Nottingham Trent University sustainability score: 51/100
Better than 45% of Higher Education / Universities
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
Nottingham Trent University is a public higher education institution in the UK. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across arts, sciences, engineering, and business disciplines.
More about Nottingham Trent University
NTU ranks in the top 50 universities globally by UI GreenMetric and participates in sector-wide sustainability initiatives.
Head office GBStaff 4,845 FTE (HESA EMR 2023/24)Revenue £434M (HESA EMR 2023/24)Website ↗
NTU has governance structures and public reporting in place, but absolute emissions rose since its baseline, missing its own 2026 milestone. Renewable energy at 11% is far below sector need. Scope 3 quantification remains absent from public disclosure despite substantive supplier engagement work.
Nottingham Trent University scores 51/100 (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 Nottingham Trent University joint 129th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 31st of 67 in Higher Education / Universities.
What is Nottingham Trent University doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint: Operations (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Emissions Trajectory (3/10, 4/10).
Where Nottingham Trent University 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
- How clean its energy isMove to a renewable energy tariff or make a major efficiency investment.
- Whether its emissions are fallingShow a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- Its effect on natureMeasure its effect on nature and have it independently verified.
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 chain6/10No full value-chain map or supplier engagement programme.
- Whether its emissions are falling4/10No evidence of a year-on-year fall in its total emissions.
- How clean its energy is3/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature5/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste5/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- Its effect on water5/10No measured water footprint with reduction targets.
- Its climate targets5/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports6/10No annual impact report, or no pay linked to climate targets.
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 Nottingham Trent University's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is Nottingham Trent University's score based on?
14 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
71% of them were published by Nottingham Trent University itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Total scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions 11,398.4 tCO2e (HESA Table-3, UKPRN 10004797, 2023/24)”
“NTU has a strategic KPI to achieve Net Zero Carbon (NZC) by 2040”
“NTU is proud to be one of the first universities to obtain ISO 14001 certification in 2012”
“Supply chain emissions are the largest single source of emissions within our own footprint — five times greater than our emissions from energy use”
“55% of our baseline carbon emissions derive from our supply chains”
“Nottingham Trent University started to explore how it could reduce its carbon emissions from the goods and services it purchases”
“scope 1+2 carbon emissions accounted for only 13% (10,574 tonnes) of our total carbon emissions (80,866 tonnes)”
“committed to energy management measures which aim to minimise energy wastage and optimise the use of low carbon and renewable energy sources”
“We generate our own energy on-site, including solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of Chaucer building”
“NTU has become a founding signatory of the Nature Positive Universities Alliance, which was launched at COP15 in Montreal”
“In 2024, we achieved Platinum Award for our Brackenhurst, Clifton, and City campuses”
“Nottingham Trent University [listed as stakeholder in Nottinghamshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy]”
“Sustainable Food and Beverage Policy 2024 … commitment to sustainable procurement … Fairtrade Foundation”
“Enva is the waste management partner for the East Midlands Universities Waste Consortium (EMUWC), which is comprised of … Nottingham Trent University”
If you believe a source has been misread or a newer version exists, submit a challenge.
Is this your company? Claim this profile (free)
Use this score in tenders
Send the link, or the one-page score sheet. It links back to this page and every source. Free.
Open the score sheet →Send new evidence, free
Scored low because little is published? Publish what you do and send us the link, free. If it holds up, your score changes, and the change is logged on your page.
How to send evidence →Put your score on your website, free
It shows the current band, sector rank and score, and links to this page, so it changes when the score does.
Track this score
Bidding for a public contract? Check if you need a Carbon Reduction Plan, free →
Want your own page like this?
Free, independent, every source shown. Send it to any buyer who asks about your sustainability.
How does Nottingham Trent University compare with other higher education / universities companies?
Where Nottingham Trent University sits among higher education / universities peers.
Among the 67 major higher education / universities brands we've scored, Nottingham Trent University is tied =31st of 67, with 6 others.
Who scores higher in Higher Education / Universities?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above Nottingham Trent University.
Edinburgh Napier has achieved substantial operational emissions reductions (49% absolute since 2018/19) and maintains transparent public reporting via HESA.
See the breakdown →UAL has verified operational emissions reductions (48% since 2005) but supply-chain emissions remain unquantified and rising.
See the breakdown →Warwick has met interim carbon targets through operational gas phase-out and renewable electricity, but Scope 3 emissions—three-quarters of its footprint—lack annual disclosure and reduction milestones.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
One email, every Sunday. Score changes, new research, the stories behind the numbers. Free.
We'll send one email to confirm. No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.
Checking a company?
Search free →Asked to prove you're sustainable?
Get your business scored, free →Been scored?
Find your page and claim it, free →Scores are free. Nobody can pay to change a score, speed it up or hide it.