ARU’s campuses are located in the water-stressed East of England, a region home to globally significant chalk streams, sensitive estuarine habitats and coastal communities that face increasing pressures from climate change, pollution and growing demands for water.
As a result, our operational approach extends beyond reducing environmental impacts on campus to supporting the long-term health of freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems. Our Operations support SDG 14 through sustainable food procurement, water conservation, pollution prevention, responsible waste management and biodiversity-sensitive estate management.
Supporting sustainably harvested fish through responsible food procurement
Our Sustainable Food Policy explicitly addresses the environmental impact of seafood procurement. The policy commits the University to not using fish included on the Marine Stewardship Council's Fish to Avoid list, helping prevent campus catering demand from supporting fisheries where stocks or harvesting practices raise sustainability concerns. This sits within a wider approach to responsible sourcing that prioritises seasonal and locally sourced produce where possible and requires sustainability criteria to be included in specifications to suppliers through ARU's Responsible Procurement Policy. ARU's sustainable food provision has also achieved Food for Life Served Here Bronze certification from the Soil Association, providing external recognition of its approach to healthy and sustainable catering.
Restoring an important freshwater habitat on our Chelmsford campus
ARU's approach to biodiversity management includes direct action to protect and enhance freshwater habitats in our host communities. At Chelmsford, the University restored the River Chelmer Millpond, work that received a Living Landscapes Award from Essex Wildlife Trust. The restored Millpond now forms part of the Chelmer Valley Heritage & Nature Trail, connecting management of the University's estate with the wider ecological landscape. ARU has also established a biodiversity trail around the Chelmsford campus, helping staff, students and visitors explore the Millpond and other habitats and strengthening awareness of the importance of local biodiversity.
Managing our estate for local biodiversity
ARU's approach to estate management is underpinned by a Biodiversity Net Gain Policy, designed to ensure that the net biodiversity value of University land is protected or enhanced as campuses develop. ARU manages dedicated areas of its campuses as wildlife habitats and has established biodiversity trails in both Cambridge and Chelmsford. Staff and students also contribute by recording wildlife through the ARUgreen programme, with sightings including otters, mink, grass snakes, kingfishers and little egrets. This helps connect the management of ARU's estate with awareness of the species and habitats found in and around our campuses.
Using green infrastructure to manage rainfall
ARU also uses green infrastructure to reduce the impact of built development on local water systems. Green roofs on University buildings retain rainwater and help reduce local flooding, while simultaneously providing habitat and food for wildlife. These nature-based features demonstrate how the design and management of campus infrastructure can deliver multiple benefits, slowing runoff while creating additional habitat within highly developed urban environments.
Preventing waste from becoming aquatic pollution
Preventing waste from reaching the environment is another important part of protecting freshwater and marine ecosystems. ARU's circular economy approach commits the University to designing out waste and keeping materials in use through reuse and recycling. ARU states that no waste materials are sent to landfill, with waste instead reused, recycled or converted into refuse-derived fuel. Its Sustainable Food Policy complements this with commitments to minimise packaging and eliminate the sale of single-use plastics, helping address materials that can become persistent pollutants when they escape into the environment.
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’.