Sheffield University climate impact
and actions

Climate Change & The University Challenge
presentation by Prof Fionn Stevenson

3 Nov 2015
Professor Fionn Stevenson, head of the school of architecture at Sheffield, focussed on what our University is doing, where we have failed, and what we can change. This talk was put together by several members of the CNU network, including Professor Stevenson, and much of the information was acquired through the research of the CNU network.

How do we compare against other universities?

We follow two relevant league tables that show our climate change and sustainability performance in comparison to other UK universities.

Brite Green carbon league table

Environmental consultancy 'Brite Green' has produced a performance table of changes in absolute carbon emissions by HEFCE funded universities and colleges.

In the 2017 carbon league table, comparing university carbon emissions for 2015/16, we achieved position 85 of 126 higher education institutes. We reduced our carbon emissions only 11% from 2005 levels, which is still very far off our official 2020 target of 43% reduction.

People & Planet league table

People & Planet’s University League is the only comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance. It is compiled annually by the UK’s largest student campaigning network, People & Planet.

In the 2017 league table, we are on
position 77 of 154 Universities.

Ranking history:
2016: 66 of 150
2015: 94 of 154

A Climate and Sustainability Strategy proposal for the University of Sheffield

1 Feb 2016 (presented to Public Value Subgroup)
In 2016, our CNU co-chair & Grantham Research Fellow Dr Christian Unger developed a proposal for a Climate and Sustainability Strategy (CaSS) for the University of Sheffield, to go carbon neutral and support the University’s stated aim of making a 43 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020. This strategy document was submitted and discussed in University committees in February 2016 and will soon be discussed by the University Executive Board.