University of the West of Scotland is a public research university with four campuses in southwest Scotland.
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UWS has achieved a 62.5% operational emissions reduction since 2005 with documented multi-year momentum. Critical gaps: zero renewable energy procurement, no quantified supply chain emissions despite material procurement footprint, and deferred Scope 3 targets until 2028. Operational performance masks incomplete value-chain transparency.
University of The West of Scotland scores 49/100 (Making progress) on SINK's independent climate assessment, scored from public data only. Fees pay for the review, never the result. Last verified September 2026.
That places University of The West of Scotland joint 169th of 847 companies scored, and joint 45th of 67 in Higher Education / Universities.
Where University of The West of Scotland sits among higher education / universities peers.
Among the 67 major higher education / universities brands we've scored, University of The West of Scotland is tied =45th of 67, with 7 others.
Its three lowest-scoring questions, and what the evidence didn't show.
No RE100 membership, no power purchase agreement, no green tariff.
HESA EMR collects partial Scope 3 (commuting, waste, water).
No TNFD disclosure, quantified biodiversity footprint, or supply chain nature-risk assessment found.
A score changes when the evidence does. We use new published evidence at the next rescore. Evidence that isn't public can count through an evidence review.
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Get in touch →Strongest on Controversies & Red Flags and Carbon Footprint — Operations (8/10, 7/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Carbon Footprint — Supply Chain (2/10, 3/10).
The 3 companies in the sector scoring nearest above University of The West of Scotland.
Aberdeen has cut operational emissions 52.5% since 2005 and publishes verified data annually, but renewable energy procurement remains near-zero at 0%, and biodiversity/waste metrics lack measurable outcomes.
See the breakdown →Derby's carbon disclosures are methodologically sound but operationally modest.
See the breakdown →Manchester has science-aligned 2038 zero-carbon targets and genuine third-party verified emissions data, but is materially off-trajectory: Scope 1+2 fell only 4% in 2023 versus the required 13% annual cut, and total Scope 3 emissions rose 18% since 2018.
See the breakdown →The formula and all 11 sources.
Same ten questions for every company. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × Scale11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which of the ten questions it informed.
“Scope 1+2 combined 4125.5 tCO2e (HESA Table-3, 2023/24), carbon intensity 0.0321 tCO2e/m²”
“140 HE providers submitted Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions data to HESA through the Estates management record for the year 2023/24”
“Publish Scope 3 Supply Chain emissions, working with external programmes and suppliers... by 2028”
“The table below details the university's scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions from the baseline to the past two published annual reporting periods”
“The SBTi's Target Dashboard lists companies and financial institutions that have set science-based targets, or have committed to developing targets”
“Our Biodiversity Action Plan (PDF) outlines the actions taking place across the university which aim to better understand, manage and develop our natural environment”
“The 'action areas' across Sustainable Energy, Carbon Management, Biodiversity & Environmental Adaptation, Travel, Food, Waste, and Procurement”
“UWS has committed to placing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the heart of our Strategy 2025”
“University of the West of Scotland — UK Universities Climate Network member”
“The University Court is the governing body of the University. The Court has wide ranging powers, in particular relating to the strategic direction”
“UWS is committed to reducing our emissions and becoming net zero by 2040”
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University of the West of Scotland is a public research university with four campuses in southwest Scotland. It serves approximately 14,820 FTE students and staff across teaching, research, and professional education. UWS is among Scotland's largest universities by student intake and operates as a registered Scottish charity.
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