Sustainability education at University hailed as ‘most impressive’ yet

A major sustainability audit led by students has described the University of the Built Environment’s latest Responsible Futures submission as “the most impressive” yet, highlighting how its teaching is adapting to a sector facing growing environmental and social challenges.

The University scored 321 out of a possible 390 in the latest Responsible Futures assessment, 66 points above the threshold required for full accreditation.

Delivered by Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS UK), Responsible Futures recognises universities and colleges that embed sustainability across teaching, learning and the wider student experience. The University’s accreditation will now remain in place until June 2028.

Sustainability Officer Jessica Gordon-Calvert said: “It’s been a privilege once again to share with them what we’ve been working on and hear their questions, thoughts and ideas of where we could go next on our sustainability journey.”

Preparing students for a changing built environment

The report found sustainability woven throughout teaching at the University, from a compulsory introductory module for undergraduates to courses exploring renewable energy, sustainable construction, nature-based solutions, social justice and ethical professional practice.

All new undergraduate students have been required to complete an Introduction to Sustainability module since 2024, while a curriculum mapping exercise found that 100% of modules covered the UN Sustainable Development Goals to some extent.

The latest review has gone further, mapping teaching against eight UNESCO sustainability competencies as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

Among the competencies most commonly covered were critical, strategic and normative thinking, reflecting a move beyond simply teaching students about environmental problems towards giving them the skills to tackle complex decisions in their future careers.

Senior Academic for Sustainability James Ritson said: “Sustainability is way beyond climate change, it’s also about food, ecology, access, culture. Be inquisitive about sustainability, that is what makes learning more exciting.”

Auditors awarded UBE 18 out of 20 points for its progress in embedding sustainability across the formal curriculum.

They also noted that programmes and modules align with Quality Assurance Agency Subject Benchmark Statements and requirements from professional bodies including the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Chartered Association of Building Engineers.

From theory to professional practice

The report highlights growing links between what students learn and the decisions they will make once they enter industry.

Apprentices are required to reflect on how they embed sustainability into projects and influence clients, while other teaching connects students with employers and real-world challenges in sustainable design and the built environment.

Examples highlighted by auditors include futures-focused design thinking in sustainable construction, nature-based solutions and systems thinking, alongside teaching that examines the social, ethical and environmental consequences of professional decisions.

At the London School of Architecture (The LSA), which merged with the University in 2025, students interrogate questions around social justice, ethics and identity alongside the environmental implications of architecture and design.

The report praised The LSA’s “creative, socially engaged, and climate-responsive education” and highlighted the merger as an opportunity to bring different disciplines together to tackle increasingly complex challenges.

One student auditor said: “Neither the built environment nor sustainability work in a silo, so pedagogy shouldn’t either.”

‘The most impressive submission’

Ten students and alumni took part in the two-day Responsible Futures audit in June, including alumni from both UBE and The LSA.

They reviewed evidence submitted by the University and interviewed academic, professional services and senior leadership staff before making their own assessment and recommendations.

One returning alumnus, taking part as an auditor for the fourth time, said: “This is the most impressive Responsible Futures submission I have audited.

“The institution-wide approach to sustainability has clearly matured over the years and the University is now playing an active thought leadership role in the sector.”

Auditors also highlighted the launch of the Built Environment Futures Assembly (BEFA), which brings together industry, government and professional bodies to discuss some of the major challenges facing the sector.

One described BEFA as evidence of the University’s ambition “to not only take part in the conversation around sustainability but to actually shape it as well”.

Sustainability influences student choice

The findings suggest sustainability is also beginning to influence where students choose to study.

Of 8,201 students joining the University over the past three years, 473, almost 6%, said sustainability was one of their reasons for applying.

Beyond the formal curriculum, Climate and Social Action (CASA) weeks have become part of the University’s approach to sustainability learning.

The October 2025 CASA week recorded 920 asynchronous engagements, while attendance at live activities in April 2026 rose to 648, compared with 406 a year earlier.

The report also found strong engagement among staff. During 2024-25, 286 staff, around 85%, registered with the Supply Chain Sustainability School and completed more than 600 e-learning courses.

What next?

For the University, the latest accreditation provides a marker of how far its approach has developed. The next challenge, the report states, is to build on that progress: giving students an even greater voice, breaking down boundaries between disciplines and helping them navigate the sustainability questions they will encounter in their future careers.