A report from the University’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, ‘Roadmap to Super Low Carbon Live Music’, successfully supported Massive Attack in delivering the lowest-carbon live music event of its kind. Commissioned by the band, the roadmap set out clear, measurable targets for the live music industry to significantly reduce its carbon footprint and align with the Paris Agreement.

We have established a atmospheric monitoring station at The University’s Jodrell Bank Observatory to improve the accuracy of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions estimates. The station, part of the UK’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Measurement and Modelling Advancement (GEMMA) programme, will monitor and provide crucial data on key climate-relevant gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). A new high-precision analyser for monitoring atmospheric hydrogen (H₂) is also being deployed at the site to monitor atmospheric hydrogen (H₂) generated through the growth of the UK’s hydrogen economy.

Every year we host a Sustainability Careers Fair at the University, helping students explore career paths that align with environmental sustainability. Alongside our own Careers Service and Environmental Sustainability Team, we welcome a fantastic range of exhibitors to offer advice and guidance. For example, in 2025, we invited Cushman & Wakefield, Kenny Waste Management, Manchester City Council, Net Zero Group | B Corp Certified, Windō, and the Environment Agency. 

Greater Manchester universities, in collaboration with local industry partners, have launched an innovative initiative developed by the GM Civic University Board’s Green Skills Working Group. Students from the five Greater Manchester universities form cross-institutional, interdisciplinary teams to address key local sustainability challenges. These challenges, presented by industry partners, align with the priorities of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). 

We have partnered with Friends of Medlock Valley, a local community group, to promote biodiversity in inner city Manchester. Home to thousands of trees and open grasslands, the Medlock Valley is one of the city’s wildest and most ignored spaces, with few signs of the state or local authorities such as bins, benches or signage. This project aims to bring the University’s expertise and resources to scale up the group’s initiatives, with a series of workshops on historical memory through soil and trees, an appraisal of its ecological assets by staff in Earth Sciences at the University, and a durable set of information boards, wayfinders and artistic installations to embed the partnership within the community for years to come. 

Bee Circular UoM is a student-led initiative focused on reducing food waste and fostering sustainability within the University of Manchester and its surrounding community through strategic partnerships and volunteer engagement.

In IT Services we have a strong commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. In a move to support local youth and promote digital equality, IT Services at the University in partnership with IT Provider, Stone Group, has donated laptops to the RAFAC 1263 (Rochdale) Squadron.

We have a Travel Plan which aims to lower our travel-related carbon footprint. This plan aligns with the Environmental Sustainability strategy and aims to reduce carbon emissions while ensuring fairness and affordability for all.