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Climate change and environmental degradation are two of the most critical issues facing our planet. Carbon emissions and other human actions are having a devastating impact on our world – and will continue to do so for decades to come. That’s why, at Reading, you’ll have opportunities to develop an understanding of the impacts and challenges of both the changing climate and further decline of the natural world, equipping you with key skills and knowledge to make a positive difference in your future career and day-to-day life.

We work alongside governments to inform and change public policy and perception. As an institution and community, we’re committed to taking leading, collective action to find lasting solutions – on a local, national and international scale.

Sustainable practice

Our sustainability efforts have seen us move up 13 places to rank 15th (out of 154) in the 2021 People & Planet University League, achieving our third consecutive ‘First Class’ rating.

We’ve launched an ambitious and detailed plan to become Net Zero Carbon by 2030, which has been named Net Zero Strategy of the Year (The Energy Management Awards 2021), and we’re already making headway:

  • We’ve reduced our carbon footprint by 46% since 2009 and we no longer invest in fossil fuel companies.
  • 100% of our electricity is from renewable sources.
  • More than 60% of all waste is reused or recycled (Environmental Sustainability Report, 2020/21), and only 2% goes to landfill.
  • We are in the top six of all research intensive universities for carbon reduction, recycling and low water usage per head (based on analysis of HESA Estates Management Records for 2019/20).

educating future generations

The world-famous warming stripes, designed by Professor Ed Hawkins, present a compelling visualisation of how global temperatures have risen since the mid-19th century due to human-caused climate change. The stripes have been shared by the likes of Greta Thunberg and the United Nations, as well as thousands of others around the world.

Our Climate Education Summit, held in September 2021, started meaningful conversations to enact lasting, positive change in how young people learn about climate issues in schools and colleges in the UK.

We also ensure that all our students can develop an understanding of the concepts related to sustainable development through University-wide modules and activities. But you don’t have to wait until you join us. We created a free online course - Planet Partners: Tackling the Climate Crisis Together - designed to explore how climate change affects different aspects of our lives and raise awareness.

Sharing expertise

We have been awarded a 2021 Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of our pioneering research, teaching, stewardship and outreach on climate change. In addition to our climate scientists playing a leading role in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, we are the most-represented organisation in the UK on the Reuters Hot List of the world’s top climate scientists 2021. Our Whiteknights campus is soon to become home to the largest cluster of weather and climate scientists in the world, following agreement to build a new, state-of-the-art international headquarters for the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
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