Sustainability Strategy & Policy

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Policy and Strategy.

1. Swansea University's Sustainability Policy.

This Sustainability Policy is reviewed annually as part of the Environmental Management System ISO14001 EMS Management Review 2024

2. Swansea University works to an environmental sustainability strategy and EMS, setting SMART targets for reducing environmental impact. Performance against these targets is reviewed and documented annually as part of the process. 

The Sustainability Strategy Committee meets regularly throughout the year, with the Registrar as chair, to review delivery of the Sustainability Strategy and align work across the University.

Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference 

Below are some examples of minutes:

• Sustainability Committee Minutes 27-02-25
• Sustainability Committee Minutes 29-05-25

Strategy & EMS Mapping Table:

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Environmental Auditing & Management Systems.

Swansea University has committed to a process of Environmental Management (EMS) through the externally verified ISO 14001:2015 and EcoCampus accreditation. View the ISO 14001:2015 Certificate.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Managing Carbon.

1. As per our Sustainability Strategy, Swansea University is committed to achieving Zero carbon for direct emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 2035, with at least a 70% reduction by 2030*. With a Scope 3 target to achieve (on average) a 2.5% year-on-year reduction in scope 3 emissions, 50% reduction by 2035 (35% by 2030) from a 2015 HEFCW agreed baseline.

The University currently sets an annual decarbonisation budget of £3m which is integrated into Estates projects planning and aligned with the Swansea University Decarbonisation Action Plan, Estates and Campus Services, Net Zero budget. The University COO and the Director of Estates and Campus Services (E&CS) are responsible for the Decarbonisation Action Plan. Performance monitoring, reporting and implementation of decarbonisation interventions are managed by the Sustainability and Infrastructure Services teams.

We publicly report all scope carbon emissions annually alongside other UK HE Institutions on the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) website and publish a Path to Zero Report as part of our ISO14001 Environmental Management System. Targets and performance are monitored through university annual plan performance, Environmental Management Review and strategic sustainability committee.

2a. Scope 3 emissions are reported to HEDA through the EMR: Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) website under Estates Management Records.

2b. Swansea University has sustainable travel policies and guidance as linked below, that set targets and implement plans for travel carbon emission reduction as per our: Path to Zero Report.

• Electric Vehicles & Charging Policy and Arrangements
• 8.1.17 Business Travel Policy
• Our Travel

2c. The University calculates total carbon emissions attributed to residential accommodation (both in-house and externally provided accommodation) as included in Path to Zero Report.

3. Swansea University's Path to Zero Report included baseline and reduction targets for Scope 3 emissions calculated in the following areas:

• Waste
• Water
• Procurement (supply chain)
• Staff and student business trips e.g. flights to conferences and field trips
• Staff and students commuting to university on a daily basis
• Carbon emissions associated with the travel between students’ homes and the University at the start and end of term (including international students’ travel to and from their home country)

 *Emissions are tracked against targets from our HEFCW agreed 2015/16 baseline year.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Sustainable Food.

At Swansea University we know that our catering operations are critical to the success of our commitment to sustainability. That is why we have a Sustainable Healthy Food Policy.

Following a recent tendering process, Chartwells (part of the Compass Group) has been selected to continue with the catering contract, which began in January 2022. This covers all University outlets and hospitality excluding Students' Union outlets. As part of the tendering and procurement process, all potential catering contracts were required to have their own sustainable catering policy reflecting the principles of Swansea University’s Strategic Vision and Purpose, as well as the Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy 2021-25. 

The catering contract recently went out to retender as part of the ongoing service provision of the University. A copy of the Catering Tender evaluation specification questions, which assessed applicants on the sustainable framework(s) they were going to deploy at Swansea, will be available from August 2025. The tender sought to ensure an industry recognised and independently audited method for continual improvement in sustainable, healthy catering. Since the award of the contract in 2022, the Swansea University Chartwells Team has been working towards an annual Sustainable Catering Action Plan, with the Sustainability Team. Since 2022, this has seen Chartwells work towards the Fairtrade and SRA accreditation and social value initiatives. 

Our Catering Team are assessed annually under our ISO:14001 and Eco Campus Environmental Management Systems to ensure there is a comprehensive framework for external audit and improvement. As a result of the catering contract requirements and hard work by the team, the majority of outlets have achieved the Sustainable Restaurant Association Food for Life 2-star accreditation. View the Chartwells at Swansea University Rating Report 2024. Monthly meetings are held with Chartwells to review progress against their Chartwells Sustainability Action Plan including continuous progress towards 3-star Food for Life Sustainable Restaurant Association accreditation. Recent successes have included the recertification of Swansea within the 2023-25 cohort as a Fairtrade University for the second time, which was heavily supported by the Chartwells Team. Chartwells also launched their social kitchen inititiative and there has been an ongoing programme of social kitchen events, where students are invited to Chartwells' kitchens to be taught how to cook healthy, sustainable meals. 

The Sustainability Team also work closely with Chartwells colleagues to provide and support sustainable food projects. This includes our Tyfu Tawe Project which has been ongoing throughout 2024/25, and partnership with local charity Goleudy to bring their Community Fridge to campus for staff and students. We have had campus Community Fridge events (November 2024, February 2025 and May 2025) where student volunteers helped save hundreds of kilograms of food going to waste by distributing it to staff, students, and members of the community. 2023/24 has also seen the collaboration of the University and Chartwells on monthly beach cleans, where catering staff have joined the events, and also provided Fairtrade teas and coffees for volunteers!

• Get involved with Sustainability and Tyfu Tawe
• Examples of recent activities
• Biodiversity Action Plan 2022-2025
• Sustainability Team's Instagram community

More information can be found in the Sustainable Healthy Eating section on the Sustainable Procurement webpage and on our Get Involved webpage.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Ethical Investment & Banking.

• About Our Chief Finance Officer.
• About Our Finance and Strategy Committee
• Annual Review Reports
• Ethical Investment and Banking Policy

Swansea University integrates sustainability and ethical considerations into all elements of careers services as per our Ethical Careers Policy.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Staff.

Swansea University has a dedicated Sustainability Team working towards the goals, ambitions and success of Swansea University and beyond to achieve significant, well-resourced and long-term success across environmental sustainability. The Sustainability Team has its own annual budget which funds the delivery of the Sustainability Strategy commitments. 

The Sustainability Team is supported to deliver the Sustainability Strategy through an annual budget derived of internal and external funding (e.g. University, HEFCW, Welsh Government & the third sector). The budget changes on an annual basis and is usually between £500k – £1m. Annually, approximately £3m is invested in net zero projects including: Solar PV installation, Energy Efficiency projects and Building Management System infrastructure and software.

The University has a network of Environmental Coordinators. This network helps improve environmental performance across the University, and with the creation of the faculties, this network is looking to be expanded during 2024/25. 

The Sustainability Committee at the University is co-chaired by Niamh Lamond, Registrar and COO, and Helen Griffiths, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation. This Committee has direct responsibility for delivering our Sustainability Strategy, with representatives from Faculties and PSUs.

Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference

See our Get Involved webpage for more details on becoming an Environmental Coordinator and our Sustainability and Wellbeing (SWell) programme. Carbon literacy training is also available for all staff and students, with a new e-learning module now live online.

See the Policy and Strategy section for details of the Sustainability Committee and the Terms of Reference.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Workers' Rights.

A Living Wage University

1.  Swansea University is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation as a Living Wage employer.

Swansea University became a living wage employer in 2020 and remains committed to ensuring employees can meet the basic cost of living. Swansea University has been accredited as a real living wage employer by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF).

2.  As committed to within our Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy, the University shall:

WE 11. Consider reference within the relevant university policy or arrangements on establishing and monitoring parity of pay, terms and conditions and pensions between in-house and outsourced contract staff.

Read how we are progressing here: Fair and Equal Pay

3.  Swansea University is a Fairtrade University, having achieved Fairtrade Status for the second time in June 2025. Read about our sustainable procurement and ethical practices at the University, including our Fairtrade status.

View our 2025 Fairtrade Certificate: Fairtrade Award 2025

4.  The University ITC supply chains are covered by Electronics Watch. Swansea University was the first Welsh organisation to affiliate to Electronics Watch. This includes direct affiliation with Electronics Watch and wherever possible utilising ICT Frameworks where Electronic Watch covered too e.g:  

• NWUPC member Universities
• LUPC member Universities

More information about the University's Sustainable procurement.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Staff and Student Engagement.

Swansea University Engagement Strategy

Our Sustainability Communications and Engagement Plan ensures that the University effectively communicates and engages with all members of our university and local community, including businesses and other stakeholders. This helps us all make sustainable developments which improve the lives, not only of our staff and students, but also those living within our local and wider community.

Find out more about how to Get Involved in sustainability at Swansea University. 

Staff and Student Engagement is also a key component of other areas of our strategy and work can be found in:

• Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy and related annual Management Review as part of our Environmental Management System. See our latest ISO14001 EMS Management Review 2024 which includes “Engagement, Events, Learning and Communication".
• Path to Zero Report
• Biodiversity Action Plan 2022-2025
• Waste Management Action Plan 2021-2025
• Education for Sustainable Development
• Oversight and involvement opportunities of staff and students on Sustainability Policy and Strategy
• Student inductions - a general student induction is available as well as specific Faculty and topic-based training delivered by the Sustainability Team. Examples can be found on our Induction and Training webpage and on Canvas such as: FSE Safety and Sustainability Postgraduate Induction, and Faculty of Medicine, Health, and Life Science Health, Safety and Sustainability Introduction to Laboratories for Postgraduate Students. 
• 2024 has also seen the introduction of Residences Arrivals handbooks, containing key information for new students which are placed in every kitchen in Swansea University halls prior to students arriving on campus. This includes 2 pages on Sustainability, with information on how to save energy and water in halls, how to get involved with Sustainability events and volunteering, and how to get involved in the SOS-UK Student Switch off scheme. 
• The Students' Union Sustainability Committee is a key mechanism by which there is direct engagement with the student body on the University’s Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy, and the associated Path to Zero Plan. The Committee is run by the Union, with input from the University’s Sustainability Team. All student engagement initiatives involving carbon management are discussed here, and joint plans made for ongoing co-working between staff and students on climate change. View the Students Union Sustainability Committee Terms of reference - 
• Swansea University and its students also take part in SOS UK’s Switch Off scheme.

Go Green Week

• In February 2025, the Sustainability Team collaborated with over 29 local companies, organisations, Student Societies, and research groups to host the Go Green fair and 29 events on campus to engage staff, students, and the local community in sustainability.

Students' Union Sustainability Projects

Highlighted below are some of the key 24/25 Students' Union projects:

• In February 2025, the Students' Union (SU) and Sustainability Team partnered up to create a giant, sustainable tapestry to raise awareness about the local environment.
• Monthly beach cleans on Swansea Beach.
• 10 easy ways to live more sustainably at University (without even noticing) - Campaign on grassroots action you can take during your studies. 
• Students' Union staff are members of the Fairtrade Working Group, and contribute and collaborate on events both within and outside Fairtrade Fortnight, as well as other criteria such as stocking Fairtrade products in Students' Union outlets.
• Play It Again Sport (PIAS) partnership with Get ACTIVE at our PIAS stalls, tackling sports poverty on campus. 
• A Fossil Free Careers Motion was passed in one of the Student Forums.
• Offering free Plastic Free Period products to all students in our SU offices.
• In 2024/2025 the Students’ Union achieved 'Excellent' in our Green Impact award with other SU's across the UK, the highest award, and were the highest amongst all the nations (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland).

Support of Local Community Partnerships

• We’re committed to facilitating staff and student volunteering for sustainability and wellbeing in the local community and beyond. The Sustainability team work alongside our on-campus charity Discovery to offer students and staff opportunities to support local community partnerships, including facilitating and promoting volunteering through our sustainability work and specifically in the area of Biodiversity and conservation. We have also worked with Discovery to implement a staff volunteering policy, enabling staff to volunteer with Discovery in a range of ways. 
• The Sustainability Team has worked closely with the Environment Centre Swansea to bring their Repair Café to campus on two occasions in 2024. This saw students and staff bring items such as clothing, laptops, and appliances to be repaired, reducing the need to buy new items. 
• The Students' Circular Economy Society, newly formed in 24/25, with some exciting projects including partnering with the Environment Centre and running their very own Repair Cafe on Bay Campus. 
• Staff and students are rewarded for volunteering through our SWell app, and students are encouraged and supported to volunteer on our campuses through our conservation sessions. 

• Here are just some recent examples of Community volunteering and action for Sustainability and Wellbeing in Swansea:
  
  • Gower College and University Partnership In Bloom 
  • Partnership with local company, Zombie plastics, to create sustainable merchandise from plastics picked up from beach cleans.
  • Community Fridge on campus in partnership with Goleudy
  • 2025 Go Green week

Funds for student led sustainability or wellbeing projects

Students can obtain funding to pursue Sustainability and wellbeing related projects through a number initiatives, these include:

• Paid and voluntary sustainability work placements with the Swansea Employability Academy – recent examples include: Swansea Paid Internships (SPIN) with the Sustainable Travel Officer to analyse key student travel data, and Biodiversity Officer to complete campus habitat baseline assessments.
• The Sustainability Team support students and SU societies to obtain funds, e.g. through the NUS SOS Student Eats scheme – Recent projects include: Tyfu Tawe Campus growing project supported by Water Conservation trust.
• Student societies can also apply to the Sustainability Team for Green Grant Funds of up to £250 for sustainability related projects. This scheme is run alongside our colleagues in the Students' Union.
• Students awarded £15,00 prize as part of University's participation and contribution to Royal Anniversary Trust report, which outlines an ambitious roadmap for decarbonisation of the tertiary education sector. Project title - Nature-based solutions to increase biodiversity and landscape carbon sequestration on and off campus: Selected by Swansea University and voted for funding support by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Student Challenge Prize Fund. This student-led project used existing University spaces to create provisions for biodiversity and carbon capture on campus and in the local area through the production of materials to support wide-scale peatland restoration across the regional landscape, and the creation or improvement of onsite areas for growing native species, such as Sphagnum moss and wildflowers, that can improve habitats rapidly and radically for carbon sequestration and nature.

Staff Inductions

• All new staff must complete a HR induction checklist, which includes mandatory induction training which sustainability is a part of - view example slide: Staff HR Induction  
• Contractor induction - this will become an online webinar, also see 8.1.10 (click top search outcome to download document) Needs and Expectations from Contractors.

Trade Union Engagement

• The Sustainability Committee includes members of Trade Unions, who alternate representatives between the Unions.
• Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference

• Swansea University Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy Consultation 2021:
• Sustainability Strategy Consultees

Student Representation

Student representation on University Committees (i.e. on Estates, Planning, Finance and Strategic decision making).

Two committees with full membership position:

• Sustainability Committee
• Sustainability Committee Terms of Reference
• University Travel Planning Group
  • University Travel Planning group ToR

Students' Union

Swansea University works collaboratively with the Students’ Union (SU) to support their work towards continued sustainability improvement and a reduced environmental impact. Through a series of proactive measures from; SU ventures such as Root and Root Zero shops, providing expert advice and support, undertaking internal audits working towards the EMS ISO 14001 accreditation, creating Sustainability Action Plans and working with the SU and societies to help reach their sustainability goals. View the SU's Commitment to Sustainability.

In 24/25, the SU was awarded 'Excellent' status for the SOS-UK's Green impact award.

SWell - student and staff engagement platform

All members of staff including SU staff and students are rewarded for their sustainability and wellbeing actions whilst at work (in the office and at home) on SWell. SU staff can complete sustainability activities or attend events to earn SWell points which help them to climb the leader board and win prizes. With vouchers and prizes to win, as well as charity donations for the overall top performers, there are plenty of ways to earn rewards. Find out more and sign up to SWell.

Swansea University began the SOS-UK Green Impact programme in October 2023, with the toolkit aligning to our Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy.

You can view recent SWell newsletters below:

May 2025 - You've avoided 37 return flights of emissions!

April 2025 - The Fashion Footprint Challenge Has Begun!

March 2025 - Your Summer Challenge Is Coming - Fashion Footprint...

February 2025 -Extraordinary Efforts for The Foodwise Challenge

January 2025 - New Year Green You

December 2024 - You've saved more food than last month - keep going! 

November 2024 - Keep Up The Amazing Efforts to Cut Food Waste

October 2024 - Foodwise Challenge - Reduce Waste Nourish The Future

September 2024 - Thrift For The Planet - Join Second Hand September

August 2024 - Fairtrade Fortnight Empowering Farmers and Workers Globally

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Education for Sustainable Development.

1. Swansea University Strategic Vision and Purpose

At Swansea University, we recognise that equipping students with the knowledge and understanding, as well as the skills and attributes, to work in a way that safeguards environmental, social and economic wellbeing is necessary to be able to shape a sustainable future. Swansea University is committed at the highest level to embedding sustainability within teaching, as outlined in the University’s Strategic Vision and Purpose.

Specifically, at the highest strategic level, our University's first commitment is to “align our work to the Sustainable Development Goals”.

Professor Deborah Youngs, was appointed as Pro-Vice Chancellor for education in 2022 and has strategic responsibility for the university’s teaching and learning portfolio to ensure sustainability is embedded into the education.

Swansea University's Strategic Vision and Purpose:

Our Commitments: (page 7)

The climate crisis remains society’s biggest threat. We will align our work to the Sustainable Development Goals and will be a carbon-zero university by 2040.

Socially Responsible: (page 22)

We will work to embed the sustainable development goals across our curriculum, relating teaching to societal challenges. We will increase the proportion of BAME staff members at all levels and will integrate more Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic perspectives into our curriculum to address the attainment gap. We also recognise that learning should be a lifetime endeavour and will expand opportunities for adult learners to acquire new skills and to pursue their intellectual interests.

Our Research: (page 26)

Our research changes lives, drives innovation and regional growth, and is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It impacts on our culture and society as well as on our health and wellbeing, our economy and our planet. We drive policy change nationally and internationally. We are at the leading edge in many areas including: advanced manufacturing and innovation in clean energy and the digital economy; nanohealth and the analysis of large scale health data; labour market evaluation, terrorist use of the internet, and preserving our industrial heritage. We are exploring new ways to assess and mitigate the risks of the climate crisis and are working to protect the most vulnerable in our society and to enrich all our lives through our understanding of history and the arts.

Our Research Priorities: (page 29)

We will establish the first Institute for Advanced Studies in Wales, with a particular emphasis on impactful, interdisciplinary and policy-relevant research that addresses Sustainable Development goals.

2. Implementing and Tracking Progress in Education for Sustainable Development

The Sustainability Team has, in the past year, partnered with SOS and Swansea University students to map our SDGS against our curriculum. This has involved mapping taught modules against the UNSDGs, using student auditors. A summary of results is available: 2025 Swansea University Student-Led Sustainability Curriculum Mapping, and has been presented to academics for comment, the final report is due to be available on 8th August 2025. 

We also use our external EMS system and a series of internal audit processes, as well as mapping the SDG work across the University, including in teaching and research in all Faculties, as part of the SDG Accord requirement.

Up to date list of Swansea University courses and programmes mapped to Education for Sustainable Development; view: Climate Change and Sustainability Related Courses Programme March 2022

Swansea University Progress in Education for Sustainable Development

Swansea University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences – School of Management are members of the United Nations: Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME).

“Working through Six Principles, PRME engages business and management schools to ensure they provide future leaders with the skills needed to balance economic and sustainability goals, while drawing attention to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aligning academic institutions with the work of the UN Global Compact.” UN Prime requires members to complete a biennial assessment and report on progress against the 6 principles of Prime which including alignment of curricula and research to the SDG commitments and agenda. Swansea University’s latest performance report. More information about UN Prime and how to take part.

Swansea University’s progress in Education for Sustainable Development through QS Sustainability rankings.

Swansea University ranked 121^st in the Global QS Sustainability rankings. The rankings include assessment and benchmarking of Swansea University’s Sustainable education and research, employability and opportunities, environmental and social impact, equality, life quality, impact of education and sustainable institutions.

Swansea University progress in Education for Sustainable Development through TIMES Higher SDG Impact assessment, reporting and rankings.

Swansea University has been participating in THE Impact for SDG rankings since 2022 and is currently ranked 36^th globally and 2^nd globally for SDG12. The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are global performance tables that assess participating universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Performance indicators provide comparison across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. This supports Swansea University with an annual benchmark and framework, to inform progress and strategy against a range of sustainability indicators including Education for Sustainable Development. Swansea University reporting progress against the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Useful information and links:

Swansea University Climate Action Research Institute

3. Supporting Academic Staff

Swansea University provides extensive support and training to help academic staff integrate Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into the curriculum. Through the Swansea Academy of Learning and Teaching (SALT), staff have access to CPD workshops, live events, online toolkits, and Curriculum Transformation Support Sessions focused on embedding sustainability, aligning modules with the SDGs, and designing ESD‑aligned assessments. The University creates spaces for dialogue and collaboration through ESD workshops, communities of practice, and participation in the SOS‑UK SDG Teach In.

Student‑staff collaboration is embedded through the Student‑Led Sustainability Curriculum Mapping project, which provides a quantitative baseline for improvement. Uptake and progress are monitored through curriculum mapping, annual participation in the Sustainability Skills Survey, and ongoing review of staff engagement. The University also develops and shares ESD resources, including a Climate and Carbon E‑Learning Course for all staff. The School of Management’s membership of UN PRME further evidences institutional commitment to responsible and sustainability‑focused education.

Together, these activities demonstrate a robust, institution‑wide approach to supporting staff in embedding ESD, fully aligned with Responsible Futures scoring criteria. More evidence and information available here.

Swansea University Education for Sustainable Development.

4. Education for Sustainable Development Actions

Swansea University is a member and signatory of the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) which aims to integrate aspects of ESDGC and corporate social responsibility across curricula. The University demonstrates its support and commitment to ESD through a range of innovative, multi-disciplined and pioneering projects across all our faculties and departments.

Examples of the work of academic departments and faculties to promote and offer academic opportunities for students to get involved and learn through real-world learning include:

• The work of the Science department and their community engagement work they undertake through Oriel Science and their work towards the UN SDGs.
• The field trips available through the Bioscience departments.
• The engagement opportunities offered by the research team in the Geography department.
• 50 fully funded 6-week paid internships are available for students to develop their skills in a real world environment.

Living Labs - Evidence of Projects

Examples of living labs can be found in our annual SDG report, such as: 

• Our Desalination and Water Re-Use MSc enables students to work within the Centre for Water Advanced Technologies and Environmental Research (CWATER), and undertake research projects related to drinking water treatment, waste water treatment, and process-water treatment. 
• Our Marine Research Vessel RV Mary Anning, is a key aspect of our undergraduate marine courses, equipped with a wet lab and a dry computer lab on board with a range of scientific equipment. 

• The School of Bioscience, Geography and Physics runs a 3rd year field course to Sikkim, in the Indian Himalaya, annually. Sikkim is a unique location for fieldwork – renowned for its breath taking Himalayan environment, rich biodiversity, and the strong commitment to environmental values. On the field course, students complete interdisciplinary research projects on five themes: urbanisation, hydroelectricity, agriculture, ecotourism, and natural hazards.  

For other specific examples, see below. 

Living Labs with regard to Biodiversity on campus:

• Biology undergraduates have been using camera traps to investigate the use of Singleton Campus by hedgehogs (Dr Daniel Forman (Associate Professor, Biosciences) - A Swansea University Academic using Campuses as Living labs information about Our Grounds).
• Crymlyn Burrows SSSI is used for undergraduate fieldwork, with second year Biology students carrying out investigations into the impact of human activity on plant diversity, and third year students carrying out extended phase one habitat surveys.
• Crymlyn Burrows SSSI is used for undergraduate and postgraduate research, including the impact of grazing on pollinator communities on saltmarshes, the impact of invasive species and management on sand dune habitats, and the impact of dog walking on use of the shore by wading birds, among many others.
• Undergraduate Civil Engineering students use the dunes to develop surveying skills and Spatial Variation in Coastal Dune Evolution in a High Tidal Range Environment.

Examples of Living Labs with regard to Energy and Carbon on campus:

Our Bay Campus is home to SPECIFIC: SOLAR RESEARCH AND ACTIVE BUILDINGS. Researchers on the project, including Professor Dave Worsley of Swansea University are behind the UK’s first energy positive classroom, which generates, stores and releases its own solar energy.

Within this Master programme, tours of the Campus are also offered to show the engineering technology currently providing heat and power to university buildings, particularly the District Heat Network and Energy Centre at Singleton Campus.

University campus buildings have also been surveyed by teams of BEng students to identify where LED lighting and water savings measures can be introduced, with estimated capital costs and potential utility and carbon savings.

As part of the EG-M85 Engineering Master programme, Swansea University students engage with the Estates Technical Services team within the Project Management module to report how the campus can operate more sustainably. Up to date and detailed utility consumption data is provided to students (via the lead lecturer Dr Kiyohide Wada). This improves the learning experience from a “fictional” project to a “real world” situation where Swansea University can utilise the student project outcomes for future sustainability improvements.

Additionally, the University has also developed a number of related groups that work towards the Higher Education for Future Generations Groups for Wales (HE FGGDW). Through this group we focus on sharing good practice around Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and sustainability, and we recently took over the running of the UN Regional Centre for Excellence (RCE) Wales. Some of the other groups associated with the HE FGGDW include:

• Circular Economy Research and Innovation Group (chaired by Gavin Bunting, Swansea University).
• Learning and Teaching for ESDGC, Healthy Universities.
• Collaborating with Public Services Boards.
• Regeneration and Cohesive Communities, Effective Communication.

5. Equal Access to Higher Education 

Swansea University offers a range of scholarships to students, including undergraduate and postgraduate international students.  This includes three scholarships for students seeking asylum or have been granted discretionary leave to remain on Humanitarian Protection during 2025. Scholarships cover the full cost of tuition for the duration of the degree programme. As well as having access to financial support, Sanctuary scholars will have access to support from a named member of staff for aspects of welfare and wellbeing support. 

In addition, 8 further international undergraduate scholarships were available for 2024 and a total of £12million was available for post graduate scholarships last year, with 24 post graduate research scholarships currently available for all students including those seeking asylum and refugees. For all students (correct as of July 2024 – numbers will vary depending on closing dates for applications).  Further funding is available for scholarships for international students.

Our CampusLife colleagues have created a useful bank of resources for asylum seekers and refugees, which can be accessed on their web pages.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Energy Sources.

This section is assessed based on the University’s annual performance data reported publicly and available on the Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) website under Estates Management Records.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Waste & Recycling.

Waste Management Action Plan 2021-2025

This section is assessed based on the University’s annual performance data reported publicly and available on the Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) website under Estates Management Records.

Swansea University is signed up to the online reuse platform Warp It, allowing University staff to advertise, find, and claim surplus furniture. This contributes to increased resource efficiency, a decreased amount of furniture sent for unnecessary recycling, and supports the circular economy.

Using Warp It helps to reduce the amount of furniture in good working order being disposed of by the University, therefore reducing our disposal costs and carbon footprint. Staff can search for and advertise items within the organisation and even make a wish list of what they need and be notified when it is available. This saves money, time on building clearances, and space.

In 2023, Swansea University achieved a Zero Waste to Landfill accreditation from the Carbon Trust, which recognises the University’s commitment to divert all waste produced on its campuses from landfill, and manage waste more effectively though increased prevention, reuse, or recycling. Using the Warp It platform will contribute to the University continuing to achieve these commitments and reductions, as well as our Climate Emergency, Procurement, and Waste commitments outlined in the Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy 2021-25, and will help align our work to the Sustainable Development Goals as outlined in the Strategic Vision and Purpose.

Find out more about our Waste and Recycling procedures and achievements here.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Carbon Reduction.

This section is assessed based on the University’s annual performance data reported publicly and available on the Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) website under Estates Management Records.

View People & Planet's Assessment Methodology for Water Reduction.

This section is assessed based on the University’s annual performance data reported publicly and available on the Higher Education Statistic Agency (HESA) website under Estates Management Records.