London School of Economics And Political Science sustainability score: 56/100
Better than 91% of Higher Education / Universities
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
London School of Economics and Political Science is a research-led university in central London, UK, specialising in social sciences, law, and economics. LSE operates a non-residential urban campus and hosts the Grantham Institute for Climate Change Research.
Head office GBStaff 3,375 FTE (HESA EMR 2023/24)Revenue £531M (HESA EMR 2023/24)Website ↗
Read London School of Economics And Political Science's own report ↗
LSE has a credible 7,099 tCO2e footprint with genuine 46% absolute emissions reductions since 2005, but holds £86 million in fossil fuel investments despite student divestment mandates. Supply chain emissions lack full quantification. Net-zero targets are science-aligned but unvalidated by SBTi.
London School of Economics And Political Science scores 56/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it. Last verified September 2026.
That places London School of Economics And Political Science joint 40th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 4th of 67 in Higher Education / Universities.
What is London School of Economics And Political Science doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Carbon Footprint: Operations and Emissions Trajectory (7/10, 7/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (4/10, 4/10).
Where London School of Economics And Political Science lost points
For each question that lost points, the evidence our public rubric looks for that we didn't find.
What would raise this score
- Emissions from its supply chainMeasure most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations7/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain4/10Most of its supply-chain (Scope 3) emissions aren't measured.
- Whether its emissions are falling7/10No consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
- How clean its energy is7/10Less than 90% of its energy shown to be renewable.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste6/10No verified figures for reuse and recycling across the business.
- Its effect on water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets6/10Its targets aren't validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports7/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
- Its record on controversies7/10Points deducted for controversies or its business model. The finding is under question 10.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Anyone can send us new evidence, free. How to send it.
How is London School of Economics And Political Science's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is London School of Economics And Political Science's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
42% of them were published by London School of Economics And Political Science itself; the rest come from independent sources.
7 of 12 sources are independent of the company.
“Total scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions (Kg CO2e), 2023/24 — HESA Estates Management Record, Table 3”
“Annual Sustainability Report 2023/24 — LSE Sustainability Team”
“The Scope 3 pathway assumes a reduction aligned to an SBTi 1.5-degree approach.”
“LSE has reduced its carbon footprint by 1,783 tonnes of CO2 in the first year of its energy efficiency programme.”
“Work is now also complete on the electrification of the Cheng Kin Ku building…replacing them with more sustainable air source heat pumps.”
“agreed there would…be a full review of the School's ESG Policy, which guides the School's investment practices.”
“The LSE community voted for a portfolio focused on forest conservation projects, for their additional positive impacts on biodiversity.”
“Sustainable and inclusive economic and social development crucially depends on nature and biodiversity.”
“LSE holds more than £86 million in companies profiting from the extraction and/or distribution of fossil fuels, including BP and Shell.”
“Research from the students suggests that LSE is not committing to its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies, despite assurances from the School.”
“"LSE has started estimating carbon emissions linked to international students travelling and hope to be able to report these soon."”
“The open data publication HE Provider Data: Estates Management includes data on…water consumption, waste, recycling, transport, and environmental management.”
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How does London School of Economics And Political Science compare with other higher education / universities companies?
Where London School of Economics And Political Science sits among higher education / universities peers.
Among the 67 major higher education / universities brands we've scored, London School of Economics And Political Science is tied =4th of 67, with 3 others.
Who scores higher in Higher Education / Universities?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above London School of Economics And Political Science.
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See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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