Sustainable environments

We are addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via three societal challenges of Inclusive Societies, Healthy Lives and Sustainable Environments.

Several Research Centres have been established as part of the drive to promote multi-disciplinary research across Schools, challenges and themes, with a huge 91% of the University’s health research classified as world leading or internationally excellent by the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF2021).

With research strengths in sustainable environments, we explore this societal challenge across the Built Environment Asset Management research centre, which tackles climate-change issues affecting man-made structures and their surroundings and the Centre for Climate Justice, which addresses climate inequality and promotes a transformative approach to tackle the root cause of climate change.

GCU’s new SMART Technology Centre also focuses on increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructures, systems and processes in man-made environments.

We also have the GCU New York Fair Fashion Centre, which focuses on the intersection of profitability and sustainability in the fashion industry. Combined, these centres are tackling 12 of the SDGs.‌

At GCU we are proud to be ranked first modern university in Scotland for our research power and second for our environmental and ethical performance in the 2022 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

Our case studies offer an insight into how we are tackling some of today's challenges to develop sustainable environments for us to work, live and play in.