Leicestershire’s three universities—Loughborough, Leicester, and De Montfort—are scaling up their joint sustainability efforts through a £2.56 million Innovate UK-funded project designed to accelerate progress towards net zero across the region. The GreenerFuture initiative, developed under the Leicestershire Collaborate to Accelerate Net Zero (LCAN) partnership, focuses on decarbonisation, business engagement, and removing non-technical barriers to climate action.
Since its launch, the programme has supported more than 500 businesses and is actively working with 80 organisations to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and access sustainable growth opportunities. Businesses benefit from fully funded support, including in-person carbon literacy training and strategic guidance to align operations with environmental goals.
The universities are also offering Carbon Literacy certification to organisations, enhancing internal knowledge and helping companies meet growing stakeholder expectations for sustainability, transparency, and reporting.
Alongside carbon reduction, all three institutions are advancing biodiversity initiatives as part of their commitments to the Nature Positive Universities Alliance. Projects include wildlife habitat restoration, biodiversity action planning, and on-campus conservation efforts.
Their joint work aligns with the Leicestershire Climate and Nature Pact, a broader regional agreement that unites academia, business, and government in their pursuit of achieving net zero by 2045.
A series of Big Green Week events in June aims to deepen further collaboration between businesses and the community on environmental resilience.
