The table below sets out staff awareness of initiatives to embed sustainability in teaching.
Sustainability Embedded in the Curriculum
| Awareness Level | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not aware | 19% (42) | 19% (33) | No change |
| Aware but not engaged | 32% (72) | 36% (62) | +4 percentage points |
| Aware and somewhat engaged | 36% (82) | 29% (50) | -7 percentage points |
| Aware and very engaged | 13% (30) | 16% (27) | +3 percentage points |
Key points:
- Staff awareness of initiatives to embed sustainability in teaching has remained high, with 81% of staff aware of curriculum sustainability activity in both years.
- The proportion who were very engaged increased from 13% to 16%.
- However, there was a shift from “somewhat engaged” to “aware but not engaged”, suggesting awareness has been maintained but active engagement has not increased overall.
Carbon Literacy Training for all
The university provides free carbon literacy training for all our staff and students, and regularly runs short taster sessions as well as the 8-hour full program.
| Awareness Level | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not aware | 26% (59) | 28% (48) | +2 percentage points |
| Aware but not engaged | 36% (81) | 39% (67) | +3 percentage points |
| Aware and somewhat engaged | 28% (64) | 22% (38) | -6 percentage points |
| Aware and very engaged | 10% (22) | 11% (19) | +1 percentage point |
Key points:
- Awareness of Carbon Literacy training remained relatively stable, with around 72-74% of staff aware of the initiative.
- There was a small increase in staff who were very engaged (10% to 11%).
- Similar to curriculum sustainability, there was a reduction in the “somewhat engaged” group and an increase in those who were aware but not actively engaged.
Summary
- Sustainability embedded in the curriculum continues to have higher awareness and engagement than Carbon Literacy training.
- In 2025-26, only 19% were unaware of curriculum embedding activity compared with 28% unaware of Carbon Literacy training.
- Engagement (“somewhat” + “very engaged”) was 45% for curriculum sustainability compared with 33% for Carbon Literacy training in 2025-26.
- Both areas show an opportunity to convert awareness into deeper engagement, particularly for Carbon Literacy training.