United Nations praises faculty mission to embed sustainability in business education

De Montfort University Leicester (DMU)’s Faculty of Business and Law has been praised by the United Nations for excellence in reporting its vision to put sustainability at the heart of its mission.

The faculty was one of only eight organisations from around the world to be recognised in the 2024 Recognition of Excellence in SIP (Shared Information on Progress) Reporting which asks organisations to evaluate their progress in supporting sustainable and ethical business and future plans.



DMU is one of 800 organisations to be signatories of PRME, a UN initiative that works to raise the profile of embedding sustainability in business and management education so that tomorrow’s companies make the environment a key focus in their business decisions. You can read the report here.

DMU got an honourable mention for first-time reports which judges said “gave great insight into the work they had already commenced, and a comprehensive analysis of the future goals they have set in accordance with the UN SDGs and values of PRME.”

It was one of only two organisations to be recognised in that category and one of just eight to be named overall. A panel of 30 judges from universities around the world assessed the reports.



To be eligible, organisations had to demonstrate practical actions taken against sustainability goals and the outcomes, alongside key objectives for the next two years.

Examples from DMU included:

· Embedding sustainability in all courses, activities and community partnerships

· Training students to deliver sustainability audits in local businesses

· Member of and collaboration with the Midlands PRME Chapter to share best practice across the region

· Aligning research to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

· Becoming a top 10 university for the annual SDG Teach-In, which saw staff and students dedicate course time to sustainable development

Professor Leanne De Main, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law, said the accolade was testament to the hard work of staff across the faculty and university.

She said: “This is fantastic recognition for the work we are doing at DMU and our faculty vision to build a vibrant, inclusive community of future leaders.

“We have striven to create the frameworks and environment that enable people to learn effectively and looked at everything from what we teach, how we teach it, our knowledge exchange, the products we buy, the services we contract, and the way we manage our campus offers many opportunities to make more sustainable choices as a compassionate university community.”

DMU is the only UK university to be a global hub for a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), representing SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.