The University of Edinburgh
Regenerative Sustainability: Our Pathway Beyond Net-Zero
Finalist, 2030 Climate Action
About
The Regenerative Sustainability Strategy 2025-2040 is a step-change in action and ambition. It goes beyond traditional approaches to sustainability and harm limitation, and beyond Net Zero. It commits to: a 1.5c aligned decarbonisation pathway, using 5-year carbon budgets, across scope 1,2 and all scope 3 emissions en route to net negative carbon; to ecologically regenerate an area of land five times the combined area of our campuses; to action on chemical pollution, water and resource use. It also commits to all students, regardless of degree, having access to meaningful education on climate and nature by 2030, to training 5,000 staff and students per year in sustainability, and to maximising the positive impact on climate and nature we have through our research. Most importantly, it commits to empower our people with a culture that enables them to deliver on this strategy with ambitious and sufficient targets on awareness, empowerment and buy-in.
Top 3 learnings
- Be bold. We may not meet every target, yet setting bold targets massively increased impact.
- Ask. Seemingly "daft laddie” questions opened doors that led to 10 times more impact.
- Challenge. Genuinely asking, “Can we have more impact”, led to 10 times more impact.
What it would mean to win
Winning a Green Gown Award would be a significant recognition of the University of Edinburgh's leadership in addressing sustainability, climate and nature crisis in the Higher Education sector and beyond. The award would acknowledge the collective efforts of staff, students and partners who continue to embed sustainability across the institution and would provide valuable external validation of the University's commitment to moving beyond net zero towards environmental regeneration. It would also strengthen the University's ability to inspire and influence others, demonstrating how other colleagues within our community but also at other universities can play a pivotal role in delivering climate action.
SDG
| 2026 | |
| 2030 Climate Action | |
| Finalist, UK and Ireland |
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Green Gown Award Regions
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