Leiden University 8th place in worldwide university sustainability list!
According to GreenMetric, in 2020, Leiden University will be in 8th place in the global sustainability ranking UI GreenMetric. In this memo, participation in this ranking is evaluated, points for improvement are given and an ambition suggestion is made for 2021.
Success factors
The university's high score can be explained based on the following factors:
- Relatively sustainable business operations, especially in the field of waste and
- Water usage.
- The purchase of certificates of origin for Dutch wind energy and the offsetting a large part of the CO2 emissions. This makes the university in category 2 (energy & climate change).
- The available attention and time for collecting the correct data and burden of proof.
- A convenient location in a country with good waste facilities, water purification and public transport.
The higher number of points compared to last year can be explained as follows:
- In consultation with the UI GreenMetric organization, the purchased wind energy certificates count as generated green energy. The university already bought these certificates in the past, but then these certificates did not count in this ranking.
- A slightly better recycling performance that just puts us in a higher category.
- The relative decrease compared to last year can be explained because other universities have further increased their sustainability efforts.
Read the ful memo for all the information.