University of Lancashire sustainability score: 49/100
Better than 23% of Higher Education / Universities
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
University of Lancashire is a public research institution, headquartered in Preston, England. It serves students across multiple campuses and operates as part of the UK higher education sector.
More about University of Lancashire
The university conducts research and teaching across arts, sciences, business, and professional disciplines.
Head office GBStaff 2,910 FTE (HESA EMR 2023/24)Revenue £294M (HESA EMR 2023/24)Website ↗
University of Lancashire reports Scope 1+2 emissions via statutory HESA returns and has cut carbon intensity 49.6% since 2015/16, but lacks independently verified Scope 3 data and a published decarbonisation roadmap. Renewable energy at 58.6% is meaningful but market-based. No biodiversity action plan, SBTi validation, or board-level accountability mechanisms exist.
University of Lancashire scores 49/100 (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 University of Lancashire joint 179th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 45th of 67 in Higher Education / Universities.
What is University of Lancashire doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint: Operations (8/10, 6/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Nature & Biodiversity Impact (3/10, 3/10).
Where University of Lancashire 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 chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Its effect on natureAssess its effect on nature and publish a basic environmental policy.
- Its climate targetsMake its targets science-based, or commit to the Science Based Targets initiative.
Every question that lost points
- Emissions from its own operations6/10Its own emissions aren't independently verified or tracked over several years.
- Emissions from its supply chain3/10No assessment of where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Whether its emissions are falling6/10No consistent fall over several years across its operations and supply chain.
- How clean its energy is5/10Less than half its energy shown to be renewable, or no transition plan.
- Its effect on nature3/10No assessment of its effect on nature, and no basic environmental policy.
- 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 targets4/10Its targets aren't science-based or committed to the Science Based Targets initiative.
- How openly it reports5/10No dedicated sustainability role, board oversight or public report.
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 University of Lancashire's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is University of Lancashire's score based on?
9 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
33% of them were published by University of Lancashire itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Total scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions 7364.3 tCO2e, 2023/24”
“140 HE providers submitted Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions data to HESA through the Estates management record for 2023/24”
“we recognise the need to increase our efforts in Scope 3, the indirect emissions resulting from our waste management, travel, water use and procurement”
“University of Lancashire sustainability and UN SDG commitments”
“policies around ethical and sustainable procurement, waste and sustainability and a Carbon Management Plan”
“MaCaW project…academic/industry collaboration designed to assist Lancashire SMEs…low carbon economic model”
“University of Central Lancashire has announced it is fully divesting from the fossil fuel industry, becoming the 97th UK university to make a divestment commitment”
“Academic affiliations: MillionPlus; Universities UK; Defence Universities Alliance”
“University of Central Lancashire…all stated that they receive some of their energy from onsite wind turbines”
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 University of Lancashire compare with other higher education / universities companies?
Where University of Lancashire sits among higher education / universities peers.
Among the 67 major higher education / universities brands we've scored, University of Lancashire is tied =45th of 67, with 7 others.
Who scores higher in Higher Education / Universities?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above University of Lancashire.
Aberdeen has cut operational emissions 52.5% since 2005 and publishes verified data annually, but renewable energy procurement remains near-zero at 0%, and biodiversity/waste metrics lack measurable outcomes.
See the breakdown →Derby's carbon disclosures are methodologically sound but operationally modest.
See the breakdown →Manchester has science-aligned 2038 zero-carbon targets and genuine third-party verified emissions data, but is materially off-trajectory: Scope 1+2 fell only 4% in 2023 versus the required 13% annual cut, and total Scope 3 emissions rose 18% since 2018.
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.