Environment and sustainability
We are facing a global environmental crisis and the University of Hertfordshire is taking definitive action to respond to this challenge.
With almost 3,000 staff, 30,000 students and a campus covering over 200 hectares, we are committed to not only reducing the environmental impact of our estate and the University’s activities, but also to championing a sustainable mindset across our communities, embedding the principles of sustainability as a recurring green thread across our institution - and beyond.
Our impacts, aims and objectives are aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals Framework. While our main focus is on environmental considerations, as a university we work collaboratively across all Schools of Study and business departments across the University to ensure a holistic and inclusive approach to sustainability.
Our commitments at Herts
To mitigate the environmental footprint of the University’s activities and operations, our Environment and Sustainability Framework is set around four key impact areas: climate change, biodiversity, waste and resource management, and sustainable communities.
We’ve made several commitments relating to these four impact areas. As set out in our Environmental Policy, we’re committed to:
- Preventing pollution
- Complying with environmental legislation
- Striving for continual improvement
- Reducing our impact on the climate by becoming Net Zero by 2050
- Protecting and enhancing biodiversity
- Reducing the impact of our waste and resources utilisation
- Building a sustainable community through education, student experience, research, enterprise, and global engagement.
Our pathways to sustainability
We take a targeted and holistic approach to sustainability that’s embedded across the university by bringing together our stakeholders, including staff, students, the local community, businesses and partners, as well as action plans from across the university.
Our four pathways reflect the scope of our impact, reach and influence, and provide a framework for delivering our environment and sustainability aims and objectives.
Our performance so far
At Herts, we believe that sustainability is not just a goal but a journey—one that requires continuous effort, innovation, and accountability. Since launching our new framework in 2023, we have been dedicated to reducing our environmental impact and fostering a culture around positive action and responsibility.
Some of our key recent achievements and successes include:
- 27% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emission against 2018/19
- 51% fall in scope 1 & 2 emissions per FTE against 2018/19
- 29% fall in emissions per FTE from procurement since 2019/20
- Carbon Foodprint labelling launched
- 19% decrease in total waste output against 2018-19
- Waste per FTE reduction of 45% against 2018-19
- Only 1.37% of waste being sent to landfill
- Successful ISO14001 and EcoCampus Platinum recertification
- Hundreds of staff and students engaged through the advocate volunteer scheme, Green Teams challenge, Staff Network, workshops and other sustainability events.
- Sustainability-driven being recognised as a graduate attribute and integrated into all taught programmes
Find out more about our performance so far in our Environment and Sustainability Annual Report 2022-23.
Find out more about how to get involved