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Nature Positive Pledge

Ulster University is proud to join the global movement of higher education institutions committed to reversing nature loss and restoring biodiversity. By signing the Nature Positive Pledge, we have formally committed to assessing our biodiversity footprint, setting robust targets for improvement, and transparently reporting our progress. This pledge aligns with our Climate and Nature Positive approach and reinforces our dedication to embedding sustainability across teaching, research, operations, and governance. As part of the Nature Positive Universities network, Ulster is working collaboratively to champion nature restoration and integrate ecological resilience into the core of university life. Together, we are shaping a future where nature thrives.

Natural Capital Baseline Assessment and Account

Ulster University partnered with Natural Capital Solutions Ltd to complete a Natural Capital Baseline Assessment and Account for the Coleraine campus, marking a key step in our Nature Positive journey. The assessment quantified the value of natural assets like woodlands, grasslands, and ecosystem services such as clean air, recreation, and carbon sequestration, revealing an annual value of £472,000 and a 50-year present value of £12.2 million. The study identified enhancement opportunities including tree and hedgerow planting, habitat restoration, and improved land management. Complementary activities across campuses such as wildflower planting, wellbeing gardens, and biodiversity campaigns, further demonstrate Ulster’s commitment to protecting and enhancing nature for the benefit of people and planet. The University plans to repeat this assessment for the Belfast, Jordanstown, and Derry~Londonderry campuses.

Biodiversity on Campus

Ulster University campuses across Northern Ireland showcase rich and diverse biodiversity features, seamlessly combining natural habitats, wellbeing spaces, and sustainability initiatives to support both environmental goals and community engagement.

Coleraine

The Coleraine campus is home to a woodland trail featuring paths of 1.5 km to 3 km linking mature woodlands with landscaped gardens and arboretum trees, encouraging nature engagement and exploration for students, staff, and local residents. The 312-acre estate includes parkland, a Wellbeing Garden, the Guy L. Wilson Daffodil Garden, boasting over 1,000 daffodil cultivars, and the Millennium Arboretum. These plantings support pollinators, wildlife, and aesthetic value across the site.

Belfast

At the Belfast campus, a textile roof garden supports pollinators using natural fibres, while green roofs and a rooftop herb garden enhance biodiversity within the city fabric and supply fresh herbs to the campus restaurant.

Derry~Londonderry

The Derry~Londonderry campus retains 1.16 ha of urban woodland, offering habitat quality within the city, helping filter pollutants and sustain biodiversity in an urban context. A red squirrel population is supported through installation of feeding boxes in partnership with Ulster Wildlife. The Wellbeing Garden encourage staff and students to engage with nature, grow plants, and foster ecological awareness.

Ulster University Sports Village

At Ulster University Sports Village, 481 significant trees have been surveyed, catalogued, and actively preserved, forming part of a rich parkland that sustains native species, wildlife corridors, and peaceful green spaces.

Collectively, these efforts reflect the University’s commitment to preserving and    enhancing existing habitats, using native species, avoiding pesticides, and engaging communities through biodiversity trails, signage, and habitat features such as nesting hedges and habitat piles.

Ground Maintenance

The University’s grounds are maintained to promote biodiversity and minimise environmental impact, with the following practices in operation where feasible to do so.

  1. Shrub beds are typically hand weeded to minimise chemical use.
  2. Shrub beds are mulched to control weeds.
  3. No chemicals are routinely applied to control weeds on sports pitches.
  4. Dead trees are left standing, and fallen trunks left lying on the ground.
  5. Significant areas of the University’s campus, mostly on the Coleraine and Jordanstown campuses, are left wild to  enhance habitat provision.
  6. Where trees need to be felled, they are chipped on site with the wood chip retained for use on campus as mulch in shrub beds.

ISO 14001:2015

Ulster University's Estates and Procurement departments are certified to ISO 14001:2015, the international standard for environmental management. This demonstrates our commitment to reducing environmental impacts, improving sustainability performance, and embedding responsible practices across our campuses. Through continuous monitoring, policy implementation, and staff engagement, we ensure that environmental stewardship is central to everything we do.