猫爪影像

Net-zero

The university has committed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The 2023–24 academic year has seen a 45.6% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions against a 2009–10 baseline. This reduction has been achieved through a range of projects, including installing solar panels, rolling out energy-efficient LED lighting, and developing a state-of-the-art data centre. 

The university’s Net-Zero Strategy 2022–2025 sets out the guiding principles for how we will approach carbon reduction. The university has committed to achieving net zero by 2050 and is in the process of identifying a suitable, sustainable plan for achieving this.

The strategy has a focus on decarbonising our buildings, with three key themes:

• Demand reduction – Improvements to building fabric, energy efficiency and resource optimisation to minimise the university’s energy demand.
• Energy generation – Producing our own clean, affordable energy.
• Responsible energy procurement – Source our remaining energy needs from sustainable sources.

Renewables

More than 1,600 solar panels are installed across our campuses which generated over 630,000 kWh last year (2023–24). This resulted in cost savings of over £180,000 and reduced our annual carbon emissions by over 130 tonnes.

The solar arrays at Grand Parade and Varley were installed through an innovative collaboration with Brighton Energy Co-operative – a community energy organisation whose members invest to develop renewable energy systems in Brighton and the south-east.

We have also installed solar hot water panels on the roof of the Huxley building in Moulsecoomb.

Sustainable buildings

Our campuses are home to a wide variety of building types, ranging from old 19^th century buildings to tailor-made new builds. As set out in our Net-zero strategy 2022–2025, construction and renovation projects will give priority to fabric efficiency, energy efficiency and on-site generation, consistent with Passivhaus and Enerphit design standards to enable the transition to zero carbon forms of heating.

Installation of more efficient lighting at our Aldrich and Falmer libraries is saving 48 tonnes of carbon a year. The recent replacement of metal halide floodlights at Falmer Sports pitches with new LED luminaries is expected to reduce energy use and the associated carbon emissions by more than 50%.

Heating and ventilation is a significant contributor to a building’s carbon footprint, which is why we’ve implemented a range of initiatives to lower this impact.

• Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES) system - an innovative way of heating and cooling one of our largest buildings, using water from hot and cold wells below the site. This reduces reliance on fossil fuels for space heating.
• An extensive building energy management system (BMS) - ensuring our buildings are comfortable places to work and study, while striving for the most efficient use of energy across our campuses.
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units – reducing carbon emissions by generating electricity at the same time as providing heat. The use of natural gas means this is not a zero-carbon technology, however it currently provides a viable means of reducing emissions at locations with significant heat demand.
• Building fabric upgrades – improvements to the building fabric reduce heat demand and therefore the energy required for heating. Refurbishment projects in recent years have seen improved window glazing installed in Mithras House and much of the Cockcroft Building.

As outlined in our , designs for new and refurbishments of existing buildings will be guided by our goal of achieving net zero carbon usage. Our sets out our targets and strategies to achieve this.

Green IT

With IT equipment playing an integral role in the work of a modern university, we’re working hard to ensure our IT services are run as sustainably as possible.

A key success has been the development of a state-of-the-art water-cooled data centre on our Moulsecoomb campus, providing energy-efficient housing for current and future departmental servers.

With a significant number of computers across our campuses, the installation of power-down software has played a key role in minimising the carbon emissions of our IT systems. The software ensures that all computers are automatically powered down when not in use, avoiding energy waste.

Embedding sustainability

We’re striving to embed sustainability throughout all our practices. Our university’s approach to engaging students and staff is framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), influencing our teaching and learning, research, public and community engagement, and campus operations, in collaboration with the Students' Union.

Sustainable curriculum

At our university, sustainability is seamlessly integrated into all teaching and learning through Research-Informed Teaching. This innovative approach combines learning with research skills and knowledge exchange, encouraging students across disciplines to explore Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD in our courses and modules is reviewed through the Annual Quality Assessment process led by the quality leads of the Quality and Standards Department. ESD approaches and qualitative impact are also overseen by members of the Global Challenges Leadership Group.

Visit our Global Challenges and research and knowledge exchange pages for more insights.

Our campus serves as a 'living lab' for sustainable development, addressing Global Challenges. Our utilises university buildings for research and teaching, exemplified by first-year Architecture, Technology, and Engineering students exploring low-carbon retrofitting techniques. Additionally, our enhances graduate skills through real-world, paid environmental surveying opportunities, boosting employability in biodiversity conservation.

Changemaker Challenge

In December 2024, the university ran the first Changemaker Challenge. This was a one day hackathon where students worked in interdisciplinary groups to explore approaches and solutions to real world challenges. A brief was set for each of the four Global Challenges (Equality and Inclusivity, Creative Sustainable Economies, Wellbeing and Climate Change) and students worked collaboratively to address their briefs. Students delivered a presentation to an external panel made up of experts, local businesses and community partners.

Strategy for student and staff engagement

Our strategies set clear objectives and milestones for engaging both students and staff, monitored through the Sustainability and Environmental Policy statement 2022–25 with annual updates. Regular sustainability surveys assess behaviours, awareness, and performance among university stakeholders, detailed further in our governance and policies.

Travel

Aligned with our , the university aims to shift commuter transport towards mass transit, walking and cycling. Annual travel surveys guide efforts to enhance active travel options. Every term we offer free bike maintenance sessions for students and staff ensuring their bikes are safe when cycling and encouraging safe travel to the university.

Events

Recognising the impact of scope 3 emissions, we lead by example with a variety of events and campaigns that engage students and staff, promoting wellbeing and sustainable choices in daily life to reduce scope 3 emissions. The most recent campaign, in April 2025 focused on reuse. The 'Spring Clean Campaign' was conducted on the reuse platform Warp It, where staff were encouraged to sign up and declutter their workspace by uploading their unwanted office furniture and equipment to the platform to ensure they are rehomed and reused instead of disposed of. As part of the campaign a competition was run to see which departments and member of staff were able to successfully declutter their workspace through Warp It. Staff were also encouraged to use Warp It to get second hand items from colleagues in the university or other organisations instead of buying new. This saves procurement costs, decreases disposal rates and reduces scope 3 emissions. Go to the Reuse section below to see how much our staff have saved so far.

Staff and students stay up to date with Sustainability events and campaigns through the university's internal news channels - My Brighton and StaffCentral. So far this academic year (2024–2025) the team have promoted a wide variety of events. The following are our most popular events each month:

• October - Freshers Fair
• November - Tree Planting
• December - Changemaker Challenge
• January 2025 - Building Hedgehog Houses and feeding Stations
• February - Volunteering with Sussex Wildlife Trust to restore the Chalk Grassland
• March - Dr Bike - free bike maintenance sessions
• April - Hedgehog Surveys
• May - The Science and Magic of Soil - presentation by Michael Kennard

Staff Inductions and training

During mandatory staff induction days, our sustainability team introduces new staff to our sustainability policy, responsibilities, and sustainable travel advice. We provide training and community networking opportunities to drive sustainability outcomes and uphold social responsibility.

Student Inductions 

Sustainability is one of the four core values of the university and is therefore an important part of students inductions. Students are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the sustainability policy and what it means for them during their time at university. Students are signposted to where they can stay up to date on upcoming sustainability events, such as tree planting, conservation opportunities and bike workshops.

Student-led evaluations

We encourage students to get involved in evaluations. Every year, sport and health sciences students complete the (PHRC); a student-led initiative where they use a metric-based tool with support from their teachers to evaluate how well planetary health is addressed in their course and institution.

Research

The 猫爪影像 has a long, rich and diverse history in making a transformative difference to society through research and knowledge exchange.

We aim to meet the major challenges the world faces, building a sustainable future for our planet in numerous ways:

• across the natural and technological world by addressing aspects of climate change and biodiversity loss, investigating future green fuels and architectural practices as well as making advances in health and wellbeing
• in the economic and social spheres by tackling issues such as clean, accessible and affordable food and water supplies, environmental justice, housing problems, and harnessing the power of global informatics
• by prompting real-world change through debate or critical and cultural intervention that can surface deeper issues, consolidate communities for change, and sustain the world through cultural inclusivity, opportunity and participation.

Our work breaks boundaries, bringing together diverse disciplines, international partners and individuals from academia, industry and beyond. Through our collaborations and partnerships, we share our insights, solve practical problems and shape debate towards creating a better future for all.

Visit our research and knowledge exchange pages to find out more.

Partnership

The 猫爪影像 actively works with community groups and organisations to help our local communities to thrive, and to improve teaching and research. We work together to solve problems and develop working relationships that help l