Swansea ranked best for sustainability in Alternative University City League Table

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The city of Swansea has come out on top for sustainability in the 2018 Alternative University City League Table.

Combining third-party data from the top 37 university cities in the UK, the Alternative City League Table - created by Citybase Apartments - looks at the different factors that students consider when they decide where to study, with Swansea being ranked first for sustainability, beating Exeter and Bristol.

For sustainability, People & Planet looks at universities' environmental and ethical performance, giving them a percentage score based on factors such as environmental policies, staff and student engagement, workers’ rights and waste and recycling.

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Picture:  Swansea University Singleton campus: Swansea was top of the rankings for sustainability

While it might be the city of Swansea that was ranked first, it is important to recognise the part that Swansea University played for the wider community.

Every year the NUS ask students about their attitudes towards sustainable development, which reveals that 80 per cent of students want their institution to be doing more on sustainable development, and 60 per cent of students want to learn more about sustainability.

For eight years these results have stayed the same. Despite changes such as the rise in fees, and the crash of the jobs market, the demand for action by universities and desire to learn about sustainability has remained constant.

Each city was judged on five subjects: crime rate, average graduate salary, sustainability, the price of a pint and LGBTQ friendliness.

Swansea also ranked 13th overall, meaning it consistently scored highly amongst some of the largest cities in the UK.

Heidi Smith, Head of Sustainability and Staff Wellbeing at Swansea University, said:

“Swansea University aims to have a net positive impact on sustainable development in how it operates its business.

“The University, over the last five years, has been increasingly recognised as a leader in its thinking around organisational sustainability and environmental protection, and is committed to continue to implement new ways of thinking and working to contribute to a brighter, more sustainable future.”