Building on last year’s success, the University is pleased to have risen by a further 22 places in the latest 2025/26 People & Planet University League table, now ranking 78th for sustainability performance of all UK Universities.
The sustainability performance of universities is assessed annually by student campaigning network People & Planet across 14 sections of a comprehensive range of criteria, from environmental impacts, staff and student engagement and managing carbon through to ethical investment, sustainable food, and education for sustainable development. All UK universities are assessed annually by People & Planet over the summer and the latest league table was published in December 2025.
Leeds Arts University’s upward trajectory in the league reflects an ongoing focus on engaging with People & Planet’s methodology and seeking opportunities to further progress and embed Sustainability activity at the University.
Continuing activity that underpins our latest result includes:
Significant investment in refurbishment works to progress our Estate Sustainability Plan objective to achieve a net zero estate by 2035.
Maintaining data submission to the Higher Education Statistics Agency Estates Management Record (HESA EMR) which accounts for c. 45% of the available score.
Promoting established opportunities to students including our annual Student Sustainability Award and participating in the Student Sustainability Research Conference, and exploring new initiatives.
Continued collaboration across the University with academic staff, internal teams such as the Students’ Union, Careers team and Library, and with external partners to deliver events, briefs and projects.
A rolling programme of staff and student sustainability inductions, along with course-specific sessions to develop knowledge and awareness.
The University has long recognised the importance of sustainability to our students, staff, wider communities and institutional success. Our Sustainability Framework was first launched just over ten years ago in 2015, to identify and guide how the University community should engage with and advance its sustainability practices. Following review, our new Sustainability Framework has been updated to reflect a future-fit organisational approach to sustainability which prepares for and responds to the impacts of climate change.
As signatories of the SDG Accord, our new framework and underpinning sustainability actions remain aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Strategic oversight of sustainability activity continues via the Sustainability Committee which includes staff and student representation and is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor.
“We are really proud to progress further in the latest People & Planet League for the second year running. Our success is testament to the continued development of sustainability activity across our operations and curriculum through collaboration between our students, staff and community partners”.
Claire Booth, Sustainability Manager
“To have risen up the rankings in the latest People & Planet League once again is a great achievement for the University, particularly as a smaller specialist institution. As the University celebrates its 180th year in 2026, our new Sustainability Framework will guide how we continue to embed sustainability, while showcasing the vital role of the creative arts in tackling the climate crisis through engagement and partnership in the years ahead.”
Professor Simone Wonnacott, Vice-Chancellor