York St John University sustainability score: 56/100
Better than 91% of Higher Education / Universities
Leading practice starts at 60. The highest score on SINK is 71.
York St John University is a teaching-focused higher education institution in York, England. It operates a residential campus.
More about York St John University
The university is positioned in the mid-tier UK sector and has embedded sustainability into its institutional strategy.
Head office GBStaff 1,010 FTE (HESA EMR 2023/24)Revenue £110M (HESA EMR 2023/24)Website ↗
York St John has cut Scope 1+2 emissions 67.5% since 2005 and publishes statutory data via HESA. Scope 3 reporting is skeletal—only commuting quantified, no supplier engagement. Energy comes from named PPAs and on-site solar, but renewable percentages lack HESA confirmation. Biodiversity outcomes are credible; nature supply-chain risk unmapped.
York St John University 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 York St John University joint 40th of 1,023 companies scored, and joint 4th of 67 in Higher Education / Universities.
What is York St John University doing well, and where does it fall short?
Strongest on Emissions Trajectory and Controversies & Red Flags (8/10, 8/10). Weakest on Carbon Footprint: Supply Chain and Water Impact (3/10, 5/10).
Where York St John 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
- Emissions from its supply chainAssess where its supply-chain emissions come from.
- Its effect on waterMeasure its water footprint and set reduction targets.
- Its climate targetsMake its targets science-based, or commit to the Science Based Targets initiative.
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 falling8/10Not shown to be on a 1.5°C path across all its emissions.
- How clean its energy is6/10Less than 90% of its energy shown to be renewable.
- Its effect on nature6/10No verified restoration beyond its own footprint, or supply chain not mapped for nature risk.
- 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 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 York St John University's SINK score calculated?
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleWhat evidence is York St John University'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 York St John University itself; the rest come from independent sources.
“Total scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions 1,575.3 tCO2e, 2023/24, UKPRN 10007713”
“from 0.445kgCO2e/kWh in 2013 to 0.207kgCO2e/kWh in 2024, primarily due to the rapid growth of renewable energy”
“140 HE providers submitted Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions data to HESA through the Estates management record for the year 2023/24”
“Our 2024 travel survey found that staff and student commuting results in over 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually”
“40% of our renewable electricity comes directly from wind farms: Altwalis, Andershaw, Baillie and Berry Burn”
“We have planted more than 1000 trees on our campuses in the past few years.”
“Biodiversity initiatives, including Hedgehog Friendly Campus Scheme accreditations and tansy beetle preservation, underscored the team's dedication”
“We are a growing network of people from over 700 higher education institutions across the world, working together to promote nature”
“Since 2016, all waste produced by York St John has been diverted from landfill.”
“Through energy efficiency and renewable energy, we expect to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% by 2030”
“Target dashboard — Science Based Targets Initiative [no York St John University entry found]”
“York St John University participated in the Global Climate Strike in 2019”
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How does York St John University compare with other higher education / universities companies?
Where York St John University sits among higher education / universities peers.
Among the 67 major higher education / universities brands we've scored, York St John University is tied =4th of 67, with 3 others.
Who scores higher in Higher Education / Universities?
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above York St John University.
Manchester Met has cut Scope 1+2 emissions 65% since 2005 and publishes audited sustainability data annually.
See the breakdown →Lancaster has cut operational emissions 44% since 2005 and installed significant renewable capacity, but recycling collapsed to 28% from 72%, masking weak resource management.
See the breakdown →LJMU has achieved genuine absolute emissions cuts (65.5% since 2005) backed by statutory HESA data and ISO 14001 verification.
See the breakdown →Which companies moved this week, and why.
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