Environmental Sustainability in Research 

Durham University is a signatory to the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice. 

By signing the Concordat, we have committed to action to reduce the environmental impact and emissions produced by our research and to promote sustainable practices. 

Our commitment is outlined in a statement from Vice-Chancellor and Warden, Professor Karen O’Brien. A copy of the statement and more information about actions we are taking can be found below.

Letter of commitment to the priorities of the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice

I, Professor Karen O’Brien on behalf of Durham University, confirm our commitment to the priority areas outlined in the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice.

Durham University fully supports the priority areas outlined in the Concordat. We will seek to deliver against all the priorities and we recognise our responsibilities as a signatory.

By signing this Concordat, we recognise the need to change how we conduct research and innovation as well as to promote wider solutions around environmental sustainability. We also agree to take shared action now and into the future to reduce and, where practical, eliminate our own environmental impacts and emissions and to achieve the transition to sustainable practices.

The priority areas of the Concordat are aligned to our commitment to make Durham University an environmentally sustainable university. Sustainability is embedded in our University Strategy: a Sustainable Future is one of our transversal strategies cutting across all areas of the University’s activity, which includes our research and innovation practices. This commitment is reflected in policies supporting sustainable procurement, travel, and construction, as well as in our ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2035 and net biodiversity gain by 2032. We recognise our responsibility as a research-intensive university and support world-class and world-changing research which aims to address issues of environmental sustainability, while minimising the negative environmental impacts of our research. We also acknowledge the importance of continued progress in this area both within Durham University and in the wider sector.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Karen O’Brien

Vice-Chancellor and Warden

Durham University

As signatories to the Concordat, we commit to taking action as an institution in six priority areas: 

• Leadership and system change 
• Sustainable infrastructure 
• Sustainable procurement 
• Emissions from business and academic travel 
• Collaborations and partnerships 
• Environmental impact and reporting data 

We have a University level working group on Environmental Sustainability in Research as well as champions across our academic departments. Our Greenspace colleagues are key to the delivery of our ambitions aligned with the Concordat. 

An annual report will be published in 2026 detailing progress we have made in these areas over the previous year and setting out actions for the year ahead.