Our success

The University and York SU have been officially awarded Responsible Futures accreditation in February 2026. This accreditation recognises the institution and students’ union’s shared commitment to embedding holistic sustainability across the formal, informal and subliminal curriculum.

The University of York and York Students’ Union are excited to launch the Student Sustainability Awards 2026. These awards celebrate the students who are contributing to our vision through their work on sustainability - on campus and across the City of York.

Our campus has been awarded Platinum status for being a suitable and safe place for hedgehogs to thrive. We're one of only two universities in the UK with Platinum accreditation.

The Green Flag award is the benchmark national standard for publicly accessible parks and green spaces in the United Kingdom. We've maintained our Green Flag status since 2013.

12 catering outlets have received Bronze certificates from the Soil Association for serving meals that use less, better meat, responsibly sourced fish and locally sourced ingredients.

Our Sustainability Clinic has been awarded a Green Gown Award for Student Engagement in December 2023. It has received "highly commended" in the International Green Gown Awards in October 2024.

We implemented a new hourly rate above the national standard with an earlier effective date of 1 January 2023 (before the compulsory implementation date for the national standard - May 2023).

We're continuing to work with an environmental management system framework that measures and works to lessen environmental impact on the planet.