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. 

The University of Leeds’ Framework for Environmental and Social Responsibility (PDF) sets out how we will embed sustainability and social responsibility across everything we do,  on campus, with our community and through our local and global impact. It provides a clear vision, shared priorities and a unifying structure to guide our work over the next five years.

The Framework connects and enables existing strategies and plans such as the Climate Plan, Curriculum Redefined and Campus Reimagined. Together, they form a joined-up approach to delivering environmental and social responsibility across the University.

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: [email protected] 

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 how we're contributing to the SDGs.