Leeds University green up their act

The University of Leeds has secured a First Class Award in the annual People & Planet Green League.

The University was ranked 25th out of 133 marking a substantial improvement on last year’s 44th place finish.

The table, which ranks each higher education institute on a number of environmental factors, is seen as an important indicator of the university commitment to green issues.

The University of Leeds scored highly in areas such as ‘Sustainable Food and Fairtrade’, ‘Student and Staff Engagement’ and ‘Waste Reduction.’

However, it performed poorly in the ‘Carbon Emissions’ and ‘Water Consumption’ categories. Only 3 universities in the entire list were considered to have managed an “excellent performance” in each of those latter categories.

Leeds Metropolitan, having finished in the top 10 in each of the previous 3 years, once again beat their local rivals by claiming 12th place. The University of Plymouth was this year’s top ranked university.

Following its publication, the Green League was given a glowing appraisal by Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Chris Huhne. He said “I hope it will encourage universities and students to redouble their efforts in the fight against climate change”.

Mr Huhne went on to say “it is vital that universities and Government set a good example”.

Comedian, environmental activist and former University of Leeds student Alistair McGowan has also praised the Green League. He claims it has “succeeded in dragging environmental issues in from the fringes… making them a central concern for many Vice Chancellors”.

The University of Leeds has already spent much time and effort in recent years to maintain and improve its standing as one of the greenest universities in the country. This commitment continues so be sure to look out for events and campaigns as they appear throughout the year.