Glasgow Caledonian has been ranked the leading university in Scotland for its exceptional contributions to environmental and social responsibility in the 2023/24 People & Planet University League.
We are ranked 43rd in the UK out of 151 universities – up eight places from last year.
People & Planet is the UK’s largest student campaigning network. Its annual University League is the only league table that ranks UK universities on their environmental and ethical performance.
The rating is based on scores across 14 categories, including environmental policy and strategy, workers’ rights, education for sustainable development, and carbon and water reduction. The criteria is scored using data collected and made public by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and other external agencies, as well as from information available on universities’ websites.
Paulo Cruz, Head of Operational Sustainability at Glasgow Caledonian, said: “This is an amazing result for the University that reflects the cross-institution approach and commitment to embedding sustainability into everything we do. The whole University is to be congratulated!”
Our work in the area of sustainability has also been noticed elsewhere.
Last week, the University was ranked in the 2024 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability for the first time. The rankings highlight the ways in which universities are addressing the world’s greatest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.
Glasgow Caledonian was placed 56th in the UK out of 93 institutions and 508th in the world out of 1,403 institutions.
Professor Steve Decent, our Principal and Vice-Chancellor, welcomed the results and said: “Glasgow Caledonian’s excellent performance in these two important league tables on sustainability reflect our long-standing commitment to sustainability and achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. I extend my heartfelt thanks to our exceptional colleagues whose unwavering dedication and hard work have contributed to this recognition of our excellent sustainability achievements.”
The University also won the 2023 UK & Ireland Green Gown Award for Benefitting Society.
The Green Gown Awards acknowledge outstanding sustainability efforts on a global scale. Our Benefitting Society award is in recognition of our commitment to civic engagement and our role in empowering students to deliver positive change in society.