Improving environmental performance

We are committed to minimising the environmental impact of our activities and adding positive value to the planet.

Energy and carbon reduction plan for our Estate

We are actively reducing our energy use and carbon through our estate and operations, in order to contribute towards our Net Zero Carbon goals. Through our Strategic Plan the University has committed to reaching Net Zero Carbon in line with the Paris Climate Commitment targets, with significant progress, where possible for scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. We have been working to a Carbon reduction plan for over 15 years, based on baseline emissions of 2008/09 and a number of the initiatives installed to date, are listed below.

During 2024/25, we are in the process of developing our revised pathway, programme and budget for carbon reduction, in line with our Strategic Priorities, Net Zero ambitions, financial sustainability plan and Masterplan. The Net Zero and Carbon reduction plan is the strategic responsibility of the Director of Sustainability, working closely with the Director of Estates, where much of the budget and responsibility for estate carbon reduction sits. Monitoring for our carbon reduction plan is via our Estates team and reported through our institutional annual KPI’s to our Executive team. We also report annually through the Estates Management Record via HESA.

 

Carbon reduction initiatives
  • New decarbonised, fully electric City Centre campus which utilises Air Source Heat Pumps. 
  • The electricity supplied to the University is provided by sources which are 100% renewable 
  • LED lighting replacements 
  • Automatic lighting control (e.g. presence/absence detection) installed where practicable 
  • New boiler sets have improved efficiencies over the replaced items 
  • Installation of Combined Heating and Power (CHP), which ensures that, in addition to burning gas for heating and hot water, we also generate electricity. We are currently exploring ways to convert from gas heating. 
  • Solar PV systems installed in Kirkstall Hall generate clean energy 
  • Power factor correction unit installed within AKLC extension, to ensure optimum efficiency 
  • Continual improvements to the Building Management System (BMS) system to ensure plant and equipment are working within efficiency parameters 
  • Electric Vehicle Charge points 
Waste
  • Waste is segregated
  • Volumes of Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR) handled by our incumbent supplier continue to increase annually. This is expected to increase further with planned improvements to indoor and outdoor receptacles. 
  • General waste is sent to a recycling and energy recovery facility, and processed as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) 
  • No waste goes to landfill. 
  • Glass is recycled for use in other glass products. 
  • Food waste is segregated and collected by a specialist supplier for conversion into biofuel via anaerobic digestion. 
  • Household items and clothing from the university's accommodation blocks are collected for the British Heart Foundation's Pack for Good campaign. Volumes of which continue to increase each year. 
  • Furniture is assessed for re-use/refurbishment where possible, and the University works in partnership with suppliers to facilitate. 
Wipe Out Waste Cups

By creating Wipe out Waste (WoW) Cups, our sustainability team has combined the convenience of a disposable cup with the environmental benefits of a reusable cup as a way to help reduce single-use cups across campus. 

The new ‘Wipe Out Waste’ cup is a reusable hot drinks cup, available at our Horsforth Campus and Leeds City Campus. This initiative aims to help us reduce waste and the use of single-use plastics in disposable coffee cups. It's a convenient, reusable cup scheme, where you can return the cup for washing, eliminating the need to remember your own washed reusable cup each time. 

Simply remember to bring your cup's rubber band, and you will continue to receive the usual 30p discount on your hot drink. You can purchase your first WoW cup from our coffee outlets for just £6, which includes a free hot drink. 

How does the scheme work? Purchase your WoW Cup for just £6 and get your first drink free. When empty, remove and keep your green sleeve. Return your WoW Cup to any coffee outlet across our Horsforth campus or deposit your cup into the specific WoW Cup bins to be washed and stored. When buying your next drink, show your cup sleeve and your hot drink will be served in a clean WoW Cup with a 30p discount. 

Water
  • To reduce water consumption, low-water-consuming sanitary and leak detection equipment are installed as part of campus refurbishment and development projects. 
  • Water fountains are available across campus. 
  • We also provide our students with reusable water bottles to help them keep hydrated and reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles on site.
Supply chain
  • Our suppliers are encouraged to support our sustainable aims. 
  • Our catering provider now uses many environmentally friendly items such as paper straws and veggie ware takeaway boxes and cups, and they are moving from hard plastic four-pint bottles of milk to pouches which are 82% less plastic. 
  • In October 2019, Leeds Trinity pledged to divest from fossil fuel investments. 
  • We are members of Electronics Watch, supporting responsible global supply chains for electronics 
Sustainable travel

As part of our Sustainable travel plan, Leeds Trinity University provides a free shuttle bus to support staff and students to reach our main campus, with regular services to and from Horsforth train station and services to local amenities, such as the supermarket and doctor's surgery. The bus is fully wheelchair accessible. 

To encourage active, sustainable travel, through Trinity Perks, we provide staff with the Cycle to Work scheme benefit. This is a salary sacrifice scheme to help with the upfront cost of purchasing a bike and accessories, with tax-efficient loans available of up to £2500 paid back over an 18-month period.

We also have a range of cycling facilities at our Horsforth Campus, including secure cycle storage located across campus, and a bike maintenance station in the bike storage at All Saints Court. We also have showers and changing facilities for all staff and students in the sports centre. At our city centre campus, we have bike racks, a bike tool station, showers and changing facilities for all to use in our basement. 

The University currently has four Electric Vehicle charging points for staff and students to use free of charge at our Horsforth campus. 

We also promote savings options for public transport, such as discounts on monthly or annual season tickets for trains and buses. 

To help inform, develop and advance our Sustainable Travel Plan, we carry out an annual Staff and Student travel survey.

Printing
  • Print services use many recycled materials, including 100% recycled material paper, and items such as pens, pencils, and notebooks
  • We are exploring ways of reducing all our printed materials and ensuring information is available online.
Sustainable construction
  • All large new build projects are designed to meet BREEAM Excellent standards as a minimum  
  • Our new City centre campus has achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating (for refurbishments and fit out). 
  • We embed sustainability standards and principles into all projects. 
Biodiversity
  • The University is committed to protecting and enhancing the green spaces and biodiversity, we are lucky to have on our Horsforth Campus, including two ponds, woodland, lots of grassland and many beautiful mature trees. 
  • Through our campus Masterplan programme, we are looking to significantly enhance biodiversity and create spaces for learning, teaching, research and wellbeing. 

Environmental auditing and management systems

We're working towards implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) to improve and audit our environmental impact.

Find out more about our journey
Outside the Atrium at Main Campus Horsforth.

Sustainable Food at Leeds Trinity University

Leeds Trinity University, in partnership with Aramark, is committed to offering a sustainable, ethical, and healthy range of food choices. What we eat has a significant impact on the environment, climate change, animal welfare, and public health. We are proud to take action that reflects our values and responsibilities.

We work closely with our catering providers and suppliers to ensure that our food is:

  • Ethically sourced – prioritising recognised ethical certifications where feasible.
  • Low in carbon – offering affordable, locally sourced, plant-based options and reducing meat and dairy content where possible.
  • Sustainably produced – supporting seasonal, organic food and local producers whenever feasible.
  • Minimally wasted – implementing measures to reduce waste in kitchens and canteens, with surplus food redistributed where possible.

Key Actions We're Taking

Plant-Based Options

A wide range of vegetarian and vegan meals are available across campus outlets, with a focus on making plant-based meals the affordable default. Non-dairy milk alternatives are also widely available at campus coffee outlets.

Food waste reduction

Our kitchens monitor food waste and take proactive steps to reduce overproduction. Surplus food is redistributed through partnerships, including with local food banks via the LTU Chaplaincy team.

Sustainable procurement

Aramark, LTU’s catering provider, follows sustainable procurement principles—sourcing ingredients that have lower environmental impacts and support better labour practices.

Sustainable Food Policy

We are developing a Sustainable Food Policy and action plan for LTU, which will set out our targets and actions to build a fairer, greener food system.

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