Strategy signals major shift on climate action, with nature restored

The University has unveiled what is thought to be the most ambitious environmental strategy in UK higher education.

group of students standing in an open feild in windy conditions
Students from the School of Geosciences visit Barvick Burn, one of the University's woodland creation sites (image credit: Andrew Perry)

For the first time, the institution will go beyond action confined to damage limitation with targets to become environmentally regenerative, actively restoring nature across an area in Scotland five times the size of its campus and sequestering more carbon than it emits.

The bold 15-year plan places a strong emphasis on learning and teaching, aiming to ensure all students at the University have access to meaningful study of climate and nature, regardless of their degree. 

It also sets out how the University will tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution through its world-leading research and its operational activities such as travel, supply chains and the energy required to power its large estate.

At a launch event on Tuesday 24 March, leaders and experts put a case forward to encourage more collaboration with institutions across the country to tackle the environmental polycrisis.

Environmental polycrisis

The combination of climate change, biodiversity loss, impacts on water, and pollution – combined to form an environmental polycrisis – is seen by experts as one of the greatest challenges the world is facing today.

The effects of climate change are being seen on an unparalleled scale, from increasingly unpredictable weather bringing harsher droughts, floods and heatwaves that strain ecosystems, to the displacement of communities impacted by food and water resources.

The UK is among the most nature depleted countries in the world and rising evidence of health impacts derived from microplastics and PFAS chemicals in human bloodstreams and organs are an increasing cause of concern.

Those leading the University’s ambitious plan are seeking to galvanise policymakers, businesses and local communities to work with fellow universities to mobilise resources and drive broader system changes to strengthen the impact of environmental efforts.

Two student volunteers attach a wildlife camera to a tree at Easter Bush campus as part of the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme

Ambitious targets

Building on progress made to date, delivering the new strategy will be a significant challenge for the University, requiring an acceleration in action across all areas.

Activities will be delivered across learning and teaching, research and operations – all supported by the University’s staff and student community.

As part of the plans, by 2030, sustainability will be integrated across the curriculum, with the University’s entire population of students gaining access to climate and nature learning experiences.

With research outputs spanning earth systems, farming and food, climate finance, and environmental politics, University experts are already finding solutions to the environmental polycrisis in many different forms, often in places least expected.

In one recent study, scientists have created a pioneering method to treat Parkinson’s disease by using waste plastic bottles.

The approach harnesses the power of bacteria to transform the type of plastic used widely in food and drink packaging into L-DOPA, a frontline medication for the neurological disorder.

The process involves first breaking down PET waste – some 50 million tonnes of which are produced annually – into chemical building blocks of terephthalic acid.

With traditional methods of making pharmaceuticals relying on the use of fossil fuels, researchers believe this could pave the way for growth of a bio-upcycling industry producing not only pharmaceuticals but a wide range of products including flavourings, fragrances, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals.

Research capabilities will be further strengthened through the new strategy with commitments including the creation of a sustainability research toolkit alongside specialised support for securing research funding and philanthropic income generation.

Operationally, the plan outlines a science-led approach to drive down supply chain, travel and estate-based emissions, and using five-year carbon budgets to ensure progress remains within 1.5 degree limit set by the Paris Agreement.

Alongside its commitment to ecologically regenerate an area five times the size of its estate, it also includes commitments to rewild green spaces and to tackle chemical pollution, water use and pollution across the University’s five campuses.

Reducing emissions

As one of the largest universities in the UK, Edinburgh’s emissions are some of highest in the sector. This is driven by its large supply chain, volume of travel, the size and age of its estate, the energy intensive nature of its research and its role hosting major national facilities, such as the supercomputer, ARCHER2.

To lower emissions, the University has launched a sustainable supply chain pathway to drive emissions reductions through engagement with its suppliers and staff who procure goods and services.

Alongside a sustainable travel policy with a mandate to avoid domestic flights, the institution is also exploring replacements for combined heat and power plants and gas boilers with low carbon heating sources.

Emissions from international student travel that can’t be reduced to zero are being offset through a large-scale project to sequester one million tonnes of carbon through the planting of two million trees and ecological regeneration of around 5,600 hectares of land in Scotland.

Solar farm at Easter Bush, Edinburgh

International recognition

Edinburgh continues to be recognised as one of the top universities in the world for social and environmental sustainability.

In the 2026 QS World University Rankings for sustainability, the University was placed first in Scotland and fourth globally out of more than 2,000 institutions worldwide.

We have made a lot of good progress, but we are also off track on some of our targets, and are not taking action sufficient to address the polycrisis we face. We recognise that we must do more and this strategy will ensure our action is sufficient across the challenges we face. Through focusing on our areas of highest impact, broadening our focus, and ensuring a science aligned approach that goes beyond sustainability as harm limitation, we hope to realise the step change in our impact that future generations so desperately need.

Scott Davidson Deputy Director Social Responsibility and Sustainability, and Head of Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh has been changing the world for more than 440 years and we need to continue to play our part in helping combat the global effects of the environmental polycrisis. Our new strategy represents a significant step change in effort to find innovative solutions across every area of our University. We call on people within and beyond of our community to join us in recognising the scale of this challenge and to take action for a regenerative future.

Professor Sir Peter Mathieson Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh

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2026
Climate and Environmental Crisis
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