University announces year-on-year growth for its Sustainability Fund
The University of Birmingham is celebrating a new cohort of applicants who have received funding for a range of eco-conscious projects.
The University of Birmingham will be awarding funding to a diverse range of new sustainability projects for the 2025/26 academic year.
For next year’s fund, up to 10 projects will be granted up to £500 in funding; marking an 11% year-on-year increase in successful applicants, with the available funds per project doubling compared to 2024/25.
Led by the University’s network of Sustainability Champions, the aim of this project is to empower academic, research and professional services staff to plan and deliver impactful initiatives that enhance sustainability on campus in a wide range of areas.
Sustainability Champions form a community of engaged students and staff from across all parts of campus. They work together to develop ideas and can also submit proposals to gain access to a small source of funds to support sustainability projects, acting as a key contact for sustainability inquiries within their departments, disseminating information, and actively engaging in collaborative projects.
During the last academic year, Sustainability Champion-led workshops have been delivered across campus on several themes, including Biodiversity, Green Events, Net Zero Carbon, and Sustainable Travel.
By supporting these initiatives, we’re able to put our Sustainability Champion’s great ideas into practice and hope to inspire others to think about the simple changes they can make in future to support positive change.
Zoe Hurley, Head of Sustainability at the University of Birmingham said:
"We are delighted to have selected a new cohort of successful applicants for the 2025/26 academic year to receive funding for a number of exciting projects that will support our university community to adopt a range of eco-conscious practices across all areas of campus.
“By supporting these initiatives, we’re able to put our Sustainability Champion’s great ideas into practice and hope to inspire others to think about the simple changes they can make in the future to create positive change.”
Within the last academic year, a range of projects that received up to £200 in funding have been delivered; including planting and maintaining biodiverse gardens across campus, installing eco-friendly bird boxes and investing in reusable coffee cups for new starters.
Looking ahead, upcoming projects that have received funding include offering sustainable innovations within lab environments (particularly looking at reducing waste and consumables), providing eco-education books and learning resources for young children attending nursery to explore sustainability, and improving biodiversity across green spaces on campus.
The University of Birmingham is leading the way as a thought leader and partner in delivering sustainability through several key areas, such as working to achieve operational net zero carbon, using its research and education to make a major global contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and signing several internationally recognised pledges earlier this year.
This included the Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE) Accord and pledged its commitment to the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Practice, and to being a Nature Positive University.
Notes for editors
Notes for editors
For media enquiries please contact Holly Young, Press Office, University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0)7815 607 157.
Notes to editor:
- The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
- England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham.
- The University is committed to a holistic approach to sustainability and incorporating into everything it does, as evidence by its recently announced positions in the QS Sustainability Rankings (38th) and the People & Planet rankings (68th). The University recently joined nine other Russell Group institutions in the IEMA partner register, signifying an important step to providing opportunities to students in the field of sustainability.
- The University is committed to working to achieve operational net zero carbon. It is seeking to change society and the environment positively, and its research and education to make a major global contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
- We are working with industry, academic and policy partners from across the globe to improve lives and livelihoods for all – to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) towards the 2030 Agenda.
- Earlier this year, the University introduced the Green Impact Laboratory Accreditation Toolkit, an approved sustainable laboratories programme recognised by Wellcome and Cancer Research UK. This allows Green Impact accredited laboratories to continue to deliver important and life-changing research, whilst being sustainable and working in a way that protects our environment.
- To find out how to get involved with Green Impact and other sustainability activities at the University, please visit our Get Involved page.