We Scored Every UK University on Climate. Here's What We Found.
We assessed all 147 UK universities on public evidence only — no questionnaire, no fee. 66 met our evidence bar and are published with full scores. The other 81 carry the reason instead of a number. Top score: 60 out of 100.
Every university says it's sustainable. Three different league tables crown three different "greenest universities in the UK." The rankings rely on what institutions submit about themselves — and in some, universities choose which questions they're judged on.
SINK scores from public evidence only. Nobody fills in a questionnaire. Nobody pays. Every score shows its sources, and anyone can challenge it.
We assessed all 147 UK universities. 66 met our evidence bar and are published today with full scores. The other 81 appear in the same table with the reason instead of a number — because an absence you can read is worth more than a score you can't trust.
Here is what the data shows.
The sector at a glance
| Universities assessed | 147 of 147 |
| Scored and published | 66 |
| Unscored, with the reason stated | 81 |
| Filed no 2023/24 return | 12 — five still scored, with a penalty |
| Highest score | 60 — Manchester Metropolitan |
| Median published score | 51 |
How the published 66 break down:
| Band | Universities |
|---|---|
| Leading practice (60–74) | 1 |
| Making progress (46–59) | 56 |
| Below expectations (31–45) | 6 |
| Significant gaps (16–30) | 3 |
The headline finding is the cluster. Measured the same way, on the same evidence, most UK universities land within a few points of each other: the median is 51, the best score in the country is 60. The dramatic spreads in the familiar league tables come mostly from policy paperwork — strategies, pledges, committee structures — not from physical performance. The median university is making progress. Only one crosses into leading practice, and only just.
The second finding is harder on the sector: more than half of it cannot currently be scored to an independent evidence standard at all. That is a finding about UK higher education, not a gap in this report.
The best score is 60. That is Manchester Metropolitan.
The only university in Leading practice didn't get there with pledges. MMU's estate runs at 131.9 kWh per square metre — among the leanest in the country — against measured emissions of 7,721 tonnes, with 53% of operational waste recycled, all of it in its statutory returns and audited data rather than a glossy strategy document. It has cut emissions 65% since 2005. The established rankings also rate MMU highly. On this one, the physics agrees.
Twelve universities didn't file. We say so instead of guessing.
Every UK university is asked to file an estates return to HESA — energy, emissions, water, waste, measured and standardised. Twelve filed nothing for 2023/24. Some appear at the bottom of other league tables as if they had performed badly. The truth is simpler and worse: nobody knows, because they didn't file.
Not filing doesn't itself block a SINK score — but it costs one. Five of the twelve still cleared our evidence bar and were scored with a penalty for the missing emissions figure: University of Greater Manchester, formerly the University of Bolton (22), Ravensbourne (25), Hull (29), Harper Adams (31) and the Royal Northern College of Music (33). The other seven fell below the bar entirely and sit in the unscored 81. The absence is the result.
Hull shows what the gap between pledge and physics looks like up close. The university promised carbon neutrality by 2027 — one of the most ambitious targets in the sector. In 2024, its own vice-chancellor publicly admitted the target was impossible to achieve: the flagship solar farm is paused, with no grid connection available until 2034, and its 2023/24 estates return never arrived. A ranking built on commitments would have rewarded Hull for years. The measurements stopped.
Why one university "recycles 95.5%"
Queen's University Belfast's waste return shows 95.5% recycling — the kind of number that makes a press release. Look closer: 92% of its waste that year was construction rubble from an estates project, nearly all of it recycled. Strip out the demolition and the operational figure is 52%. We rank operational waste, publish both figures on the page, and wrote the rule into the methodology — because a rebuild year shouldn't buy a headline.
Research estates run hot
Russell Group universities are about 69% more carbon-intensive per square metre than post-1992 universities, and use about 53% more energy. Laboratories and 24/7 research buildings are physically expensive: Imperial runs at 365 kWh/m², and the Institute of Cancer Research — a pure research institute — has the most intensive estate in the country. That is a finding about buildings, not a claim that cancer research is bad. But a rating that ignores it isn't measuring anything.
Fifty-nine universities can't currently be verified by anyone
Our rules require at least three independent parties behind a score. For 59 institutions — mostly smaller and specialist ones — that evidence simply does not exist: beyond their own websites and their statutory return, almost nothing about their sustainability has been independently written, audited or checked. We don't publish scores for them. Each one's status is in the table below, and a row can change: institutions move to "Scored" as evidence improves, returns resume, or defects are fixed.
A rating that cannot say no is not a rating. 81 universities in this table have a reason instead of a score. That is the report working, not failing.
How we scored them
Ten questions, public evidence only, methodology v2.5.10 — the same published framework as our FTSE 100 assessment. One rule changed for this sector, publicly, before scoring: where a record cites the statutory estates data universities must file to HESA — measured, standardised, published by a body they don't control — our source-concentration cap relaxes from 70% to 85%. Ten of the 66 published scores relied on it; three institutions that cited HESA but filed no return were refused it, because a citation isn't coverage. The full rule and the arithmetic are in the changelog.
The full table — all 147
| # | University | Score | Band / status | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester Metropolitan University | 60 | Leading practice | |
| 2 | Lancaster University | 58 | Making progress | |
| 3 | Liverpool John Moores University | 57 | Making progress | |
| 4= | London School of Economics And Political Science | 56 | Making progress | |
| 4= | Robert Gordon University | 56 | Making progress | |
| 4= | Swansea University | 56 | Making progress | |
| 4= | York St John University | 56 | Making progress | |
| 8= | Aberystwyth University | 55 | Making progress | |
| 8= | De Montfort University | 55 | Making progress | |
| 8= | University of Edinburgh | 55 | Making progress | |
| 11= | Birmingham City University | 54 | Making progress | |
| 11= | Cranfield University | 54 | Making progress | |
| 11= | University of Bristol | 54 | Making progress | |
| 11= | University of Strathclyde | 54 | Making progress | |
| 11= | University of Sunderland | 54 | Making progress | |
| 16= | Anglia Ruskin University | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | Cardiff Metropolitan University | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | Cardiff University | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | Imperial College London | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | Loughborough University | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | University of Brighton | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | University of Cambridge | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | University of Exeter | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | University of Sheffield | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | University of South Wales | 53 | Making progress | |
| 16= | University of St Andrews | 53 | Making progress | |
| 27= | Aston University | 52 | Making progress | |
| 27= | City St George's University London | 52 | Making progress | |
| 27= | Edinburgh Napier University | 52 | Making progress | |
| 27= | University of The Arts London | 52 | Making progress | |
| 27= | University of Warwick | 52 | Making progress | |
| 32= | Canterbury Christ Church University | 51 | Making progress | |
| 32= | Glasgow Caledonian University | 51 | Making progress | |
| 32= | Nottingham Trent University | 51 | Making progress | |
| 32= | Teesside University | 51 | Making progress | |
| 32= | University of Chichester | 51 | Making progress | |
| 32= | University of East Anglia | 51 | Making progress | |
| 32= | University of Portsmouth | 51 | Making progress | |
| 39= | King's College London | 50 | Making progress | |
| 39= | Leeds Beckett University | 50 | Making progress | |
| 39= | The Institute of Cancer Research | 50 | Making progress | |
| 39= | University of Aberdeen | 50 | Making progress | |
| 39= | University of Derby | 50 | Making progress | |
| 39= | University of Manchester | 50 | Making progress | |
| 45= | Birkbeck, University of London | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | Coventry University | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | Falmouth University | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | University of Bath | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | University of Lancashire | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | University of Surrey | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | University of The West of Scotland | 49 | Making progress | |
| 45= | University of York | 49 | Making progress | |
| 53= | Heriot-Watt University | 48 | Making progress | |
| 53= | St Mary's University, Twickenham | 48 | Making progress | |
| 53= | University of Stirling | 48 | Making progress | |
| 56= | Glasgow School of Art | 46 | Making progress | |
| 56= | Leeds Arts University | 46 | Making progress | |
| 58 | University of Chester | 44 | Below expectations | |
| 59 | Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance | 43 | Below expectations | |
| 60 | University of Cumbria | 42 | Below expectations | |
| 61 | Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music And Dance | 41 | Below expectations | |
| 62 | Royal Northern College of Music | 33 | Below expectations | |
| 63 | Harper Adams University | 31 | Below expectations | |
| 64 | University of Hull | 29 | Significant gaps | |
| 65 | Ravensbourne University London | 25 | Significant gaps | |
| 66 | University of Greater Manchester | 22 | Significant gaps | |
| Abertay University | — | Evidence defects — under review | performance 44 ≠ sum of question scores 45 | |
| Arts University Bournemouth | — | Insufficient independent evidence | 7 surviving sources < 8 floor | |
| Bangor University | — | Evidence defects — under review | performance 58 ≠ sum of question scores 59 | |
| Bath Spa University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Birmingham Newman University | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| Bournemouth University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Brunel University London | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Buckinghamshire New University | — | Evidence defects — under review | 1 dead cited URL(s) | |
| Durham University | — | Evidence defects — under review | 3 dead cited URL(s) | |
| Edge Hill University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Goldsmiths, University of London | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Keele University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Kingston University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Leeds Trinity University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 7 < 8 minimum | |
| Lincoln Bishop University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 7 < 8 minimum | |
| Liverpool Hope University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 4 < 8 minimum | |
| London Business School | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| London Metropolitan University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine | — | Insufficient independent evidence | 7 surviving sources < 8 floor | |
| London South Bank University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Middlesex University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 7 < 8 minimum | |
| Newcastle University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Norwich University of the Arts | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 4 < 8 minimum | |
| Oxford Brookes University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Queen Margaret University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Queen Mary University of London | — | Evidence defects — under review | names an excluded source in its reasoning (People & Planet) | |
| Queen's University Belfast | — | Evidence defects — under review | 2 dead cited URL(s) | |
| Roehampton University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Royal Academy of Music | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| Royal Agricultural University | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| Royal College of Art | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Royal College of Music, London | — | Evidence defects — under review | 1 aggregator source(s) cited — not primary/reproducible | |
| Royal Holloway, University of London | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Royal Veterinary College | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| Sheffield Hallam University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| SOAS, University of London | — | Insufficient independent evidence | 7 surviving sources < 8 floor | |
| Solent University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 6 < 8 minimum | |
| Staffordshire University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| The Open University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 6 < 8 minimum | |
| Ulster University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University College Birmingham | — | Evidence defects — under review | performance 46 ≠ sum of question scores 45 | |
| University College London | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University for the Creative Arts | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Bedfordshire | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Birmingham | — | Evidence defects — under review | names an excluded source in its reasoning (People & Planet) | |
| University of Bradford | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Dundee | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source diversity | |
| University of East London | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Essex | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Glasgow | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Gloucestershire | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Greenwich | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Hertfordshire | — | Insufficient independent evidence | source count 6 < 8 minimum | |
| University of Huddersfield | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Kent | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Leeds | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Leicester | — | Evidence defects — under review | performance 52 ≠ sum of question scores 53 | |
| University of Lincoln | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Liverpool | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Northampton | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Northumbria at Newcastle | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Nottingham | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Oxford | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Plymouth | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Reading | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Salford | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Southampton | — | Evidence defects — under review | names an excluded source in its reasoning (People & Planet) | |
| University of St Mark and St John | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| University of Suffolk | — | Insufficient independent evidence | 7 surviving sources < 8 floor | |
| University of Sussex | — | Evidence defects — under review | performance 57 ≠ sum of question scores 58 | |
| University of the Highlands and Islands | — | No 2023/24 HESA return | no 2023/24 HESA Estates Management Record return | |
| University of The West of England, Bristol | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Wales Trinity Saint David | — | Evidence defects — under review | 3 dead cited URL(s) | |
| University of West London | — | Evidence defects — under review | score 57 ≠ formula round((0.3×45 + 0.7×63) × 1) = 58 | |
| University of Westminster | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Winchester | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| University of Wolverhampton | — | Evidence defects — under review | 2 dead cited URL(s) | |
| University of Worcester | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence | |
| Wrexham University | — | Insufficient independent evidence | sourcing independence |
147 institutions · 66 scored and linked · 81 with a stated reason instead of a score. Physics from the HESA Estates Management Record 2023/24 (CC-BY 4.0). Methodology v2.5.10.
Every UK university is in this table. If yours has no score, the reason is in the row.
Search the universities → sinkproject.com/sector/higher-education-universities
The methodology and changelog → /methodology
Download the full 147-row dataset → /data/blog-embed-147.csv
FAQ
Why doesn't my university have a score?
Its row in the table says: either fewer than three independent parties have verifiable evidence about it, or its record carries a defect we won't publish around, or it filed no estates return and fell below our evidence bar. We publish absences, not guesses.
Who pays SINK?
Scores can't be bought. Members, data licences and paid evidence reviews fund the work — paying for a review buys scrutiny of your evidence, never the number.
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