Sustainability timeline

2025

Fitzroy refurbishment achieved SKA Gold.

2024

Two Green Gown Awards won in the categories Research with Impact and Sustainability Champion – Student category
Became a signatory to Wellcome’s Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice.
InterCity Place rated SKA Gold.
Re-verified to PAS 2060 Carbon Neutrality.
Climate Fresk undertaken for Women’s Network and World Earth Day.
Secured funding for decarbonisation of Portland Square .
University ranked 6th in the world for the United Nations' SDG goal number 12: responsible consumption and production
Our campus cafes received a Three Star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association in the Food Made Good report 2024
Shortlisted for two Green Gown Awards .
Drake’s Place receives tenth successive Green Flag Award .
InterCity Place named Regeneration Project of the Year at Construction News Awards 2024
Achieved 2 out of 3 stars for our Fairtrade accreditation , supported by student micro-internships and student auditors.
Second year of the Biodiversity Photography Competition hosted with UPSU.
Second year of the third-party verification of the University to PAS 2060 Carbon Neutral standard.
Welcomed local organisations onto campus to support World Sustainable Procurement Day for the first time.
Commissioned the first Water Source Heat Pump as part of a wider Heat Decarbonisation Plan for the campus

2023

TEF Triple Gold .
Joined the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative as part of the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
Nursing and midwifery students celebrate sustainability prize .
University launches Sustainability Solutions to secure a greener, cleaner future
Opening of Babbage Building and Intercity Place .
University recognised for sector leading Climate Action at the 2023 Green Gown Awards
CobBauge Building earns sustainable construction award .
Pollenize and Coronation Bioblitzes.
Joint 4th in the Planetary Health Report Card for the Peninsula Medical School.
Two Climate Fresk events undertaken during March's Green Week.
Introduction of Beryl Bikes after successful pilot .

2022

Opening of CobBauge .
Finalist of Green Gowns for CobBauge and Highly Commended for Dentistry University of Plymouth
Named among the top 5% of global universities in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022
Created first UK charging network for electric maritime vessels .
Supporting of the UK’s most specialised Blue Economy Ocean Accelerator .
“Get Involved Awards” created .
Involvement with £1.37 million project to promote green growth and investment in North Devon
Introduction of electric fleet vehicles within Facilities and Faculties and six new EV chargers.
Refreshed Energy and Water, Waste and Biodiversity policies with SMART targets
Purchase of offsets ahead of PAS 2060 verification process.
TIS power management implementation within Smeaton and Library.
Pilot of Beryl Bikes .
Carbon Literacy pilot .
Creation of sub working groups within Sustainability Advisory Group to address specific topics.
Introduction of Warp It and UniGreenScheme .
Installation of Rolle PV in January 2022.
Net Zero Mural created on the Sustainability Hub as part of the Net Zero Visions network across Devon.
Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Science maintains Athena Swan Silver Award
Catering achieve Three Star Standard from Sustainable Restaurant Association for 6th consecutive year
Achieved Green Flag Award for 8th consecutive year.
Successful certification to the ISO 14001 standard for the 13th consecutive year.
Reservoir Cafe accredited with the Vegetarian Society 6th year running.
6th in the Planetary Health Report Card for the Peninsula Medical School.

2021

Supported COP26 in Glasgow including promoting sustainable travel at the event .
Highly commended by Green Gown in the campus health food and drink category.
One of the top 25 institutions globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022 in addition to being 1st globally in relation to SDG 14 and top 20 Universities for SDG 2.
Highest ever position in QS World University Ranking 2022 .
Affiliated to Electronics Watch .
Ranked 9th in the UK in the People and Planet University League .
REGOs applied from August ahead of the new academic year removing scope 2 carbon emissions.

2020

2019

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics achieve Athena SWAN Bronze Award
Joint 15th in People and Planet.
Declared a climate emergency .
Sustainability Hub (Kirkby Lodge) refurbished to SKA Gold Standard .
Joint 14th in People and Planet.
Awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for world-leading microplastics work.
First engaged with the Devon Carbon Plan .

2018

Five further schools achieved Athena SWAN Bronze Award .
Derriford Research Facility opened and built to BREEAM Excellent .
The University is a Guardian University Award winner in the Sustainability category.
The University commits to reduction of single use plastics and signs up to three national campaigns : the WRAP UK Plastics Pact, Plymouth City Councils Plan for Plastics and the Surfers Against Sewerage Plastic Free Waterfront Status.
The Plymouth Law Clinic – a student run legal service – is a LawWorks and Attorney General Student Pro Bono Award winner for the Best Contribution by a Law School.
Academic named Sustainability Champion by Green Gown for their work in creation of environment-themed degrees in building and construction

2017

Fairtrade accreditation renewed.
University of Plymouth joined the Sustainable Development Goals Accord.
University catering have been shortlisted for “Supporting Global Farmers” and “Food made good champion” in the Food Made Good Awards 2017.
Drake’s Place Gardens and Reservoir receive Green Flag award for third year running.
University of Plymouth Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry is an Athena Swan Silver award winner.

2016

Fifth Green Gown Award for Sustainability Reporting for our 2016 Sustainability Report.
Won the Sustainability Reporting in the Public Sector category at the Building Public Trust in Corporate Reporting Awards (organised by PwC and the National Audit Office).
University of the Year at the Food Made Good Awards.
Sustainable Restaurant Association 3 stars reaccredited.
Named in top 50 UK employers by Bloomberg.

2015

First in the People & Planet Green League.
Re-accreditation of the EMS to ISO14001 for a further three years.
Drake’s Place Gardens and Reservoir wins Green Flag.
Drake’s Place is shortlisted for the Green Gown Award.
Fairtrade accreditation status renewed.
Renewed Food for Life Catering Mark: John Bull and hospitality menus gained Bronze and Drakes, Loafers and Reservoir Café won Silver.
University creates apiary and sites two bee hives.
Sustainable Restaurant Association Three Star standard renewed.
Sustainable Earth Institute is launched.
Zero waste to landfill delivered.
The Guardian Awards 2015 winner for Social and Community Impact.
NUS Responsible Futures Award in recognition of the excellent quality of Sustainability Education.
Drake's Place wins two Abercrombie Awards including the coveted People of Plymouth Award.

2014

Launch of revised and updated Sustainability Strategy.
Special commendation from People & Planet Green League for retaining 'highest performer’ place since its inception in 2007.
UPSU was awarded Excellent in the national Green Impact Scheme.
Won the prestigious Gold Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
First university to be awarded Three Star standard from the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Bronze award for Food for Life Catering Mark from the Soil Association.
Three Green Gown Award wins for: Food and Drink, Enterprise and Courses and Learning categories.
The House, the University’s own performing arts centre is opened, built to BREEAM Excellent standard.
Renewed Athena Swan Bronze Award.

2013

UPSU won a Gold Award in the national Green Impact scheme.
Won Silver Award in the national sustainability performance index: Learning in Future Environments (LifE).
Sustainability featured as one of the University’s four key ambitions in the Strategy 2020, echoed in the Teaching and Learning and Student Experience strategy.
Shortlisted at the Times Higher Education Awards for outstanding contribution to sustainable development.
Ranked second in People and Planet.
Seventh in International Green Metric.
Won a Good Egg Award.

2012

The Institute for Sustainability Solutions Research (ISSR) was established to promote the sustainability research agenda, linking 300 academics across the University.
Plymouth was ranked fifth for overall sustainability performance by the international Green Metric World University Ranking, judged against 215 international entrants.
First university to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark.
Food for Life Bronze certification.
Ranked second People and Planet.

2011

Won the Green Gown Award for Whole Institutional Change – Continuous Improvement.
Published the first Sustainability Report.
Won the Green Tourism Gold Award.
Ranked forth in the People & Planet Green League.

2010

The Sustainability Executive Group was formed – reporting to VCE – bringing together the tri-cameral structure: operations, research and teaching and learning.
CSF was re-established as part of the Teaching and Learning Directorate after HEFCE funding expired – to champion sustainability in teaching and learning.
Ranked first in the People & Planet Green League.

2009

Gained Fairtrade University status.
Achieved ISO 14001 accreditation for our Environmental Management System.
Won Silver in the Corporate Responsibility Index from Business in the Community.
The cross-institutional Sustainability Advisory Group was formed.
Ranked sixth in the People and Planet Green League.

2008

Our first Sustainability Strategy was approved.

2007

Ranked second in the then newly launched People & Planet Green League of UK universities.

2005

Won funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to set up a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL).
Named the Centre for Sustainable Futures (CSF), the Centre's aim was to transform the University from an institution characterised by significant areas of excellence in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), to an institution modelling university-wide excellence – able to make a major contribution to ESD regionally, nationally and internationally.