An annual survey of sustainability in higher education has placed Cranfield University 40th out of 151 institutions. This places Cranfield within the top 30% in the UK, a climb of 26 places from 2022/23, for its environmental and ethical performance. Cranfield gained a 2:1 in student network People & Planet’s latest University League 2023/24.

Assessed across 14 categories including sustainable food, carbon management, waste reduction and environmental policy, Cranfield’s overall score of 58% compares favourably to the 2022/23 score of 44.5%.

Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, Professor Karen Holford CBE FREng, commented: “Sustainability cuts across everything we do at Cranfield, from research and teaching through to our campuses, and how we operate as a university. I’m really proud of our result in this ranking but there is still more to do, in reducing our carbon footprint further and in researching and developing crucial solutions to the climate challenge our world faces.”

Cranfield has an ambitious programme of environmental improvements and targets outlined in its latest corporate plan.  It has recently published a sustainable food policy, a strategy for achieving environmental goals, and outlined how the UN Sustainable Development Goals relate to its teaching and research.

Its work to improve the University estate was recognised in the Times Higher Education Awards 2023, where the Estates Team were highly commended. In the past three years, £20 million in funding has been secured to decarbonise the campus, futureproof energy supply and redevelop the estate.

People & Planet’s University League is the only comprehensive and independent league table of UK universities ranked by environmental and ethical performance.