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Shaping the town's future

The University is taking a leading role in the Reading Climate Action Network, run by the Reading Climate Change Partnership, bringing together local partners such as Reading Borough Council to make Reading net carbon-zero by 2030.

A smart, sustainable future vision for Reading is being mapped out by a group led by University experts.

Tom ince

Supporting our local football club

The University has partnered with Reading FC to help the club take steps towards minimising its environmental impact.

Members of the University’s Sustainability Team held a workshop at Reading’s Select Car Leasing Stadium to identify opportunities for the club to make immediate improvements to its sustainability. The club continues with a 10-point plan aimed at reducing its carbon footprint, including investigating solar panel options at its stadium and supporting fans to recycle more on match days.

As a visual marker of the partnership between the two organisations, the men’s and women’s kits for the 2022/23 season feature the climate stripes, developed at the University of Reading by Professor Ed Hawkins. Bespoke stripes illustrating how temperatures have risen in Berkshire over the past 150 years feature on the sleeves of the home shirt and down the side of the shorts for both teams, and an abstract crop of the stripes is used on the away kits. The distinctive designs attracted international press coverage and started climate conversations across the football community.

Reading Buses bus with climate stripes branding

Highlighting climate change on our streets

A gas-powered bus emblazoned with the climate stripes visualisation created at the University can now be seen on Reading’s roads.

One of Reading Buses' natural-gas-powered vehicles, run on carbon-neutrally sourced biomethane, has been kitted out in the climate stripes for Berkshire, showing the rise in temperature in the county over the past 150 years. 

The stripes, developed by Professor Ed Hawkins, are printed on a special vinyl which can be recycled after use. They aim to raise awareness of the scientific data behind climate change in the local area.

Empowering communities

  • We played an active role in creating a Citizens UK Alliance, which is bringing together different regional community groups to work together on social issues like climate change.

Investigating health outcomes

We're green in all sorts of ways
People & Planet University League
1st in the People & Planet University League 2023/24
The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide 2025, Sustainable University of the Year
The Times and Sunday Times, Good University Guide 2025, Sustainable University of the Year
The Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education 2021
Queen's Anniversary Prize for climate research and action
London Higher
Winner of Outstanding Contribution to Sustainability Leadership, London Higher Award 2024
Times Higher Education Awards 2023
Winner of Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership