Making labs greener

Leading the way in achieving the University’s pledge to eliminate avoidable single-use plastic usage, staff in our School of Biological Sciences are reducing single-use plastics in the lab through adoption of a 6R approach.

This has included:

• refining protocol and optimising waste management;
• reducing single-use items;
• re-using materials, plastic containers and gloves;
• using recycled material;
• replacing plastics where possible with glass, paper or wood.

Watershed management

We’ve implemented watershed management strategies based on location-specific diversity of aquatic species.

These ensure flow rates of water run-off in our urban environment are decreased and water quality is improved, including reducing flow into our local River Medlock on campus.

At our rural Jodrell Bank site, we’ve also reduced flow into our local watercourses, protecting the great crested newt – a protected species that relies on aquatic life.

Divesting from fossil fuels

We’re ending investments in fossil fuel reserve and extraction companies by 2022, and ‘decarbonising’ all other investments by 2038.

This policy was developed in consultation with the University’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and our Students’ Union.

Towards net zero

The University has pledged to support Manchester’s climate change target for zero carbon by 2038.

This involves reducing carbon emissions from a 2018 baseline of 54,000 tCO2 to at least 21,000 tCO2 by 2025 and placing carbon impact at the heart of strategic decision making in the University’s new strategic plan.

Social Value Portal

We’ve become the first higher education institution in the UK to adopt the Social Value Portal, the leading online tool that helps organisations prioritise and measure their social value when they procure, or pay for, major services.

Sustainable travel

We received platinum accreditation from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), recognising the University’s contribution to sustainable low-carbon travel.

Cultural institutions

Our four key cultural institutions – the Manchester Museum, the Whitworth, John Rylands Research Institute and Library and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre – provide access to more than a million visitors each year to engage with buildings, collections, monuments and natural heritage landscapes, advancing how our city and region can be inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Equality marks

Equality charter marks are an important way for universities to demonstrate and measure their commitment to creating a fair, inclusive and supportive environment for everyone. They provide external recognition of the progress being made to promote equality across areas such as gender, race, sexual orientation, and background, while also helping to identify where further improvement is needed. By engaging with these frameworks, the University show accountability, shares good practice, and ensures that equity and inclusion are embedded in our culture, policies and everyday activities. 

• Stonewall Top 50 employer for LGBTQ+ equality
• Bronze Award for Race Equality (use logo)
• 15 Athena SWAN Chartermarks for Gender Equality
• Care Leaver Covenant signed to support care leavers to live independently.
• University of Sanctuary status in support of our work with refugee and asylum seeker students
• National Network for the Education of Care Leavers Quality Mark which signifies we demonstrate support for the inclusion and success of students with care experience or who are estranged.

Diversity monitoring

Our latest Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) annual report shows that:

• 3% of employees disclosed that they are disabled
• 9% of staff declare they are Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic
• 5% of our staff are female
• 8% of staff classify themselves as gay, lesbian, bisexual or other
• 22% of students are the first in their immediate family to gain a degree
• 1.1% of students (407) are from low or lower-middle income countries as defined by the World Bank.

Zero tolerance

Our Speak Up! Stand Up! campaign and reporting procedures through our Dignity at Work and Study Policy make it clear that we take a zero tolerance approach to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination or victimisation by any members of our community.

Equity and Merit Programme

Our Equity and Merit Programme supports the brightest minds from some of the least developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa – Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – to develop skills for sustainable development in their home countries.

Thanks to funding by the University and the generosity of our donors, more than 300 international students have completed master’s programmes with us.

Manchester Innovation Factory

Our Manchester Innovation Factory helps protect and commercialise our innovations and intellectual property by creating 15-20 new spin-out companies each year based on our novel ideas.

Innovation GM

We’re working with leading innovators from business, science, academia and local government in developing Innovation GM.

This is a new partnership to form the basis of a collaboration deal with government to create as many as 100,000 new jobs and boost the economy by £7 billion.

Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD)

Our recently constructed Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) is creating an environment for the brightest engineers to innovate.

Living wage

As an accredited Living Wage Employer, our 10,000+ staff are paid at least the voluntary living wage level in the UK set by the Living Wage Foundation.

Innovation GM

We’re working with leading innovators from business, science, academia and local government to develop Innovation GM – a new partnership to form the basis of a collaboration deal with government to create as many as 100,000 new jobs and boost the economy by £7 billion.

University investments

We have a University policy (PDF) on divesting from carbon- intensive energy industries.

Our entire investment portfolio is going through a staged disinvestment based on carbon intensity as well as fossil fuel reserves and extraction.

Sustainable urban drainage

We utilise sustainable water extraction technologies on associated university grounds off campus.

This includes using sustainable urban drainage techniques to minimise surface water run-off and flood risks in an environmentally friendly way by mimicking natural water systems such as ponds, wetlands, swales and basins.

Water procurement

We sell exclusively One Water on campus, an ethical company that donates all of its profits to fund clean water systems in Africa while costing the same as other water brands.

Female sanitation

We’ve worked with our Students’ Union and current Women’s Officer to initiate and fund a new scheme providing free period products for our students, helping to combat period poverty and ensure sanitation for all.

Tap water

Staff and students can request free tap water to fill water bottles at 41 free dispensers in University buildings and 1,200 bathrooms, 800 of which are publicly accessible.

Gender equality policies

Our Equality and Diversity Policy prevents discrimination based on gender and/or sex.

Our Dignity at Work and Study Policy covers harassment and discrimination against women.

Our Report and Support system addresses alleged cases of bullying, sexual harassment or discrimination.

Gender pay gap

Our Gender Pay Gap report measures differences between the average (mean and median) earnings of men and women who work at our university.

The median gender pay gap (GPG) is 11.8%, while the mean is 17.2%, which is caused by the under-representation of women in senior roles.

We therefore aim to increase the number of women who are senior lecturers, readers and professors (currently 32%) until they are representative of the pool of women at lecturer level (currently 47%).

Inclusive work schemes

We recognise and value unpaid care and domestic work, which can often fall disproportionately on women.

We therefore strive to provide a range of policies and schemes that promote shared caring and domestic responsibilities.

These include our Parental Leave policies, provision of our two subsidised campus nurseries, and our new policy to trial hybrid working, which will support greater inclusion and flexibility for our staff.

Library and open access

Our University Library is one of only five National Research Libraries in the UK.

It offers reference facilities to north-west sixth-form and mature students and their teachers to help with A-level, vocational and Access course work.