Policy

Durham University’s Policies and Procedures are available on our publicly-available Policies, Plans and Procedures page.  

Our overarching Policy is the Environmental Sustainability Vision, Policy and Strategy and was signed by University Executive Committee.  

Our Sustainability Ambition Statement sets out our vision, aims, and key ambitions to ensure that Durham University delivers its mission of excellence in education, research and wider Student experience in the most sustainable way possible and was signed by University Council. 

The University provides updates on the strategic sustainability aims annually as part of our Annual Report, alongside key achievements and progress against targets, including emissions data. It links to the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout, including its reviews of ‘Research and Engagement’ and of ‘Educational Excellence’ and ‘Wider Student Experience’. Last year’s annual report is available at Durham University Annual Report 2024 

We have set specific, measurable targets for many of our sustainability policies and our ambitions include clear actions and timelines for a range of sustainability themes such as Biodiversity, Energy Management, Construction, Sustainable Procurement, Travel, Waste, and Water. 

Our Carbon Management Plan includes targets on energy, business travel, commuting, waste and water. 

Our Sustainability Actions and Indicators dashboard includes targets and progress on policy areas including: 

Human Resources

At Durham our Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost Professor Mike Shipman  is responsible for supporting the Vice-Chancellor in delivering the University’s Academic Strategy, working to recruit, sustain and develop an academic staff body and environment that  is exemplary in all aspects and integrating equality, diversity and inclusion into strategic planning. He has responsibility for operational sustainability. This includes work on biodiversity; energy; environmental compliance; travel; waste and recycling; water; and sustainability engagement with staff, students and the wider community, as well as lead responsibility for the University's Strategic Performance Indicator on Total Gross Emissions.  

He sits on our Senior Leadership Team alongside others, including Professor Claire O’Malley who is responsible for the strategic leadership and implementation of the University’s international agenda. This includes chairing the Global Strategy Group to which Durham’s Sustainable Development Goals Group reports. 

As well as our dedicated Energy and Sustainability team, many staff across the University are working in dedicated  sustainability roles, including: 

• In our wider Estates and Facilities Directorate 

• other professional services departments including Sustainability Volunteering, Sustainable Procurement, Retail, Catering, Computer Information Systems, Research Innovation Services, and HR 

• Members of our Biodiversity Delivery Group and Biodiversity SubGroup 

• Members of our Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) group from all faculties, professional services and our and International Office 

• Members of staff with designated time to work on sustainability including in our Working Group on Environmental Sustainability in Research (WG ESR) and our Environmental Sustainability Strategic Planning Group (ESSPG) as well as within operational groups in faculties. 

• Teams delivering sustainability outreach, such as from our Durham Energy Institute and our Centre for Sustainable Development in Law and Policy. 

Details are available here: The Team - Durham University 

To maximise our potential environmental performance, the University welcomes the engagement of any and all staff throughout the organisation. 

Staff from all departments, colleges, schools and service areas are included within our sustainability governance groups, including Environmental Sustainability Strategic Group (ESSPG); Sustainable Procurement Working Group; Integrated Sustainable Travel Plan Steering Group (ISTP SG); Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) group; Waste Reduction Working Group; and the Durham Bicycle User Group (DBUG) among others. 

The Sustainability team has a dedicated engagement function. Staff members work on a range of initiatives to engage staff in improving environmental performance, including: 

- our Environment Champions forum which brings together over 100 members of staff from all service areas, departments and colleges across the university. The network meets at least termly and is enabled to share suggestions for new sustainability initiatives which the team can take forward as well as to consult on programmes of activity and to take information back to their service areas. 

All staff and students are eligible to use Durham University’s Greenspace App. This behaviour change platform, developed in partnership with Team Jump, tracks and rewards eco-friendly actions with monthly winners awarded vouchers and termly team winners nominating charity donations. Actions are linked to our Greenspace Calendar and to other sustainability initiatives in the University. The Sustainability develops content monthly for this and tracks sign-ups and action impacts across staff and students.  

University members can sign up using their Durham.ac.uk email account at https://mygreenspace.teamjump.co.uk 

Staff from any service area are eligible to submit an application to our Ringfenced Carbon Budget. To date we have funded 128 projects, which demonstrate measurable carbon savings — past examples include installing energy-efficient cooking equipment, timer switches, water-saving devices, and water-efficient research equipment.  

Greenspace offers an Environmental Sustainability Online Training Module for staff as a campus-wide initiative to embed sustainability into everyday practices. It covers: 

- The university’s sustainability goals, including its Net Zero by 2035 target. 

- Practical actions staff can take to reduce energy use, waste, and carbon emissions. 

- How departments can support biodiversity, ethical procurement, and sustainable travel. 

- The role of staff in promoting a culture of environmental responsibility. 

All staff are welcome to contact our dedicated sustainability mailbox to raise any concerns or suggestions about the university’s sustainability performance: greenspace.staff@durham.ac.uk 

Auditing and EMS

After achieving the EcoCampus Gold Award in June 2020, we gained Platinum in December 2020 and renewed it in December 2021, 2022 and 2023 following external audits. To view our certificate please visit our Environmental Credentials page.

To view EcoCampus Procedure please visit our Policies Page.

In 2020 the SDG Group hired two student interns who audited the Modules across all Faculties reviewing the learning objectives, their environmental, social, economic or cultural impact, and keywords relating to the SDGs. Audits of the Colleges involved interviews with College staff, Student Environment Officers and JCR Officers/Presidents.

Ethical Investment and Banking

Durham University has an active Ethical Investment Policy which applies to all our investments and is publicly available and has been signed off by University Executive Committee. It is available at  Ethical Investment Policy

This policy seeks to support the University "to pursue an ethical approach" and to go beyond enabling investments "in any public company operating clearly within the law". It states that “the University has committed to sustainable investment by positively supporting investments in sustainable companies and through establishing restrictions on some types of investments. More specifically the University will not invest in companies that generate revenue from the manufacturing or production of tobacco, armaments or fossil fuel extractive companies". The University continues to work closely with its banking and investment partners to ensure that the University remains compliant with its Ethical Investment Policy at all times. 

Durham University’s Annual Report includes a financial review as well as financial audit findings, including against the FRC’s ethical standard. It outlines the members of the Finance Committee, which includes student representation via the Student Union, as well as its work. Last year’s annual report is available at Durham University Annual Report 2024

From September 2025 the Ethical Investment Policy will be reviewed by the new Investment Sub-Committee, which is a sub-committee of Finance . Students' interests will continue to be represented on this and there will continue to be opportunities for the wider university community to engage with the policy.

Ethical Careers and Recruitment

Durham University’s Careers and Enterprise centre works to help students, staff and alumni make career plans and take the next steps to getting where they want to be. Information on the service and staff is available at Meet the team - they are not part of a combined careers service but does work with GTI and Jisc to support the career activities of students and graduates. 

The Careers Service has an active and publicly available policy – see Vacancy-Advertising-Policy---2025.pdf (reviewed June 2025). This covers the criteria which must be met in order for the careers service to work with third-party employers. 

Carbon Management

In 2011, the first Carbon Management Plan was created with the Carbon Trust, setting our targets in line with Government and Hefce targets, relating to 2013/14 and 2020. Within this plan set out a five-year plan to achieve the intermediate target of 2013/14 to review the progress of the 2020 target. We are currently in the final stages of developing a new Sustainability Strategy and Carbon Management Plan to take us to 2030. We have worked with the Carbon Trust to develop a Science-Based Target that's aligned to a pathway that limits warming to 1.5C.

Our new Carbon Management Plan contains detailed information about our carbon emissions and the actions we will take to reduce them.

• Carbon Management Plan 2025

We continue to monitor and report our carbon footprint in line with this policy. In the last five years, we have reduced our footprint by 34%.
An analysis of Carbon, Energy and Water Targets set out in the Sustainability Action Plan was undertaken in January 2020 and reported to the ESSPG in February 2020.

The University currently has 17 Colleges, we monitor Energy, Water and Waste from these sites (we are working with CLV to monitor usage at John Snow and South). Building energy and water use is reported to UEC annually, and student awareness campaigns are run throughout the year to reduce consumption. The analysis of Carbon, Energy and Water reviewed the use of residential buildings, this was reported to the ESSPG in February 2020, view the presentation Energy Water KPI Analysis 2021

Workers Rights

Durham University has gained formal accreditation with the Living Wage Foundation, as part of our ongoing commitment to fair pay for staff.  Why Join Us? - Durham University

From 1 April 2024 a Real Living Wage Supplement will be applied to increase the hourly rate (and corresponding annual 
salary) for points 6 to 13 of our Pay Spine. The supplement will ensure that staff on the lowest points are paid an hourly rate that is higher than the Real Living Wage Foundation hourly rate (currently £12) at appropriate incremental steps.

For more visit Human Resources & Organisational Development: Salary - Durham University

The University has been accredited by the Fairtrade Foundation since 2007. In 2019 we began working towards becoming a Fairtrade University with the Fairtrade Universities and Colleges Award.  In 2021/2022 the NUS and Fairtrade Foundation audited our work and awarded Fairtrade University status, which expired on 30 June 2024. We were audited in May 2024 and have received Fairtrade Status which will expire on 31st July 2026. The Procurement, Catering and Retail Teams consider Fairtrade, Rain Forest Alliance, and Organic Cotton where possible.

The University is affiliated with Electronics Watch for more information view the Modern Slavery Statement 21-22

Sustainable Food

Durham University has a publicly available Sustainable Food Policy.   

We also have a wider Sustainable Procurement Policy, which includes procurement of food explicitly. 

Our Sustainable Procurement Working Group feeds into our termly Environmental Sustainability Strategic Planning Group (ESSPG). 

In our annual report we update progress on goals and actions within this as well as other sustainability issues. Last year’s annual report Annual Report 2024 included updates on our launch of Carbon Rated Menus in partnership with My Emissions – these give information on the sustainability impact of the food served in every meal within our colleges. 

We provide information on this and our other catering offer at: Catering Options - Durham University 

Our Sustainable Food Policy requires that sustainability standards are embedded within tenders and contracts with external contractors, including  

- maximising the use of seasonal and local produce 

- prioritising products and services that can be manufactured, used, and disposed of in an environmental and socially responsible way 

- using fish from sustainable sources 

- selecting fair trade products. 

Durham has used the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good standard as a comprehensive framework for continual improvement in sustainable food offer on campus. We were awarded 1 Star (55%) for Majority Coverage in the. This covers our Colleges, canteens and retail cafes. We have a target to achieve 2 stars by 2025 and are currently undergoing re-accreditation.

Durham University supports and enables students and staff to lead a variety of sustainable food projects. 

These include:  

• Allotments, which are of growing interest. Several of our colleges, such as St Chad's have longstanding allotment projects which involve the community: https://www.stchads.ac.uk/front-page/st-chads-college-allotment/ and other colleges have active student-led allotments too, including Josephine Butler where AllotSoc (Allotment Society) manages their growing - see Life at Butler – The Durham Student and St Aidan’s Micro-Gardening project. Other colleges are now developing similar schemes. This is something which college environment representatives discussed at our termly Greenspace Student Engagement Group (GSEG) meetings in (December 2024 and February 2025) this year. Colleges are sharing good practice on managing the challenges of allotments, including care for these during vacation periods. 

• Durham University has a Vegetarian and Vegan Society (VegSoc), which is dedicated to promoting a plant-based lifestyle and providing a community for students interested in vegetarian and vegan diets. VegSoc organises various events, including cooking classes, social gatherings, and discussions on the benefits of a plant-based diet. They also have an active presence on social media (Instagram DurhamVegSoc), where you can find more information about their activities and how to get involved as well as at Vegetarian and Vegan @ Durham SU 

• All our cafes use the Too Good to Go app - Durham University app to help reduce food waste by allowing staff and students to purchase heavily-discounted food packages of food that would otherwise be wasted for a reduced price. If University members record using ‘Too Good to Go’ they can earn 300 points in our MyGreenspace app as an extra reward. 

• Enactus Durham is a non-profit, student-led organisation operating within Durham University. Students help tackle the UN Sustainable Development Goals on both a local and global scale. An example of one of the projects is 'The Ugly Fruit Group' which aims to beat hunger by reducing food waste, via the three pillars: reusing, donating and educating.
• Reducing Food Waste | The Ugly Fruit Group 
• Durham’s PEAs (Psychologists for Environmental Action) created an eco-conscious recipe book as part of their sustainability outreach. This has been shared by the Greenspace Team and supports PEAS to promote plant-based eating, reduce carbon footprints, and encourage mindful consumption. It include easy vegetarian and vegan recipes, tips for low-waste cooking and seasonal ingredients, reflections on the psychology of food choices and sustainability. 

• The University also supports events and initiatives to develop training and knowledge in sustainable food and growing practices, such as permaculture – see an example at: Permaculture+BioBlitz_Living Lab_Final 

Much of our work on sustainable food, including research, operational delivery, and engagement is summarised on our SDG 2 Zero Hunger page at Zero Hunger Strategy Areas - Durham University 

All our providers in college catering as well as retail and events offer vegetarian and vegan meals as the first option. 

Staff and Student Engagement

For us to achieve the ambitious targets set out in our Action Plan, we need to make sure all staff and students are aware of their role in creating a more sustainable University. We have a well-established network of staff and student Environment Champions to support us in our plans, acting as a vital network for communication. A Staff and Student Engagement Strategy is available. Further policies can be found on our Policies, Plans and Procedures page.

Staff and student engagement forms part of our Action Plan. The Environmental Sustainability Strategic Planning Group (ESSPG) has representation from all four academic faculties, the Colleges, Professional Services and the Students’ Union.

This is achieved through the Environmental Sustainability Strategic Planning Group (ESSPG) as well as, through our Environment Champion and Student Environment Representative networks across all parts of the University.

Material is sent out to all colleges and departments for inclusion in student and staff induction. This includes a short presentation, full details in the student handbooks, livers out guide and the Environmental Sustainability Online Training Module accessible to both staff and students.

The Energy and Sustainability Team organise an annual Sustainability Event, our Greenspace Festival, with the support of other teams in the University. We also work with local organisations and charities who are welcomed along to event to promote sustainability in the local area, including The Ugly Fruit Group and Recyke y'Bike. We invite all staff, students, and the local community to get involved.

ESSPG and the Energy and Sustainability Team design a Calendar of awareness-raising events and activities for each academic year around each of our sustainability icons each month, on how people can take action and what the University's targets are MyGreenspace Calendar 2023-2024.

View our online campaigns:

• Greenspace Sway
• Switch off campaign
• Fairtrade Fortnight
• Biodiversity

Members of the Energy and Sustainability Team participate, and in some cases lead on, many working groups and committees that are internal and external to support and advise on local community projects and strategies, regarding the estate, travel, sustainability and engagement. In 2021, we held our first open Greenspace Festival which showcased the work of local charities, student groups and research at the University.

Durham Energy Institute (DEI) works with communities to support local energy projects and to inform local discussions on energy issues such as fracking and heat networks. It also works with local authorities and regional bodies on regional energy projects and has a school outreach programme on energy education and encourages engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths subjects. For more information on the DEI please visit their webpage.

Staff and Student Volunteering Teams run a wide range of projects within the local community, they work with local councils and charities to raise money, volunteer and mentoring. Our SDG Group is in partnership with the council, volunteers' teams and other members of staff to develop an interactive programme on the UN SDG's through workshops for local schools.

Student Volunteering: Hedgehog Friendly Campus, Beyond Food, Balsam Bashing and many more...

All staff and students can apply for support from the Ring-Fenced Carbon Budget for a project that will save carbon, up to £10,000 per project and a total of £100,000 is allocated to fund these projects internally. Please note applications are currently closed for this scheme.

For examples of successful fund applications please email the team.

All new starters complete the Environmental Sustainability Online Training Module which is part of every member of staff induction checklist with HR.

The Trade Unions are invited to attend meetings, such as the Integrated Sustainable Travel Plan Steering Group (ISTPSG) and the Vehicle Parking Working Group (VPWG).

The Estates Team publish upcoming plans on the website which is open for feedback from all members of the public. Key Projects have a Students’ Union representative who attends meetings and reviews plans.

Student representatives, including from the Student's Union, are members of our Environmental Sustainable Strategic Planning Group (ESSPG) - ESSPG Membership 2023/24.

The Durham Students' Union (DSU) announced a Climate Emergency in November 2019. They are undertaking a sustainability audit. The Energy and Sustainability Team have supported the DSU with advice on energy, waste and water management as well as carrying out on-site audits. The Sustainability Coordinator has been working closely with DSU and has supported events and campaigns.

Durham University is committed to Education for Sustainable Development – this is included within our overarching University Strategy and ‘A Sustainable Future’ is one of four transversal strategies. Durham’s Environmental-Sustainability-Vision,-Policy-and-Strategy-July-2023.pdf also includes explicit reference to the inclusion of ESD within our curriculum.

Our offer of educational programmes on sustainability can be found here: Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability - Durham University This includes Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes, covering many subject areas (SDGs Education - Durham University), as well as free online courses and videos (Our offer of free online courses - Durham University).

Our Annual Report links to the relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout, including its reviews of ‘Research and Engagement’ and of ‘Educational Excellence’ and ‘Wider Student Experience’.

Durham’s SDG Group - Durham University ‘focuses on supporting and communicating Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) oriented research, teaching, the overall student experience and global strategy’ and is chaired by Professor Petra Minnerop - Durham University. It is advisory to the Durham’s Global Strategy Group, which is chaired by PVC Global Professor Claire O'Malley - Durham University and which, in turn, is advisory to UEC, on which she sits.

Durham and brings together colleagues from all faculties to plan and review activity. 

In 2020 the SDG Group hired two student interns who audited the Modules across all Faculties, reviewing the learning objectives, their environmental, social, economic or cultural impact, and keywords relating to the SDGs. Audits of the Colleges involved interviews with College staff, Student Environment Officers and JCR Officers/Presidents. 

Led by academic registrars, we are currently mapping where our curriculum impacts on the SDGs across all disciplines. This is helping us understand gaps and opportunities to embed sustainability. 

The SDG group is currently working with the Durham Centre for Academic Development - Durham University (DCAD) on an initiative to provide further accessible SDG training for all staff as well as students which will ensure this work can be further embedded within the curriculum. This builds on existing offers, such as the Greenspace online modules which are available for all staff and students. 

DCAD also leads the university’s mission to decolonise the curriculum, launched in November 2020 (see details at Decolonising the Curriculum - Durham Centre for Academic Development). This is a collaborative initiative which involves multiple stakeholders through institutional workshops and toolkits for teaching and learning. The Durham Students' Union (DSU) partner this work (and created a Decolonisation Hub) as do faculty representatives across departments. 

The initiative is structured around: 

• Taught Programmes: Led by DCAD, this includes faculty-level workshops and curriculum reviews to embed diverse perspectives. 

• Research Practices: Coordinated with the Research Methods Centre - Durham University, focusing on inclusive methodologies and ethical research design 

Some faculties have developed further frameworks for ESD, such as Durham University Business School whose ‘Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability Steering Group’ (ERSSG) has developed an ERS Strategy, in which they have committed to support the Education and Student Experience strategy and to further develop the resources to support the embedding of ERS within the curriculum. The Steering Group is chaired by Associate Dean for Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability, Laura Marsiliani's Homepage. She is also and Fellow of the Durham Energy Institute and Centre for Sustainable Development, Law and Policy and Policy and Co-Director of the Centre for Environmental and Energy Economics as well as a Member of the Durham University observer delegation at UN COP. The Business School prepares a PRME SIP Report annually – see previous reports at Durham Business School | UNPRME

Progress on this work is included in the Durham University Annual Report 2024, which is linked throughout to the SDGs and reviews annually all areas of activity, including ‘Educational Excellence’. 

We also regularly review and publicly report on progress around integration of all the SDGs in research, teaching, learning and action: see Sustainable Development Goals - Durham University.

Our university-wide Sustainable Development (SDG) Group includes a wide membership from every academic faculty as well as professional services, such as the Greenspace Team and links to the Environmental Sustainability Strategic Performance Group (ESSPG).  It coordinates reporting and evidence gathering on the implementation of SDGs across the university and reports to the Global Strategy Group, which is chaired by the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Global) – this group advises UEC.

At Durham we encourage our academic teaching and research staff to embed sustainability into their curriculum and research projects and to align university activities with the UN SDGs.  

Our Sustainable Development (SDG) Group also supports academic staff to integrate the SDGs into their curriculum and research and includes representation from every faculty. It promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and engages with local and global stakeholders to bring further support and opportunity to the university. 

Our Environmental Sustainability Vision Policy and Strategy outlines the University’s commitment to supporting our staff to integrate sustainability into all elements of the University’s mission. The Environmental Sustainability Online Training Modules produced by the University’s Greenspace team (2019 onwards) are free and accessible to all staff and students. 

The new training being developed by DCAD will offer further training which brings in social and economic sustainability as well as environmental sustainability resources.

Durham University actively uses its estate as a living laboratory for research, particularly in sustainability, ecology, and conservation.  

When the university first developed our Biodiversity Strategy, we developed research techniques as part of the development of our Baseline Biodiversity Audit, which recorded 983 species across the university estate. This underpins our Biodiversity Net Gain target setting and action plan and reviewing and has seen several internships created for research projects. We continue to undertake research in this space including Wildflower Meadow Trials with side-by-side contrasting experimental rewilding experiments at the Botanic Garden and college grounds: Biodiversity - Durham University The wildflower meadow trial continues in 2025 and our research staff are recalculating our Biodiversity Net Score in Summer 2025 using Natural England’s 4.0 metric. 

Another example is the Rewilding and Reconnecting Durham University Estate project. This initiative, led by a Durham University Natural Sciences student in collaboration with university staff, explores how rewilding principles—like reintroducing locally extinct plant species—can be applied across university-owned wildland. It combines historical research, fieldwork, and experimental planting in partnership with the Botanic Garden to assess biodiversity impacts. 

This case study focuses on permaculture principles being used on our estate: Permaculture+BioBlitz_Living Lab_Final 

We also work on projects which connect our estate to natural neighbouring spaces, such as where Our scientists are supporting Durham Cathedral to bring swifts to nest - Durham University and our Pioneering collaboration will create new Green Corridors in the North East - Durham University.

The university supports and promotes research projects for Sustainable Development.  

We have the dedicated Durham Energy Institute and Centre for Sustainable Development, Law and Practice, These ensure interdisciplinarity across academic activities and support sustainable policy and law-making. Since 2020 the University as had observer status to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity: COP Steering Group - Durham University. This enables us to integrate research findings into global and national policy and law frameworks.  

In addition, research in a wide a range of schools and faculties addresses environmental and social sustainability, from Biosciences biodiversity and climate research and the Geography Department’s work on climatology and glaciology (see a fuller list of Geography projects here: Durham University Geography - Research and Impact) to our Business School’s research on interactions between natural and social systems (Sustainability - Durham University Business School). 

Our SDG portal includes examples of both actions and research being taken forward for each of the 17 different SDGs. 

In 2022 we launched our Strategic Research Fund for sustainability projects (SRF - Durham University). This commits £18 million over four years. The four sustainability projects funded by SRF are: 

• SMART Soils Lab: Pioneers nature-based engineering to restore degraded soils by enhancing the soil microbiome, supporting sustainable land use and climate resilience. 

• Just Transitions to a Net Zero World (JusTN0W): Develops interdisciplinary legal, policy, and technological solutions to ensure equitable and socially inclusive pathways to decarbonisation. 

• Responsible Space Innovation Centre: Advances sustainable space exploration by integrating science, governance, and industry to protect the orbital environment for future generations. 

• Heritage 360 (H360): Reimagines natural and cultural heritage research through interdisciplinary approaches that link environmental sustainability, social justice, and community well-being. 

In the Durham SOFI (Soft Matter and Functional Interfaces Centre for Doctoral Training) programme (a PhD program based in Chemistry and Physics which aims to inspire students to solve solutions to problems in sustainability on an industrial scale), students have the chance to develop business ideas. Low Carbon materials are a company set up by PhD students as a result of the programme, which reduces plastic waste by incorporating waste plastic in concrete and construction materials. 

Durham’s Global Challenges Centre for Doctoral Training has been hosting PhD students to take forward interdisciplinary work on a range of global challenges, all of which are aligned to UN SDGs. The 26 projects, led by researchers from 15 different departments across three faculties, all involve working with partners in one of the 17 DAC nations. Details are available here: Our Projects - Durham University

Our Research Integrity Policy and Code of Good Practice - Durham University outlines expectations for ethical conduct, including how research is designed, funded, and managed. It notes that 

“Any project where any of the following may apply requires ethical review: 

1. the funder or collaborator’s ethos and values are at odds with the University’s; 

1. the funder or collaborator has a poor ethical track record that has not been addressed, for example in relation to human rights violations or significant environmental harm; 

1. a third party may exert influence which conflicts with the principles of academic freedom, e.g. in restricting publication or influencing research design, or could adversely impact future research or relationships. 

1. the funding may have been obtained in an unethical way.” 

The university is also a signatory to the UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity which ‘asks universities, research institutes and individual researchers to commit to ensuring their work is underpinned by the highest standards of rigour and integrity’. 

In early 2025 Durham University also signed the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice, both of which promote transparency, accountability, and ethical collaboration. 

This page outlines our approach to Research governance, ethics and integrity: Ethics & Governance - Durham University

Fair access and excellent education for all: We welcome students from all backgrounds with merit and potential and we have robust systems in place to ensure our admissions process is fair and transparent 

Our Access and Participation Plans - Durham University for this and previous academic years reaffirm our commitment to widening participation in higher education. This page is regularly updated with college and department scholarships which offer a range of support from fee waivers to living cost contributions for the university: College and Department - Durham University and wider scholarship information can be accessed at: Scholarships - Durham University. 

Durham is one of 80 UK universities which offer sanctuary scholarships to Undergraduate and Postgraduate students, including full fee waivers. Offers are updated annually: Student Action for Refugees - Scholarships Provided by Universities 

Other examples of further dedicated support include the Helen Sharp Undergraduate Scholarship in Modern Languages and the Hefin Rees KC scholarship in Law, available for 2025-26, which explicitly welcome applications from asylum seekers, refugees, care-leavers, and students of Black heritage. 

Durham’s EDI policies cover all protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010. We protect refugees and asylum seekers through the protected characteristics. We are proud to endorse the City of Sanctuary Charter and, as a member of the supporting organisation, we support the vision that the UK will be a welcoming place of safety for all and offers sanctuary to people fleeing violence and persecution: Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy.

Energy 

Waste and Recycling

Waste Management Policy. For more information on our campaigns and recycling procedures, please visit our Waste webpage.