Methodology
To compile the 2019 University League, information will be taken from the following places:
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50% from information made public on the university website
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50% from information published within the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Estates Management Record (EMR) and other independent and external verification agencies.
Guidance on what we’ll be looking for can be found on the following methodology pages - we’ll be looking in sensible places on the university website, where any member of the university community or interested member of the public might look online to find up to date information.
| Section | Worth | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Policy and Strategy | 4% | |
| Human Resources and Staff | 8% | |
| Environmental Audits & Systems | 10% | [majority of universities scored from EMR data return] |
| Ethical Investment and Banking | 7% | |
| Carbon Management | 7% | |
| Workers Rights | 6% | |
| Sustainable Food | 4% | |
| Staff & Student Engagement | 5% | |
| Education | 10% | |
| Energy Sources | 8% | [all universities scored from EMR data return] |
| Waste and Recycling | 8% | [all universities scored from EMR data return] |
| Carbon Reduction | 15% | [all universities scored from EMR data return] |
| Water Reduction | 8% | [all universities scored from EMR data return] |
We offer a period for appeals so that your university can review the provisional score and check for human error.
Top 10 FAQ’s for 2018/19
1) Q: What are the weightings?
A: The weightings are the amount of % that the section is worth within the full methodology. Weightings are described above in the pie chart and also next to each section heading: it says “worth X %”
2) Q: What is the latest timeline?
A: People & Planet will begin assessing universities from late November 2018 through December 2018, January, February and March 2019. There will be opportunities to review scores and make appeals in January, February and March 2019. We’ll publish the final league in Spring 2019. Please check the timeline.
3) Q: Is there a survey to fill in?
Or Q: We will receive an FOI?
A: Nope.
A: Nope.
4) Q: How can People & Planet assess us without a survey though?
A: By looking at information universities have made public on their websites.
5) Q: Where is the methodology / criteria for the Estates Management Record (EMR) part of the university league?
A: Sections 10 to 13 are taken purely from the EMR dataset. We have also taken additional data from the EMR to fulfill aspects of section 3 and 5 - this development came from a sector call to use more of the Estates Management Record to satisfy our data collection.
6) Q: which data set from the HESA EMR will you use?
A: We will always use the latest Estates Management Data data that HESA has published.
7) Q: how will the university league interact with the AUDE green scorecard?
A: In 2015 EAUC and AUDE publicly accepted an offer from People & Planet, to work together on the university league table and green scorecard - after which, we didn't hear back. We've yet to be invited to a meeting or consultation, and People & Planet only learn of what's happening with the green scorecard and the sustainability leadership scorecard by reading newsletters or from university staff reaching out to ask us whether we're involved. We left our door open publicly for 3 years with hope of integrating our work, yet we think the time has come to close that door. We're heartened that many of the criterion People & Planet developed 10 years ago are now held within the new sustainability leadership scorecard.
8) Q: I feel like I’m not receiving the latest info
A: If you are not registered as one of our key contacts for university staff....
Please can we have your: - Name - Email - University name - Job title - Phone number Send these details to: universityleague@peopleandplanet.org
9) Q: I need extra support with the type of information that you will be assessing. Can you get in touch with me to answer some questions and provide support?
A: In the past People & Planet was able to work much more closely with university staff; in consultation, attending meetings, workshops and events, and also to support universities with queries and understanding of the criteria. The campaign to undermine the university league in 2014 caused us to expend our already very small resource in an attempt to work with organisations far larger and richer than us. We were therefore forced to reduce our capacity spend on the much increased demand for university staff support and communications. However, we offer consultancy, by way of workshops/trainings and support by phone as well as attending university staff meetings/sustainability boards etc, and we are able to offer this to universities for university league support for a fee.
Support packages for the People & Planet University League are available - read more here
If you are interested in ordering one of the packages, please contact:
consultancy@peopleandplanet.org or universityleague@peopleandplanet.org
10) Q: You mentioned an audit - what does this mean?
A: We have an audit process for very specific parts of the criteria - areas where we feel the information might be better assessed with an additional audit. If all universities make public their sustainability information then it may mean we do not require any additional auditing. If we do issue small one-off audits, these may come in the form of single question Freedom of Information request which will go direct to your FOI offices (rather than through sustainability team surveys) and will be issued in accordance to the FOI Act legislation. You don’t need to do anything for this unless your FOI office contacts you to help them source information to answer the request.