News and events

Keep an eye on our events page, sign up to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram @uoesustainability to keep up to date on events and projects such as talks, competitions and volunteering opportunities with the Sustainability and Grounds teams.

Events

The Sustainability team organise a wide range of events for students, staff and the general public. Please have a look at our events calendar to see what is coming up in the next few months.

Latest news

QS Sustainability Ranking 2025

The University of Exeter has been placed 32nd globally in the QS Sustainability Ranking 2025. More info can be found here.

Create, Make & Mend Success!

Students and staff learn to mend clothes at Repair Café event - News

UG Haiku Competition Winners Announced

Huge congrats to Joseph Bacon who has won first place in the Sustainability Team’s UG haiku competition. Joseph is studying for a MSci Natural Sciences degree with International Study and is currently on his placement in Japan.

Exeter Environment

Gulls cry by the quay,

Sea mist drifts from distant shores,

Brambles line the path

Second place goes to Amy Major, who is a first year undergraduate studying Environmental Humanities.

Fox upon moorland

Trickster, orange-on-orange

Wind carries metal

Lois Brunnock was highly commended.

Kim Moore, Winner of the 2022 Forward Prize for Best Collection and judge said it is ‘an evocative and sensuous portrayal of a particular moment in time. The first two lines contain images with movement at their heart – the cries of the gulls and the drift of the sea mist, which is then balanced by the static brambles. There is the hint of a journey, or perhaps a parting that hovers at the edge of this haiku.

In second place, the haiku seems to contain all of autumn in its three lines, through the use of that repeated orange-on-orange which brings to mind the colours of the moor. There is a hint of violence at play as well in the scent of metal (blood?) on the wind.'

Supported by Arts and Culture.

Nature Positive Strategy

We have just published our Nature Positive Strategy 2024-30.

Key points include:

We at the University have pledged to become more nature positive – that means halting and reversing biodiversity loss, through gains in the health, abundance and resilience of species, ecosystems and processes.
We will support and renew biodiversity on campus.
We will increase the natural capital value – our stock of natural resources that provide us with benefits – of our campus and areas we can influence.
We will engage and connect people with nature, through teaching, volunteering and research.
Provide positive benefits to people from nature such as cleaner water, reduced flooding, cooler homes, and cultural and amenity value.
We will understand the impact of all our activities on biodiversity and the environment including our supply chain and look to reduce any negative impacts and restore nature where we can.

University, guild and union awarded Responsible Futures accreditation

The University of Exeter, Exeter Students’ Guild, and Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union have been awarded joint Responsible Futures accreditation.

Improvements in the Lower Hoopern Valley

As part of our plans to increase community access to the Lower Hoopern Valley, we are planning to carry out some infrastructure works in the Lower Hoopern Valley. This involves improving the muddy areas of path and creating a fully accessible area of path off Prince of Wales Road. For more information please refer to this page.

SDG Teach In Results 2024

Exeter is the top university in terms of number of students reached in this year’s SDG Teach In

Circular Economy Strategy

The University is developing a Circular Economy & Sustainable Resource Management Strategy and Action Plan and we would like your views on our initial draft. Please complete our survey - a link to the Draft can be found within the survey link. We will also be offering workshops to anyone interested in strengthening their understanding of the circular economy principles and wishing to identify opportunities and actions going forward. The expression of interest form can also be found within the survey link above.

Exeter secures global top 30 place in Sustainability Rankings

The University of Exeter has risen into the global top 30 in an influential environmental and social impact ranking.

Look How Far We’ve Come!

Since implementing Warp It, the resource reuse management system in 2018, we’ve hit a huge milestone by saving over £250,000!