Bournemouth University achieves in sustainability rankings

BU was ranked 39th out of 1,963 universities measured against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) internationally.

Each university receives a score against criteria for each UNSDG to create an overall score, which is then ranked against other participating universities.

As well as an overall ranking, universities are awarded rankings by-goal.

This year, BU ranked joint first internationally out of 825 institutions in Responsible Consumption and Production, and ninth internationally out of 1149 institutions in Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Professor John Vinney, vice-chancellor of Bournemouth University, said: “The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a useful driver for us in helping us to make sure we’re doing all we can to make the world a better place, and to act sustainably in the work we do.

"I’m continually proud of our performance in this ranking as it shows that our efforts are working – we will continue to strive to ensure that we make progress in protecting and preserving a sustainable environment now and in the future.”

Lois Betts, sustainability manager at BU, said: “Our annual report shows the progress we continue to make across all the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

"Everyone at BU contributes through their teaching, research and actions on campus and beyond.

"I am particularly pleased to see our world leading performance in SDG 12 Responsible Production and Consumption.

"This is due to our careful management of waste on campus to avoid landfill and achieve high recycling rates.

"We work closely with our supply chain partners, and the behaviour of our staff and students makes a big difference in reducing the amount of waste we produce by reusing and avoiding unnecessary purchases where possible.”

The rankings place BU in the top ten for UK universities included in the rankings, and BU shares 39th place with Kyungpook National University in South Korea and the University of Newcastle in Australia.