More UK universities commit to cutting ties with fossil fuel industries

People & Planet, the UK’s largest student network campaigning for environmental justice, has published its University League for the 2023/24 academic year, which ranks universities based on how environmentally friendly and ethical their practices are.

It revealed that 72% of universities it surveyed have committed to divesting from fossil fuels – up from 65% last year.

The League assessed 151 different institutions on the basis of thirteen categories – including environmental policy, ethical investment, and workers’ rights – and then used this data to rank each university using conventional UK degree classifications: 1st, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd, and failed.

The University of Reading ranked at the top of the list, followed by Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Bedfordshire. The University of Warwick ranked in 63^rd place, being granted a 2:2 grade and falling 11 places since last year. The lowest-scoring university was the Royal Veterinary College, and many of the lowest spots in the League are taken up by small or specialist universities.

We are seeing much higher engagement from a broad range of universities … because universities recognise that students are increasingly demanding their institutions are run sustainably and ethically

Jack Ruane, University League Manger of People & Planet

Overall, 25 universities in England received a 1st Class rating with the Midlands and London classed as the highest-achieving regions in the country for sustainability.

“We are seeing much higher engagement from a broad range of universities, including the Russell Group, because universities recognise that students are increasingly demanding their institutions are run sustainably and ethically,” said Jack Ruane, University League Manager of People & Planet.

The League closely relates to the network’s ‘Fossil Free’ campaign – a student-led initiative which demands that all UK universities exclude fossil fuel industries from their investment portfolios, with 108 universities committing to divest from fossil fuel companies thus far. Warwick is one such university on this list, having committed to fully divesting from fossil fuel companies in 2015 following a student-led campaign.

All of People & Planet’s campaigns are student-led, with students and recent university graduates compiling the League. This year’s League comes at a time when students are more worried about climate change than ever before. Research by the charity Student Minds reveals that 90% of students feel that climate change has had an impact on their mental health, and 71% of students state that they are quite or very concerned about the effects of climate change.