Climate change remains one of the defining challenges of our time. At the University of Derby, we are committed to addressing it through education, innovation and community engagement. Sustainability is at the heart of our mission, guiding our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint, champion green growth, and empower future leaders to drive lasting environmental change. Our commitment to the environment, demonstrated through measurable progress, reflects our ongoing dedication to shaping a more sustainable future for all.
- Educating for a sustainable future
- Planting for the future
- A greener tomorrow
- Nature connectedness
- Green Growth in the East Midlands
Educating for a sustainable future
In October 2024, the University of Derby’s College of Business, Law and Social Sciences achieved Bronze Carbon Literate Educator accreditation. This accolade, awarded by The Carbon Literacy Project, recognises the College’s commitment to embedding climate education and action into its ethos and facilitating a cultural shift towards a zero-carbon society.
Almost 100 members of staff from across all disciplines of the College were trained on how to be more carbon efficient and pledged to embed climate education into the College portfolio. The College express an aspiration that every student will achieve Carbon Literacy certification at some point in their learning journey.
Across the University and within the College of Business, Law and Social Sciences, academics are addressing global challenges of today – such as low-carbon alternatives, lean and green logistics and climate change – to build a more sustainable future for everyone.
Planting for the future
As part of an initiative to create more woodland across England and help tackle climate change, 300 trees were planted across 250 hectares of land. Each sapling was planted to the chimes of the Tree Charter Bell – a project created by Caroline Locke, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts at the University of Derby.
The trees were planted in Warsop, Nottinghamshire, in partnership with Mansfield District Council, local school children and students from West Nottinghamshire College.
Associate Professor Locke works with different organisations every year and each time a tree is planted through her work, the bell is rung. Its ringing signifies the coming together of the community and triggers discussions about nature, historic places and climate change.
A greener tomorrow
A new Sustainable Travel Hub
In March 2025, the University of Derby opened a new Sustainable Travel Hub at its Kedleston Road site, ahead of Go Green Week 2025. Designed to give students and staff more sustainable travel choices, the hub represents a major step forward in reducing carbon emissions linked to commuting.
Delivered in partnership with Derby City Council and supported by £800,000 from the UK Government’s Future Transport Zones Fund, the hub complements the city’s growing commitment to active and low-emission transport.
The first of its kind in the city, the hub has been designed with the capacity to grow as Derby’s sustainable travel offer continues to expand. To begin with, the hub offers:
- 11 Electric Vehicle (EV) charge points
- Real Time Information (RTI) screens with live travel updates
- Secure undercover cycle parking for up to 58 bicycles, plus a further 12 uncovered spaces
Go Green Week 2025
Held annually, Go Green Week raises awareness of environmental issues among the University community and encourages positive behaviour change around sustainability.
In 2025, the week featured talks and workshops on reducing carbon emissions through energy efficiency, hosted by the University’s Sustainability Team. Representatives from Veolia delivered a session on the current challenges in waste management and recycling, while Dr Chris Ribchester, Associate Professor: Learning and Teaching, led a discussion on embedding Education for Sustainable Development into the curriculum and student experience.
As part of the week, volunteers collaborated with Derby College and global charity Think Ocean to clean the pathways along Markeaton Brook, between the University’s Enterprise Centre and the new Cavendish Building, home to Derby International Business School.
Nature connectedness
Professor Miles Richardson, Professor of Human Factors and Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby, was selected as one of the UK Government’s lead authors for the Transformative Change Report, a global publication from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).
The report brings together insights from over 100 experts across 42 countries and explores the root causes of the global biodiversity crisis. It outlines what transformative change is, how it occurs and how it can be accelerated to build a more sustainable future.
Notably, the report includes recommendations directly informed by pioneering research from the University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness Research Group. Led by Professor Richardson, alongside Professor David Sheffield and Dr Kirsten McEwan, the group develops everyday interventions designed to strengthen people’s connection to nature, with the goal of improving both human wellbeing and environmental outcomes.
Furthering this mission, Dr Carly Butler, Researcher in Nature Connectedness at the University of Derby, and Professor Richardson co-authored The Nature Connected Communities Handbook – a guide for organisations, collectives, and individuals seeking to build communities that are better connected with nature. The handbook builds on the University’s research and provides accessible, research-informed tools to support real-world action.
Green Growth in the East Midlands
The University of Derby and the East Midlands Chamber published joint research in November 2024 on Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands. The research tracks and analyses awareness and engagement with green growth, decarbonisation, and the uptake of nature-based solutions (NBS), based on responses from businesses in the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey. According to the research, green growth from businesses in the East Midlands is three times higher than it was in 2015.
Key findings from Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands 2024:
- 7% more businesses derive turnover from the supply of Green Growth goods and services than in 2023
- 43% of businesses trade in environmentally friendly goods and services
- Three quarters of large businesses, half of small businesses and four out of ten (39%) micro businesses pursue Green Growth
- More than 45% businesses invested in decarbonisation initiatives over the past 12 months, up 6% since 2023
- Seven out of ten large companies invest in decarbonisation
- Just over 30% of businesses have never engaged in nature-based solutions over the last 12 months
- Three in 10 businesses have no turnover for green goods and services, 10% lower than in 2023
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