Sustainability Strategy

Our planet and its population face unprecedented challenges and we have a responsibility to do our part – in terms of our direct impact, our research and in developing our students as global citizens ready to tackle global issues. 

Reflecting this importance, sustainability is embedded in both our academic strategy Universal Values, Global Change, and in the Enabling Strategy which underpins this.  

To us sustainability means creating value for society by taking responsibility for our economic, cultural, social and environmental impacts. We use the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help frame and guide our activity. And everything we do is inclusive, making sure everyone’s voice is heard and considered along the way. 

Our Climate Plan is one element of our approach to sustainability, alongside our impacts on biodiversity and the environment, how we source and use resources, the way we engage with our community and how we build positive social impact. 

Our updated Sustainability and Community strategy, which will support the Enabling Strategy and sit alongside our Climate Plan, is in the process of being developed. In the meantime, where updated targets have not been set within our University strategy or Climate Plan, we continue to work across the themes and aims set out in our previous Sustainability Strategy (PDF).  Our aims and targets have also been integrated into the Facilities Directorate Our Way Ahead business plan.

If you would like a copy of our strategy in an accessible format please contact us: sustainability@leeds.ac.uk 

We want to know what you think

We want our Sustainability and Community strategy to be inclusive and relevant to everyone. Your thoughts and ideas are important, so we’d love to hear from you: sustainability@leeds.ac.uk 

We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work as the Sustainability Service is linked to all of the SDGs.

Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.