Sustainability and Environmental Policy Statement

The University of Wolverhampton Offices of the Vice Chancellor recognise that virtually all activities in Higher Education have some impact on the environment. The University’s performance as a well-recognised Higher Education Institution (HEI), operating from Wolverhampton and its associated Campuses will be measured not only by our pedagogic performance, but also by our impact on the shared environment.


The University of Wolverhampton recognises its responsibilities towards protecting the environment for future generations. The University is committed to promoting the conservation and sustainable management of the environment and to minimising the environmental impact of its activities to bring about a continual improvement in its environmental performance.
The University will comply fully with sustainability and environmental legislation and officially approved Codes of Practice, and will make continued efforts to:

  • Embed the principles of sustainable and environmental development in its values, strategies, operations and organisational learning
  • Implement policies and procedures that contribute to a reduction in the University’s carbon footprint
  • Increase awareness of sustainability and environmental responsibilities amongst staff, students, contractors and suppliers; and to provide suitable sustainability and environmental training for appropriate personnel
  • Where appropriate, integrate the education for sustainable development into the core subjects of academic programmes and provide the opportunity for students to learn about sustainable development using the approach of Global Citizenship
  • Work pro-actively with clients, the broader community, government and other stakeholders to progress sustainability and environmental initiatives and exchange best practice
  • Maintain the grounds and buildings of the University Estate in an sustainable and environmentally sensitive way and wherever possible to reduce impacts on biodiversity
  • Reduce our consumption of primary raw materials (water, energy etc.) and implement the principles of reduction, reuse and recycling across all of its activities so as to minimise the volume of waste sent to landfill
  • Encourage the use of modes of transport by staff, students, contractors and suppliers that minimise environmental impact and promote the use of technologies and alternative means of working in order to eliminate the need for travel where possible
  • Work towards a recognised sustainability and environmental standard such as ISO14001 or Ecocampus
  • Design, operate and maintain environmentally sustainable facilities, and embed sustainable development best practice into the management of the University Estate
  • Develop an Environment and Sustainable Procurement Policy which will recognise the University’s responsibility to procure goods and services in an ethical and environmentally responsible and sustainable manner with a view to minimising the University’s environmental impacts both locally and globally
  • Report annually on our sustainability and environmental performance and set realistic targets against which the improvements can be measured and monitored