University rises up the ranks to number 4 in country for improvements in environmental management

The award winning Green League (published 3 July) by People & Planet, the UK's leading student campaign network, has positioned Anglia Ruskin University fourth in the league, a jump of four places from its 2007 position, which is a direct result of its central campaign to work towards a sustainable environment.

The Green League 2008 is a ranking for universities that have made a remarkable improvement in environmental management and performance in the UK's Higher Education sector over the past year.

Gloucestershire, Plymouth and University of the West of England top the
league with Anglia Ruskin University following just one place behind.

The change in the sector has been driven by thousands of students who have been campaigning for greener campuses.  The Green League 2007 brought sustainability to the forefront of Vice Chancellor's minds and, one year later, the 2008 Green League is a clear indicator that there have been tangible changes. People & Planet call upon universities to improve their accuracy, transparency and reliability of monitoring and build upon this initial shift to drive up environmental standards.

‘The dramatic improvements in the league after only one year should be
celebrated. With many UK universities leading the research on the
environmental threats facing our planet, it's common sense that they also
lead in environmental performance. These advances are a welcome response to the urgency of tackling the threats to people and nature,' said David Norman, WWF, UK Director of Campaigns.

The Green League, which last year won best campaign in the British Environment and Media Awards, is the only league table showing the environmental performance of Britain's universities.

Published in Times Higher Education and sponsored by WWF, People & Planet's Green League 2008 ranks all British universities - awarding them a First, 2:1, 2:2, Third, or Fail - based on nine environmental criteria, both policy
and performance related.  It incorporates data obtained through the freedom
of information act, including the percentage of waste recycled and CO2
emissions for each individual institution. 

In addition to highlighting the performance of individual universities, the Green League provides an overview of the Higher Education sector and exposes the need for a comprehensive carbon reduction strategy to drive down carbon emissions year-on-year. People & Planet are calling for leadership and drive from the government combined with full support from all sector stakeholders. People & Planet would like to see the HE sector act as a role model for the public sector -  providing evidence that a transformation to a low carbon economy is a realistic ambition.

Adds, Anglia Ruskin University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Thorne: ‘We are delighted to note that we have not only sustained but beaten our previous year's green ranking, as we fully understand that it is our responsibility to be actively engaged in minimising the impact we have on our environment.'

‘We welcome our move within the top 10 ranking and eagerly await the results of next year's listing to see if we can move up still further.'

The full table can be seen at: http://peopleandplanet.org/greenleague2008