Our campuses are part of the cities and communities in which we live and work, so the way we develop and manage them matters.
At ARU, we aim to make our estate a practical demonstration of sustainable development, from lower-carbon buildings and greener travel to biodiversity, climate resilience and responsible use of resources.
We have reduced carbon emissions per square metre of floor space by 44% since 2005, through investment in buildings, heating, cooling, lighting and computing technologies, and our environmental management system has been independently certified to ISO 14001 since 2009, now covering academic and support services across our Cambridge, Chelmsford, Peterborough and Writtle campuses.
Alongside this, our approach to sustainable travel, biodiversity and development helps us consider how university campuses can contribute positively to the resilience and environmental quality of the places around them.
Opening our campuses and green spaces to local communities
All our campuses are embedded in the communities we serve and are freely accessible to members of the public throughout the year. They provide access to green spaces, biodiversity trails, outdoor learning environments and publicly accessible routes that support recreation, wellbeing and engagement with nature.
In Chelmsford, we restored a millpond bordering the campus, transforming it into a valued environmental asset that forms part of the Chelmer Valley Heritage & Nature Trail. The project received a Wildlife Trust Living Landscape Award and continues to support community access to nature and local heritage.
Visitors can also access biodiversity trails and educational information about habitats, wildlife and sustainability through ARU’s public-facing green infrastructure and ‘Green Pockets’ initiatives across our campuses in Cambridge and Chelmsford.
Enriching cultural life through public arts and performance
We make arts and culture accessible to communities across the East of England through a year-round programme of exhibitions, performances, public lectures and creative events.
Facilities including the Mumford Theatre and Ruskin Gallery welcome members of the public and provide opportunities to engage with visual arts, music, theatre and contemporary culture. Many exhibitions and events are offered free of charge, helping to remove barriers to cultural participation.
The Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences regularly hosts public performances, conferences, workshops and community events. Meanwhile, the Anglia Singers choir performs several public concerts each year and supports charitable fundraising activities. These initiatives contribute to the cultural vibrancy of our host communities while providing opportunities for students, artists and communities to collaborate and engage with the arts.
Preserving and showcasing cultural heritage
Through the internationally recognised StoryLab research centre, we help communities preserve cultural heritage, strengthen local identity and document traditions that might otherwise be lost. StoryLab leads the €3 million Horizon 2020-funded REVIVE project, which brings together partners from seven European countries to explore how digital technologies can support the preservation of endangered languages and cultural heritage.
The centre's work demonstrates how heritage can support community resilience and belonging. Projects include research into the cultural heritage of Syrian refugee communities in Jordan through the Heritage-led Resilience initiative, immersive storytelling approaches to revitalise heritage and language in Nepal, and Let's Go Fly the Kite, which helps residents in Cambridge's historic Kite district create living archives and strengthen connections between local heritage and future community development. Through these projects, ARU supports both global and local efforts to preserve intangible cultural heritage while making it accessible to wider audiences.
Promoting environmentally sustainable travel within our communities
We promote sustainable travel as part of our wider commitment to creating more sustainable communities and reducing carbon emissions. Through our Sustainable Travel Policy, we've committed to reducing the environmental impact of commuting and business travel by encouraging walking, cycling, public transport, flexible working and the uptake of low-carbon vehicles. Staff and student travel patterns are monitored through regular travel surveys, enabling ARU to set targets and identify areas where further improvements can be made.
The University supports sustainable travel through campus infrastructure, travel planning and initiatives that encourage active and low-carbon transport choices. By reducing reliance on private vehicle use and supporting more sustainable commuting behaviours, ARU contributes to cleaner air, lower carbon emissions and more sustainable urban environments.
Promoting a good work-life balance for staff
ARU supports flexible and hybrid working arrangements that help staff balance professional and personal responsibilities while reducing unnecessary travel. Flexible working policies allow eligible staff to work in ways that meet both individual needs and organisational requirements, helping improve wellbeing while reducing commuter journeys and associated emissions. By integrating flexible working into its operating model, ARU supports a more sustainable approach to employment while contributing to staff wellbeing, recruitment and retention. Our flexible working policy recognises that flexibility can look different across different job roles, with different colleagues requiring variations to working hours, part-time working or hybrid working arrangements. In our 2024 staff survey, 85% of respondents agreed that their faculty/professional service supported flexible working.
Creating sustainable campuses through regeneration and low-carbon development
ARU seeks to ensure that new developments contribute positively to the environment and the communities in which they are located. The University's design principles require all new buildings to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification, exceeding previous requirements and demonstrating a commitment to high standards of environmental performance, resource efficiency and sustainability.
A flagship example is ARU Peterborough, completed in 2024, which transformed a former car park brownfield site into a modern university campus supporting education, skills development and regional regeneration. In 2025, the project received a prestigious Pineapples Award in recognition of its contribution to place-making and community benefit.
In Chelmsford, we're also supporting the redevelopment of former industrial land through plans that combine university facilities and student housing, helping to bring underused sites back into productive use while supporting sustainable urban development.
Last updated: October 2026
To request additions, corrections or changes to the information in these pages, please contact: Dr Zareen Bharucha: [email protected]. Please use the subject line ‘ARU SDG’.