Professor Robert Van de Noort CBE
Vice Chancellor, University of Reading
The climate emergency is no longer a problem for the future but the defining challenge of our time. What we do today will determine the world we leave behind.
While policies, innovation and technology are critical, true transformation depends on people — leaders equipped with the skills, knowledge and ambition to drive change. That is why the University of Reading is investing up to £34 million over the next five years to support the next generation of sustainability pioneers.
Sustainability-focused undergraduate scholarships
For too long, narrow subject categories and a lack of ambition have limited talented students’ ability to fully engage with sustainability education. That’s why the University of Reading have launched the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship, one of the UK’s most ambitious sustainability-focused undergraduate scholarship schemes.
Each year, we will recruit another 400 undergraduate students, each of whom will receive £6,000 for every year of their degree course towards living costs, for up to four years. This will provide them with some significant financial support, helping them to focus their energies on studying and tackling the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
Empowering future green careers
Scholars will gain specialist sustainability leadership training; cross-disciplinary learning opportunities; hands-on experience through industry partnerships; and career mentorship to help secure future green jobs.
No matter their subject — from art to business, psychology to computer science or law to zoology — students will graduate equipped to embed sustainability into their fields and become the changemakers industry and society need.
Students will graduate equipped to
embed sustainability into their fields.
Turning climate knowledge into action
Education is key to sustainability transformation, and we know universities must be at the vanguard of the changes. That’s why we have led the way in supporting climate education becoming part of the curriculum in schools and colleges across the country. Our Climate Education Framework has been adopted by the UK Government, shaping national climate education policy.
Meanwhile, our Climate Ambassadors Scheme mobilises scientists, industry leaders and educators to work directly with schools, ensuring young people develop sustainability skills before they even arrive at university.
More than a university
At Reading, we don’t just teach sustainability. We live it. Since 2008, we have cut carbon emissions on our UK campuses by 61%,1 dramatically reducing our footprint through investments in low-carbon heating systems and on-campus solar and energy-efficient infrastructure. We’ve shown that it’s possible to decarbonise large-scale estates while delivering world-class teaching and research.
However, our impact goes beyond our campuses. The world-renowned ‘climate stripes’ image, created by Professor Ed Hawkins has become a globally recognised symbol of global warming. It is used everywhere from classrooms to clifftops and climate conferences. This is not just about meeting sustainability targets. It’s about leading by example.
Building the future of energy and the built environment
Beyond cutting emissions, Reading is helping to shape the future of sustainable energy and infrastructure. Our School of Built Environment, led by Dr Emmanuel Essah, is pioneering low-carbon construction, renewable energy systems and climate-resilient planning.
With rising energy demands and the urgent transition to net zero, universities must develop not only the technologies but the people with the expertise to implement them. Rankedthird in the UK for Building,2 our researchers are working on next generation energy-efficient materials for homes and offices, smart grids to improve energy distribution and green infrastructure projects to help cities adapt to climate change.
Call to the climate leaders of tomorrow
The climate crisis isn’t a challenge for one discipline, one sector or one country. It is a global responsibility. We need a new generation of leaders who can think differently, act boldly and drive meaningful impact.
The University of Reading is proud to be the UK’s Sustainable University of the Year 20253 but sustainability is not a race; it is a responsibility. Our greatest responsibility is to the students who will shape the future.
Applications for the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship are now open. We invite you to find out more at https://rdg.ac/gsl-scholarship
[1] University of Reading. 2023. Environmental Sustainability Report 2022/23.
[2] University of Reading. 2025. Complete University Guide 2025.
[3] The Times and The Sunday Times. Good University Guide 2025.
