Overall Summary.
Imperial College London scored 40.4% and ranked 98th
Policy and Strategy
Publicly Available Policy
We looked at Imperial College London's publicly available environmental policy - you can read it here if we found one - but if we didn't find a policy on the university website then you won't find a link:
We wanted to see that the policy wasn't just sitting in a dusty desktop year after year and we needed to know that the policy meant something to staff, students and decision makers at the university. So to score 50% here, the policy needed to have been published within the last 5 years and demonstrate that it was reviewed regularly by someone sitting in a senior position at the university.
1 Imperial College London scored: 50/ 50% for their environmental policy
2 Targets and Strategy
The university could only score the full marks of 50% if they had set SMART targets in all 8 of key areas below, and if we could see that the strategy had been reviewed in the last 5 years, (much like the environmental policy, a strategy only works if people are using it), and we didn't give credit for strategies that were out of date. We decided that if a university wasn't setting targets for more than 5 key areas then it didn't amount to a comprehensive and they would score zero. Scores increase in line with the number of key areas the university had set targets for when considering:
- Construction & Refurbishment
- Emissions & Discharges
- Community involvement
- Biodiversity
- Waste management
- Travel and Transport
- Sustainable procurement
- Water
We found that Imperial College London is working towards targets in the following areas:
(None)
Therefore...
2. Imperial College London scored 0%/50% for their sustainability strategy
Section Total: 50%
Staff & HR
1 Senior Staff Responsibility
We looked to see whether someone in the university senior management team has responsibility for sustainability. It really helps when climate change and ethical issues are the responsibility of someone who can make decisions about how the action points can be resourced. If a senior member of staff has responsibility for sustainability, you can find them here:
1. Imperial College London scored 0/25% for senior responsibility for sustainability.
2 Number of Sustainability Staff
We also wanted to see how many staff were currently employed to work on sustainability issues, and whether students and staff could find them easily online and contact them. We thought the number of sustainability staff should be relative to the number of staff and students at the university.
Imperial College London has more than 15000 students students and 12.00 FTE sustainability staff
Therefore...
2 Imperial College London scored 60/60% for dedicated and expert staff
3 All Staff Participation
3 Imperial College London scored 0/15% for all staff participation
Section Total: 60 %
Environmental Auditing & Management Systems
1b Internal Environmental Audits
Universities who have not undertaken an externally verified environmental management system audit could also score points (max. 30%) for conducting and publishing their own environmental audits.
Areas considered for audit:
-
Waste management
-
Travel and Transport
-
Sustainable Procurement
-
Energy
-
Water
-
Construction & Refurbishment
-
Emissions & Discharges
-
Biodiversity
Imperial College London was found to have audited the following areas:
Waste management, Energy, Water, Emissions & Discharges
1b. Imperial College London scored 15/30% for internal environmental audits
Section Total: 15%
Ethical Investment and Banking
1a Ethical Investment Policy
Investments in the fossil fuel industry or arms trade can be contradictory to an institutions broader sustainability aims and goals. A strong ethical investment policy makes sure an institution’s investments and banking practices are conducted transparently and in an economically-viable, socially-responsible manner. Points were awarded for covering the full scope of an institution's investments and being signed off by a senior member of staff. If Imperial College London has an ethical investment policy, it can be found below:
www.imperial.ac.uk/about/leadership-and-strategy/college-endowment/policy-working-group/
1a Imperial College London scored 10/10% for its ethical investment policy
1b. Specifics within the policy:
Addititonal points were awarded for specific within the policy:
- include student representation on their investment committee
- publicly listing their investments annually
-
There are clear ongoing opportunities for the wider student body and staff community to engage with the policy.
1b Imperial College London scored 10/15% for specific within its ethical investment policy
2 Commitment to screen out specific sectors
Universities who have made a commitment in policy to screen out specific sectors, such as fossil fuel companies, arms companies and companies in violation of international law.
2a Imperial College London scored 5/30% for its commitment in policy to screen out fossil fuel investments
2b Imperial College London scored 10/10% for its commitment in policy to screen out investments in arms companies
2c Imperial College London scored 0/10% for its commitment in policy to screen out border industry companies
2d Imperial College London scored 0/5% for its commitment in policy to screen out investments in companies in violation of international law
3 Reinvesting Divested Funds
Universities were awarded points for commitments in policy to reinvest divested funds in renewable energy or on community-owned energy on campus.
3 Imperial College London scored 0/5% for its commitment in policy to reinvest divested funds
4 Ethical Banking
Universities were awarded points for having an ethical banking policy reported on at senior level. If Imperial College London has an ethical banking policy you will find it below
www.imperial.ac.uk/about/leadership-and-strategy/college-endowment/policy-working-group/
4a Imperial College London scored 0/5% for its ethical banking policy
4b Imperial College London scored 0/5% for excluding banks that finance fossil fuels in its ethical banking policy
5 Transparency and accountability
In the interests of transparency and accountability, universities were rewarded for hosting key policy documents publicly on their websites.
5a Imperial College London scored 1/1% for having an easily accessible and public ethical investment policy.
www.imperial.ac.uk/about/leadership-and-strategy/college-endowment/policy-working-group/
5b Imperial College London scored 1/1% for having an easily accessible and public annual list of investments.
www.imperial.ac.uk/about/leadership-and-strategy/college-endowment/
5c Imperial College London scored 1/1% for having an easily accessible and public list of committee members that oversee investments.
5d Imperial College London scored 0/1% for having an easily accessible and public meeting minutes that provide updates on investment policy reviews and divestment/investment status.
5e Imperial College London scored 0/1% for having an easily accessible and public ethical banking policy.
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/search/?q=ethical+banking+policy
Section Total: 38%
Ethical Careers and Recruitment
1a. Ethical Careers Policy
Universities often have a policy outlining which sectors or companies they will advertise vacancies for, if Imperial College London has a careers policy you will find it below:
1a Imperial College London scored 10/10% for having a valid careers policy.
We awarded points for specifics within that carbon management plan:
1b Imperial College London scored 0/7% for being updated in the last 4 years and signed off at a senior level.
Commitment to Screen Out Specific Sectors
If the university has committed not to recruit for some sectors, you will find them below:
2a Imperial College London scored 0/50% for committing to screen out recruitment links with the fossil fuel industry.
2b Imperial College London scored 0/10% for committing to screen out recruitment links with the mining industry.
2c Imperial College London scored 0/10% for committing to screen out recruitment links with the arms industry.
2d Imperial College London scored 0/5% for committing to screen out recruitment links with the tobacco industry.
Transparency and Accountability
3a Imperial College London scored 6/6% for having clear and accessible information on careers staff structure
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/about/team/
3b Imperial College London scored 0/2% for having detailed information on combined careers services and 3rd party relationships.
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/about/policies/
Section total: 16%
Managing Carbon
1 Carbon Management Plan
Universities should all have a plan for managing and reducing their carbon emissions, if Imperial College London has a carbon management plan you will find it below:
www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/about/sustainability/Imperial-Carbon-Report-2022.pdf
We awarded points for specifics within that carbon management plan:
1a Imperial College London scored 5/5% for a carbon emissions baseline for 2005 or later which covers all scope 1 and 2 emissions.
1b Imperial College London scored 0/5% for a carbon reduction target for covering scope 1 & 2, consistent with an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 at a minimum AND at least one milestone towards this target before 2030
1c Imperial College London scored 5/5% for a budget for the carbon reduction plan.
1d Imperial College London scored 5/5% for named persons or titles responsible for the carbon reduction plan.
1e Imperial College London scored 0/5% for a reporting mechanism for monitoring the carbon management plan.
2 Carbon Management and scope 3 emissions
2a Imperial College London scored 5/5% for reporting scope 3 emissions to HESA via the EMR record
2b Imperial College London scored 5/5% for having a valid strategy for reducing emissions from aviation.
If they have a valid sustainable travel plan you will find it below:
www.imperial.ac.uk/sustainable-imperial/resource-management/travel/sustainable-travel-policy/
2c Imperial College London scored 0/5% for calculating total carbon emissions relating to residential accommodation.
3 Scope 3 Baselines and Targets
Imperial College London's carbon management plan was found to have scope 3 baselines in the following areas:
(None)
3a Therefore they scored 0/30% for the scope 3 baselines in their carbon management plan
Imperial College London's carbon management plan was found to have scope 3 targets in the following areas:
(None)
3b Therefore they scored 0/30% for the scope 3 targets in their carbon management plan
Section total: 25%
Workers' Rights
1 A Living Wage University
Accredited Living Wage Employers
1 Imperial College London scored 0/30%
2 Equality for Outsourced Staff
Points were awarded if universities had a policy that monitors equality of pay and conditions between in-house and outsourced staff.
2 Imperial College London scored 0/15%
www.imperial.ac.uk/human-resources/pay-and-pensions/principles-of-pay-and-recognition/
3 Fairtrade
3 Imperial College London scored 0/5%
4 Monitoring and Reforming the Supply Chain
Universities were awarded points if they were a member of Electronics Watch or Purchasing Consortium
4 Imperial College London scored 30/30%
5 Can't Buy My Silence universities pledge
Can't Buy My Silence campaign.
5 Imperial College London scored 0/5%
6 Proportion of all Academic Staff are on Fixed Term Contracts
Imperial College London scored 0/15%
Section total: 30%
NB all accreditations were for the period July-August 2023
Sustainable Food
1 Sustainable Food Policy
If the university has a policy on sustainable food reported on at senior level you will find it below:
(None)
1 Imperial College London scored 20/20% for its sustainable food policy.
2 Contracts
This question pertains to food procured through individual suppliers, consortia and other catering purchasing organisations, and to the catering contracts and sub-contracts held, tendered and re-tendered by universities where catering services might be outsourced, i.e. halls of residence catering provisions or staff and student dining provisions.
2 Imperial College London scored 20/20% for its tender specifications within food policy.
3 Sustainable Food Framework
One of the most common ways to measure commitment to sustainable catering in the public sector is through the achievement of an externally assessed sustainable food award, such as the Soil Association’s Food for Life Served Here award, or the Food Made Good Membership by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
3 Imperial College London has None and therefore received 0/40%
4 Community Food
4 Imperial College London scored 20/20% for providing space or support for community food projects
Section total: 60%
Staff and Student Engagement
1 Staff and Student Engagement Strategy
Points were awarded for publishing a strategy detailing how universities will engage students and staff. If they had a staff and student engagement strategy you will find it below:
1 Imperial College London scored 30/30% for having a publicly available student an staff engagement strategy.
2 Student and Staff Engagement Actions
2a Imperial College London scored 5/5% for offering oversight and involvement opportunities to students and staff for the development and ongoing monitoring of the university Carbon Management Plan.
2b Imperial College London scored 5/5% for actively supporting an environment themed week.
2c Imperial College London scored 0/5% for providing funds for student led sustainability projects.
3 Staff Inductions
3 Imperial College London scored 10/10% for including sustainability policy in staff inductions.
4 Trade Union engagement
4 Imperial College London scored 10/10% for inviting trade union members to sit on committees that oversee sustainability.
5 Student Representation
5 Imperial College London scored 25/25% for student representatives to sit on committees that oversee sustainability.
6 Student's Union
6 Imperial College London scored 0/10% for the student union working towards continual improvement in environmental sustainability
Section Total: 85%
Education for Sustainable Development
1 Commitment and Governance for Education for Sustainable Development.
If the university demonstrates commitment to ESD through a high level of strategy, find out how below:
www.imperial.ac.uk/sustainability/
1 Imperial College London scored 20/20% for demonstrating commitment to ESD.
2 Implementing and tracking progress in Education for Sustainable Development
If the university is using a strategy to map its progress towards integrating ESD into the curriculum, find out how below:
University has developed its own strategy for implementing ESD 25%
2a Imperial College London scored 25/25% for using a strategy for ESD.
2b Imperial College London scored 20/20% for using a reporting mechanism for ESD.
3 Supporting Academic Staff
3 Imperial College London scored 0/10% for providing training and support to academic staff for ESD
4 Education for Sustainable Development Actions
4a Imperial College London scored 10/10% for using its campus as a living lab.
www.imperial.ac.uk/global-development-hub/about-the-hub/
4b Imperial College London scored 10/10% for highlighting research in sustainability.
www.imperial.ac.uk/global-development-hub/research/
5 Equal Access to Higher Education
5a Imperial College London scored 1/1% for offering multiple scholarships to asylum seekers and individuals who have been granted a status as a result of an asylum claim, but do not yet have access to student finance.
www.imperial.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/postgraduate-taught/grants-scholarships/sanctuary/
5b Imperial College London scored 1/1% for offering multiple scholarships to studenith with refugee status or humanitarian protection.
www.imperial.ac.uk/study/fees-and-funding/postgraduate-taught/grants-scholarships/sanctuary/
5c Imperial College London scored 1/1% for offering multiple scholarships for the full duration and cost of the degree programme, or a full fee waiver, for people with other limited forms of leave to remain in the UK
{esd5c_evidence}
5d Imperial College London scored 1/1% for offering support for living costs equivalent to that received through student finance to any of the groups in Education for Sustainable Development questions 5.a-5.c
{esd5d_evidence}
5e Imperial College London scored 0/1% including any of the groups mentioned in questions 5a-d in their Access and Participation plan.
Section Total: 89%
Energy Sources
This section has been taken directly from the 2021/2022 Estates Management Record from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Universities have been scored by banding values into groups.
1a Imperial College London scored 18/55% for its percentage of renewable energy generated onsite or off site compared to consumption of grid electricity.
1b Imperial College London scored 45/45% for its total percentage of renewable energy purchased through green tariffs.
Section Total: 63%
Waste and Recycling
This section has been taken directly from the 2021/22 Estates Management Record fom the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Universities have been scored by banding values into groups.
1 Imperial College London scored 12.5/50% for the percentage waste recycled, composted or anaerobically digested, excluding construction waste (that classified as “other” in the EMR)
2 Imperial College London scored 0/50% for the percentage waste recycled, composted or anaerobically digested, excluding construction waste per head of FTE students and staff.
Section Total: 12.5%
Carbon Reduction
This section has been taken directly from the 2020/22 Estates Management Record from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Universities have been scored by banding values into groups.
1 Imperial College London scored 20/50% for its change in carbon intensity.
2 Imperial College London scored 12.5/50% for its reduction in scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions since a 2005 baseline.
Section Total: 32.5%
Water Reduction
This section has been taken directly from the 2021/22 Estates Management Record from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Universities have been scored by banding values into groups.
1 Imperial College London scored 16.75/67% for its water consumption per head.
2 Imperial College London scored 0/33% for its use of grey or rainwater.