Sustainable Futures
The unintended consequences of decades of innovation and progress have left us with amplified climate change, loss of biodiversity and nature, and extreme weather events that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. A sustainable future goes beyond just ensuring the health of our physical environment. Sustainability includes the wellbeing of our planet and all its inhabitants.
Diverse perspectives that inspire, empower and create new insights for a better future should inform the way we educate current and future generations. It will take collective effort to respond to the complex challenges created by our changing climate and build a nature-positive future that does not exacerbate health and social inequalities.
Our commitment to world-changing collaborations can be seen through our existing partnerships and participation in wider civic and research-intensive coalitions within the UK and globally – for example our work with the Russell Group, Scotland Beyond Net Zero, Universitas21, CIVIS, and The Guild.
Collectively, we have the potential to create the transformative change required for a hopeful and sustainable future.
Together, we can change the world.
Our commitment to a sustainable future
We are committed to achieving climate neutrality in our own practices and recognise the need to share best practice and engage in learning with others.
- 2014 – The first UK university to commit to divesting from fossil fuels within a decade
- 2017 – Signed the Sustainable Development Goals Accord
- 2019 – First University in Scotland to declare a climate emergency
- 2020 – Launched the Centre for Sustainable Solutions
- 2020 – Published our response to the Climate Emergency 'Glasgow Green'
- 2024 – Completed full divestment from fossil fuels
- 2024 – In partnership with the University of Edinburgh, co-led the creation of Scotland Beyond Net Zero
- 2024 – Ranked 12th in the world for sustainability in the THE Impact Rankings
- 2025 – Ranked 27th in the world for sustainability out of 1,994 universities in the QS World Sustainability Rankings