Coventry University has been ranked as a Gold Tier University thanks to its green credentials which include renewable installations on campus, such as solar panels, solar thermal, and a ground source heat pump.
The Uswitch Green University Report 2023 considers Coventry University to be a leader in sustainability, with the Gold Tier standard reserved for excellent performing universities.
Coventry University boasts 14 electric vehicles as part of its fleet, including 13 electric vans and one car and is also on a renewable energy tariff for its electricity.
Ian Marshall, Coventry University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, said: “It is very pleasing to be ranked as a Gold Tier University as it reflects the sustained and ongoing effort of our staff and students.
“While it can be challenging given the age of some of the campus and the distribution of university buildings in mainly city centre locations, being a sustainable campus is something we are passionate about and we have recently completed a substantial planning exercise to look at what would be required to move to a net carbon zero institution by the end of the current planning period of 2030.
“As part of this plan we have identified the key elements required to achieve net carbon zero and to improve sustainability while making a greener environment for staff, students and stakeholders.”
The university also employs a team who are responsible for managing and coordinating sustainable development across the campuses and someone to oversee the implementation of green practices. The university offers sustainability workshops to both students and staff and runs eco-friendly initiatives such as biodiversity.
Ben Gallizzi, Uswitch.com energy expert, said: “From simple measures, such as choosing to receive their energy through renewable energy tariffs and offering recycling facilities, to implementing their own electric car fleets and installing renewable energy sources on campus. UK universities are approaching a greener way of being in a multifaceted way, understanding that every little helps when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.”
This is not the first time Coventry University has been recognised for its positive steps towards reducing carbon emissions as it recently won the prestigious Bees’ Needs Champions Award for its dedication to creating a biodiverse campus which consists of “bug hotels”, and bird, and bat boxes, among other measures.
About Coventry University
Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of creating better futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to work with businesses to ensure we provide job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities.
With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University is now one of the largest in the UK and has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide.
Over two centuries, we have flourished in our home city and Coventry University Group now also delivers access to our range of high-quality services and partnerships through bases in London, Scarborough, Belgium, Poland, Egypt, Dubai, Singapore and Africa. From September 2023, we will be teaching students at a new campus in China in a joint institution with Communication University of China.
We have greatly increased our research capacity and capability with a focus on impactful research, delivered for and with partners to address real-world challenges and support the sustainable growth of business and communities. The depth and breadth of our rapidly growing research portfolio was validated by the latest UK research assessment, which saw us jump 22 places in the research power rankings.
We were awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, proving we deliver excellence in what students care most about – teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. In 2022, we were honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of International Trade, the UK’s most prestigious business award. In recent years, we have won many awards and vastly improved our rankings in the league tables that matter to students – but what matters to us is delivering transformational change for our students, partners and communities around the world as we continue to evolve into a global education group.
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