the exclusions and restrictions for recruitment opportunitieswith us.

Our Commitment to Engage with and Lobby the Banks with Whom we Hold Cash Deposits

The University of Southampton is participating in the Request for Proposals see evidence of our participation .


The seventy-five participating institutions and trusts have issued a Request for Proposals to relevant financial institutions to create a new market for cash products that do not finance fossil fuels and their expansion. These cash products include deposits and money market funds.

Transparency and Accountability

Our careers staff structure is available here including information about staff roles and contact details.

Managing Carbon

Carbon Management Plan

The University of Southampton has carbon management at the heart of our Sustainability Strategic Plan. The most recent edition of the plan for 2020 – 2027 can be found here this is an extension of the 2020 – 2025 plan which can be found here.

We use our 2005/2006 emissions for scope 1 and 2 as our baseline.

Our carbon reduction target is scope 1 and scope 2 emissions to meet net zero by 2030 with an interim target of 1,888 tonnes CO2e by 2027/2028.

Senior Vice President (Academic) Professor Phillip Wright is the Sustainability Strategic Plan Owner and the University of Southampton’s Sustainability Champion. The Sustainability Implementation Group meets every month to monitor and co-ordinate progress towards meeting these goals and is currently chaired byProfessor AbuBakr Bahaj. Progress is then reported to the University’s Sustainability Strategy Board every quarter.

The University of Southampton produces annual emissions reports to monitor our carbon management plan and sustainability strategic plan targets here.

We report our carbon emission data to the Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA). This information is publicly available on the HESA website and is updated annually, explore the data

Sustainable Travel Policy

The University of Southampton updated its Travel Plan in 2024, find the most recent version of the Travel Plan here.

The University's existing Travel Plan covers the period 2020-2030, and looks to build upon the successes from 2015-2020 when we managed to meet our Travel Plan targets.
The 2024 update establishes a baseline for business travel in alignment with our Sustainability Strategic Plan, and will lead into travel surveys and wider engagement through the next review period. As in previous updates, the Travel Plan sets out a series of measures to encourage staff, students and university visitors to adopt more sustainable travel habits.


We are committed to:


• Improving the choice of transport options and facilities available to staff and students travelling to and from the University, and between its sites;
• Reducing the environmental impact of the University’s travel demands by raising awareness amongst staff and students of how they can help;
• Promoting more sustainable means of transport;
• Promoting smarter ways of working to reduce the need to travel;
• Reviewing our performance against Travel Plan targets and KPI’s

Accommodation Emissions

The University includes accommodation emissions in our emissions calculations as seen in the technical report for our emissions reporting . We report these emissions to HESA and these figures are used in our calculations for parity across our reporting.

Workers' Rights

Electronics Watch

The University of Southampton is part of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium (SUPC) and is therefore a Consortium Affiliate of Electronics Watch. Electronics Watch is an independent monitoring organisation which works to achieve respect for labour rights in the electronics industry. See evidence of our membership

Can't Buy My Silence Pledge

The University of Southampton has signed the ‘Can’t Buy My Silence’ Pledge, committing to: “not using non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to silence people who come forward to raise complaints of sexual harassment, abuse or misconduct, or other forms of bullying.” See the United Kingdom Pledge List .

Sustainable Food

Sustainable Food Policy

The University of Southampton has a sustainable food policy updated in 2024 found

Community Food

The University of Southampton provides space for and supports community food projects as can be seen here.

Staff and Student Engagement

Staff and Student Engagement Strategy

Within our Sustainability Strategic Plan we outline how we engage with our staff and students on sustainability at the university and our progress towards sustainable development. Our staff and students are at the core of all we do and we offer every opportunity to engage with our Sustainability Strategic Plan.

Our staff and students are at the core of all we do under our Triple Helix approach, and we offer every opportunity to engage with our Sustainability Strategic Plan through annual updates, periodic events throughout the year and during Green Week (last run in 2024, see the events that took place here).


The Sustainability and Resilience Institute provides events and engagement opportunities for students and staff on sustainable development. Such as seminars, networking events, internship opportunities and multiple streams of funding for different activities and research.


The Sustainability Community of Practice is open to all staff and works with the Sustainability Implementation Group and the wider University on sustainability issues, providing a voice for all staff in this area.

Each faculty has a representative as part of the Sustainability Implementation Group responsible for implementation of the plan. The president and the Head of Sustainability of the Sstudent’s Uunion is are also a members of this group. Annual reports on our emissions are publicly available and yearly updates and consultations are held for staff and students for feedback and transparency.

The most recent edition of the Sustainability Strategic Plan for 2020 – 2027 can be found here this is an extension of the 2020 – 2025 plan which can be found here.

Student and Staff Engagement Actions

The University of Southampton actively supports an environment themed week, ‘Green Week’ a jointly organised week by the Sustainability Community of Practice and Southampton University Student’s Union to see the events hosted in 2024 please see here . Events were run by staff, students and external individuals and groups, all events were open to all staff and students.

Staff Inductions

All students and staff are asked to complete the Southampton Sustainability Solutions e-module. This e-module explains sustainability, introduces the SDGs, gives examples of sustainability work happening across the university, and helps participants make sustainability lifestyle choices. They will also meet the sustainability team, key players across the University and come away with a great understanding of sustainability and why it matters. This e-module is part of staff induction and new student induction, it is also available for all students on the Southampton Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard) so students can access it at any point of their time at the university.

We work in close partnership with our Southampton University Students’ Union (SUSU). The commitment of SUSU to this area is demonstrated by their investment in

a full-time permanent Head of Sustainability post, ensuring sustainable practices and engagement take place across the Union

Student Representation on University Committees

The President of the Student Union sits on the University Executive Board, the Sustainability Implementation Group and numerous other governance bodies.

Student and Staff Led Mapping, Auditing and Tracking of Actions Completed to Promote Environmental Sustainability Annually

The University of Southampton conducts various auditing, mapping and tracking of our environmental sustainability actions and promotion. See our reports here.

The University also conducts internal tracking and mapping activities led by staff and students, all compulsory education modules are mapped to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and all research output is mapped to the Goals annually in our SDG Report .

Education for Sustainable Development

University Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development

Our commitment to ESD is very clear and forms Goal 4 of our six Sustainability Strategy goals, which is signed off at University Executive Board with a member of UEB as the University Champion. The ESD Goal 4 'Ensure Sustainability is embedded across all our programmes by 2025' also sit as one of the five University Education Strategic Major Programmes, with senior responsibility sitting with our Vice-President Education Prof Deborah Gill.


We have developed our own University of Southampton specific ESD framework and strategy. Our strategy is clear through Goal 4 of our Sustainability Strategy supported by a set of time-specific targets. As part of this we have developed our own University-wide Curriculum Mapping framework where every Undergraduate and Postgraduate programme is mapped to the UN SDGs. This has led to a set of University-wide School and Programme ESD documents outlining where the SDGs are delivered, followed by School & Programme specific ESD curriculum development student and staff workshops. We have also provided sustainability employability mapping documents for each School linking the Careers ‘Southampton Skills’ programme to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.


Progress on the integration of ESD into the curriculum is reported on a monthly basis to the University Sustainability Implementation Group, Sustainability Strategy Group, and University Strategic Major Projects Group. This is then reported to University Executive Board (UEB) and University Senate. The ESD programme has a senior leader on UEB in the form of the Vice-President Education Prof Deborah Gill, with Prof Simon Kemp as the University Lead in Education for Sustainable Development responsible for the delivery of the integration of ESD across the whole of the university curriculum.


All academic staff are invited to contact Prof Simon Kemp as the University Lead in Education for Sustainable Development for bespoke support in integrating ESD into their curriculum and staff can also access the Southampton Sustainability Solutions online module for training purposes. All Schools hold individual training workshops led by staff, including Prof S Kemp, and student representatives where ESD integration into their programmes will take place. These workshops will involve the School Head of Education, Programme Leads, Senior Tutors, elected student representatives and any students who wish to participate.


Sustainability is an assessed requirement for all Programme Approval Reviews (quinquennial) and all new degree programmes. A Sustainability Toolkit is provided to all Programme Approval Review and New Programme teams, with support provided by Prof S Kemp to ensure accurate completion of this university requirement.


The University is a learning setting for the development of real-life sustainability skills. For example, the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Environmental Law and Management module uses the university campus and specific schools for the student assessed submission of an Environmental Legal Compliance Register, and an Initial Environmental Review report. The Biology programmes use the campus for biodiversity appraisals. The School of Management run assessments where students conduct sustainability reviews for local SMEs close to campus. All students can also take part in extra-curricular activities such as Bioblitz and Waste Wars that are held on campus and in university Halls of Residences.

In 2023 we launched The Meliora Podcast from the Sustainability & Resilience Institute: https://meliorapodcast.buzzsprout.com. This podcast is the next step in sustainability learning and skills for students, staff and alumni. Built entirely around a truly equal collaborative approach between undergraduate students and staff, students are given the opportunity to contribute to the podcast through selecting and conducting their own research into the full spectrum of sustainability issues that cover each and all of the environmental, economic, social and cultural dimensions that make this such a fascinating, rewarding problem to explore. The Meliora Podcast is truly liberating for our students and the sustainability research work that goes on in the HE community. Students have an equal platform to academics, transforming the scale of reach of sustainability knowledge exchange outside of universities, due to their fantastic work being freed from the physical restraints of the classroom and assignment portals, to be shared across the world for anyone, for free.

Energy Demands, Waste and Recycling, Carbon Reduction and Water Reduction

These aspects of our sustainability performance are calculated directly by People & Planet using data from our Estates Management Record which is publicly available on the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) website .

QS World University Rankings: Sustainability

The University of Southampton has been ranked ninth in the UK in the QS World Rankings for Sustainability 2025 – climbing four places on its position last year.

The, now in their third year, look at how universities are addressing the world’s greatest environmental and social challenges. A total of 1,743 universities from around the world are assessed in the rankings, including 98 in the UK.

University of Southampton Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark E. Smith said: “Sustainability is vital in everything that we do as universities, from our research and teaching to our engagement activities. As institutions, we have a unique and critical role to play in tackling challenges related to climate change.

“It is wonderful to see the dedication and progress we are making here at Southampton towards ensuring a more sustainable future being reflected in these rankings, and being top 10 in the UK is a superb endorsement of our ongoing commitment and efforts.”

The rankings assess universities’ performance across environmental impact, social impact, and governance.

The University was ranked 22nd in the world for environmental impact, recognising the impact of the institution’s education, research and operations towards an environmentally sustainable future.

For social impact, the University ranked 43rd in the world. This encompasses the University’s activities around employability, equality, education, health and wellbeing, and knowledge sharing.

Under its sustainability ambitions, the University is aiming for every single student to have an opportunity to learn about sustainability by 2025, and has developed e-learning to achieve this.

The University’s Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) was launched two years ago, bringing together colleagues from different disciplines to work with experts from around the world to tackle the most critical challenges facing our society and environment.

Dr Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Project Officer for the SRI, said: “We are really proud that the work we are doing on sustainability across the university has been recognised through these rankings. Being in the top 10 nationwide is a fantastic endorsement and illustrates the commitment we are making as an institution to delivering on ourUniversity Strategy.

“We have worked really hard over the past year to make big strides towards our sustainability commitments, and we are looking forward to continuing to make advances through the work of our Sustainability and Resilience Institute.”

Ƭ out more aboutsustainability at the University of Southamptonand the University’sSustainability and Resilience Institute.

Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Ranking is a global sustainability league table using the UN Sustainable Development Goals as its framework to assess Universities and Higher Education Institutions on their sustainability impact. In the 2025 edition of the THE Impact Ranking the University of Southampton climbed over 100 places, demonstrating our global sustainability profile. The University of Southampton is currently ranked in the 101-200 band out of 2318 institutions.

Notably the University of Southampton was ranked 42nd in Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals, highlighting our incredible global and international sustainability work, education and operations. Key to the University of Southampton's success was the publication of our annual Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 found

We also secured top 100 rankings for Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12) and Life on Land (SDG 15).


Professor Phillip Wright, Senior Vice-President at the University of Southampton, said: “Universities play a crucial role in driving sustainability through our education, research and engagement activities.
“It is wonderful to see the progress we are making at Southampton in driving sustainable development recognised in these rankings. It reflects the dedication of everyone at the University who is working towards creating a more just, inclusive and sustainable world.”

The rankings demonstrate universities’ commitment to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships.

THE evaluated 2,318 universities to produce the overall Impact Rankings for 2025. The rankings demonstrate universities’ commitment to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships. Making progress in THE Impact Rankings is one of the targets in our Sustainability Strategic Plan.


The University’s Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI) brings together academics and students from different disciplines to address the sustainability challenges facing our society and environment. It has played a key role in Southampton’s rise through the rankings from its top 201-300 overall position in 2024, and its 301-400 ranking in 2023.


Professor Simon Kemp, Deputy Director of the SRI and university lead for sustainability education, said: “This is a truly collaborative effort and indicative of how we are tackling sustainability across our university. Our colleagues work across local civic projects such as the Nature and Biodiversity Community Hub, and the Clean Air South network, along with high-impact global work exploring the impact of climate change on food security and health in rural Ghana, and health inequalities of displaced women and girls in Central and South America. These are just some examples of how our university makes a tremendous contribution to the development of a sustainable world, and our 2025 THE Impact ranking is a recognition of this fantastic work.”


Dr Alice Brock, Sustainable Development Goals Project Officer at the University said: “The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are a vital framework for global progress towards a sustainable future.
“Our score of 94.9 in SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals reflects the University’s extensive collaboration both locally and internationally which is critical to achieving the targets of the Goals.”

Privacy Settings