Earth Day at ARU

Earth Day is an annual event held on 22 April that aims to inspire appreciation for our environment and raise awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations.

Illustration of planet Earth with a caption encouraging a reduction in the use of fossil fuels

Although Earth Day plays a vital part in raising awareness for one day about the need for environmental protection, at ARU, every day is an Earth Day. We have a sustainability mission statement that is 'to give our students and staff the understanding and ability to make their lives and the life of the world sustainable'.

We've pledged to incorporate sustainability into every aspect of ARU’s conduct and administration and we are working towards 17 Sustainable Development Goals that were adopted by the United Nations in 2015. These goals range from ‘Good health and wellbeing’ to ‘Reduced inequalities’ and ‘Responsible consumption and production’.

Our work and research on topics such as homelessness, landscaping, energy-efficiency and food waste is evidence of our progress towards these goals and our ongoing commitment to sustainability.

Did you know...?

  • We've reduced our carbon footprint by 39% since 2006, and we aim to become zero carbon by 2045.
  • 20% of our electricity comes from windfarms in Scotland and Wales.
  • We have 1,420 square meters of solar panels on our buildings, and will install a further 3,560 square metres this year.
  • We do not send any waste materials to landfill sites – all our waste is either reused, recycled or used to create ‘refuse derived fuel’. Our aim is to increase our recycling rate to 60% by 2026.
  • ARU researchers are leading a multi-million Euro project which is conducting 24 separate ‘social experiments’ across Europe looking at how organisations and individuals can work together to make our daily lives more sustainable.
  • Our Ruskin Modules allow students to develop new skills by taking a module outside their core subject. Ruskin Modules are all aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • We publish an annual sustainability magazine, So What?, that gives all our students access to high-quality information about the latest trends and developments in sustainability.

Read more

Dr Zaheer Allam, a graduate of ARU and an urban strategist, writes about how we can all help to protect our planet's resources.

Former ARU student Katie Goldsborough now works as a woodland officer. She talks about the importance of environmental awareness and the role of nature in wellbeing.