University of Stirling sustainability score: 48/100
Better than 18% of Higher Education / Universities
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
University of Stirling is a public research university in Scotland. It holds a 334-acre campus in Stirling and offers degrees in business, health sciences, engineering, and humanities.
More about University of Stirling
SINK rates UK higher education institutions on environmental management and disclosure.
Head office GBStaff 1,575 FTE (HESA EMR 2023/24)Revenue £179M (HESA EMR 2023/24)Website ↗
University of Stirling has cut operational emissions 42% since 2007 and publishes dual statutory disclosures, but supply chain emissions remain unquantified and renewable energy was zero in 2023/24. Solar installation arrived too late for the reporting period. Net zero 2040 lacks SBTi validation and relies on unspecified offsets.
University of Stirling scores 48/100 (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 Stirling joint 211th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 53rd of 67 in Higher Education / Universities.
What is University of Stirling 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 Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain (2/10, 3/10).
Where University of Stirling 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.
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- 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 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 is2/10No renewable energy tariff or major efficiency investment shown.
- Its effect on nature4/10Its effect on nature isn't measured or independently verified.
- How it uses materials and handles waste4/10No measurable waste or recycling targets reported publicly.
- 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 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 University of Stirling'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 Stirling's score based on?
12 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
58% of them were published by University of Stirling itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Total scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions 9,443.2 tCO₂e, University of Stirling, 2023/24”
“140 HE providers submitted Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions data to HESA through the Estates management record for the year 2023/24”
“progress on energy and water consumption is already publicly available and is reported on an annual basis through the Scottish Government's Public Bodies Climate Change Duty Reporting and via returns provided to the Higher Education Statistics Agency”
“We seek to identify high sustainability impact suppliers and categories, and employ the latest APUC tools and guidance to further improve supply chain monitoring”
“extension of emissions measurement in UK universities to include Scope 3 emissions generally represents a very large (>400%) increase to their carbon footprint”
“We've already reduced our carbon emissions by more than 43% since 2007, but we know we must do more”
“University actively manages its 334-acre estate in terms of biodiversity and boasts a rich and diverse range of plant and animal life, including several threatened or endangered species (e.g., pine martens and red squirrels)”
“Key objective: To reduce waste mass by 50% by 2030. Maintaining a 100% landfill avoidance strategy for all commercial waste”
“We are a signatory to the Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges campaign”
“The University becomes 9th organisation in Scotland to divest from fossil fuels, citing climate concerns by students”
“organisations from the fossil fuel, mining, arms or tobacco industries will not be permitted to attend our careers or employer-led events on campus”
“SSN empowers Scotland's public bodies to meet climate change duties, share best practice, access tools & training, and collaborate for a greener, net-zero future”
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How does University of Stirling compare with other higher education / universities companies?
Where University of Stirling sits among higher education / universities peers.
Among the 67 major higher education / universities brands we've scored, University of Stirling is tied =53rd of 67, with 2 others.
Who scores higher in Higher Education / Universities?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above University of Stirling.
Coventry University has cut Scope 1+2 emissions 15.5% from 2005 baseline and locked in £13M in capital decarbonisation projects, but Scope 3 remains entirely unquantified.
See the breakdown →Birkbeck has achieved a 56% absolute emissions reduction since 2005 and holds ISO 14001 certification with public annual reporting.
See the breakdown →Bath has reduced Scope 1+2 emissions 51% since 2005 and publishes annual carbon data, but renewable energy procurement is negligible (<1%), Scope 3 remains volatile at 89% of footprint, and net zero targets are under review.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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