De Montfort University is a global academic hub chair and as such publishes a progress report on both the individual United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as well as a comprehensive report on all the goals.
Our 2025 report will show what the university has been doing in terms of research, teaching, partnerships and engagement in helping to meet those targets and raising awareness of the progress towards the 2030 aims.
This is the progress report for SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. The full report on all the SDGs can be viewed here.
UN PROGRESS REPORT ON SDG 12 in 2025
THE picture is mixed on SDG 12 while although 40% of targets are set to be met by 2030, a further 20% show marginal progress, 10% have stagnated at the 2015 levels and a further 30% are showing a regression on 10 years ago.
This picture is reflected in the UN progress report for 2025, which states: “Food waste, food loss and electronic waste are reaching unprecedented levels, while rising consumption continues to drive increases in domestic material consumption and material footprint.
“These trends are placing growing pressure on the environment, accelerating climate change and exacerbating global resource inequalities.
“However, momentum towards sustainable consumption and production is building at the institutional level. Governments are adopting supportive policies; companies are expanding sustainability reporting, and participation in multilateral environmental agreements is increasing, reflecting strong institutional commitment.”
MAJOR DMU NEWS ON SDG 12 IN 2025
DMU scoops coveted Sustainability Institution of the Year 2025 award
DE MONTFORT University has scooped the coveted Sustainability Institution of the Year award at the Green Gown Awards 2025.
The highly competitive awards, now in their 21st year, are run by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges to recognise and reward exceptional sustainable initiatives within higher education in the UK and Ireland.
DMU named one of the UK's top 10 sustainable universities
DMU is celebrating after being ranked one of the UK’s top ten eco leading universities for the third year running.
Published today in The Guardian, DMU has been awarded a first-class degree for the 12th time in the annual People and Planet University League, in recognition of its environmental and ethical performance.
The university has been repeatedly awarded the first-class status since 2011 and this year the university was ranked eighth overall out of the 147 institutions rated.
Gloves Off for a Good Cause at DMU's Leicester Nursing School
NURSING students training at DMU are helping raise cash for brain tumour research by donating their special medial gloves.
Those gloves are being collected and recycled into rubber pellets which are then turned into benches, children’s playground equipment and other goods.
Profits from sales are then given to Yorkshire-based Brain Tumour Charity.
DMU Nano silicon breakthrough paves way for increase in Lithium-ion battery power
A RESEARCH scientist at DMU has invented a novel manufacturing method that could revolutionise the world of rechargeable batteries.
Professor Shashi Paul has recently patented a process for making silicon nanowire, which could be the key to making huge improvements in the performance and efficiency of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in everything from mobile phones and laptops to drones and electric vehicles.
Sustainable DMU fashion research to be shown at huge global festival
EXPERTS from De Montfort University will show their pioneering research into sustainable fashion at one of the biggest festivals in the world.
Professor Katie Normington, DMU’s Vice-Chancellor, will lead a series of events at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Texas next week.
As part of this, DMU is leading two events on Monday 10 March, one on sustainable fashion and another on immersive technology experiences.
DMU students breathe new life into old objects in sustainable fashion collaboration
FASHION students from DMU have breathed new life into old objects as part of a sustainable fashion collaboration with Age UK.
The ‘Refound’ project involved students imagining and creating new futures for objects they found at the charity’s shop on Hotel Street in the city. The 11 students dressed the windows with the works they created.
It's in their jeans - industry links help DMU Fashion students go to work on sustainable denim
FASHION students at DMU have used lasers, dyes and screen-printing to create an innovative collection with denim donated by a cutting-edge sustainable fabric company.
The second-year students spent six weeks working with deadstock denim specially donated to the project by the US Group, a Lahore based company, which supplies a range of famous names including Levi’s, Ralph Lauren, Mango and Next.
The US Group gives surplus material, known as deadstock, to select fashion design courses as part of its commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
DMU named among world's top universities for sustainable work
DMU is among the world’s best performing universities in helping to promote three of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). DMU was listed as =57th for SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, and =61st for both SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 13 Climate Action.
The ratings come from the Times Higher Education’s (THE) Impact Rankings, which is the only measure of a university’s performance in the SDGs.
DMU wins Fairtrade University status
DE MONTFORT University has won a coveted Fairtrade University Award for its commitment to ethical consumption.
Given jointly by the Fairtrade Foundation and Students Organising for Sustainability UK, the award recognises sustained commitment over two academic years to increasing awareness and action on trade justice and globalisation.
Professor wins funding to commercialise AI research
A GROUND-BREAKING AI-powered system that could revolutionise the billion-pound banana industry has been given a £100,000 boost.
OPTIcut, created by Professor David Elizondo, aims to reduce waste in the industry by improving cutting methods and helping local growers maximise profits.
Responsible AI UK – backed by Innovate UK - announced it had awarded the team funding to refine and expand its system, which uses AI and 3D image processes to help producers create the best cutting strategies for harvesting.
MAJOR DMU RESEARCH ON SDG 12 IN 2025
Machine Learning and Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing Olive Waste Compost in Sustainable Chickpea Production
Mehdaoui, I. et al. (2025)
THIS study combines machine learning (ML) and response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize and predict the effects of compost made from olive mill waste cake residues (OMWC) on chickpea yield.
Compost was applied to chickpeas irrigated with rainwater, and plant growth, phenology, and yield were monitored.
Four modeling techniques RSM with Box-Behnken Design (RSM-BBD), artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), and XGBoost, were employed to identify optimal compost application conditions.
https://doi.org/10.1108/TECHS-05-2025-0106
Chitosan-Based Composites for Sustainable Textile Production: Applications Across the Lifecycle
Liu, A., Qi, B., and Ku, L. (2025)
THE fashion and textile industry (FTI) is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, resource consumption, and waste generation, necessitating sustainable alternatives.
Chitosan, a biodegradable and renewable biopolymer, has shown potential in reducing environmental impact throughout the textile lifecycle. However, existing studies often focus on isolated applications rather than its broader role in industrial sustainability.
This review synthesises findings from 142 academic studies to assess chitosan’s applications in textile production, dyeing, finishing, and waste management, emphasising its impact on energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and resource circularity.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cleantechnol7040095
Buying for a better world: The power of marketing to encourage millennials to choose second-hand luxury clothing
Jin, H., Quoquab, F., Mohammad, J., and Ku, L. (2025)
THIS study investigates factors that may drive Chinese millennials' intentions to purchase second-hand luxury clothing (SHLC).
Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, it investigates how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), pub licity and environmental advertisements relate to moral obligation, which subsequently predicts SHLC purchase intention.
Additionally, it explores the moderating effect of consumers' perception of SHLC.
https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.70131
A Review on Achieving Sustainability in the Petroleum Industry Through the Integration of Lean and Green
Dibia, F., Dibia, C., Dhakal, H.N., Okpako, O., Radulovic, J. and Isike, A. (2025)
THE petroleum industry has been a key driver in the development of the world economy yet continues to attract increasing criticism due to its negative environmental impact via greenhouse gas emissions, resource inefficiency, and waste.
Integrating lean and green practices is fast becoming a transformative approach to tackling these issues as it integrates process optimization with sustainability principles.
This review paper examined the existing literature on lean and green integration, highlighting its benefits, models, critical success factors, and a roadmap for its implementation.
https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052333
Energy Efficiency and Circular Economy in Glass Wool Fiberizing: Impact of Lightweight Refractory Design
Afzal, J., Forgerit, B., and Tiwary, A. (2025)
THIS paper presents an analysis of energy savings and sustainability measures to improve the environmental performance of glass wool fiberizing, the latter being the most energy intensive production step in manufacturing glass wool thermal insulation, involving conversion of hot molten glass into fibers.
The first part evaluates two refractory designs— business as usual (BAU) and modified (MOD), over four trials. BAU refractory has higher density whereas MOD is an innovative lightweight design, with lower density and improved thermal conductivity.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010135
A behavioural risk perspective to plastic waste management: insights from Nigerian SMEs
Tyllianakis, E., Kolade, O., Ambituuni, A., Ogunde, O., Oyinlola, M. and Abolfathi, S. (2025)
A TRANSITION to a Circular Economy is intrinsically connected to the perceived risk of moving away from the status quo of the extract-use-discard model.
This study examines how small and medium enterprises (SMEs) perceive and respond the multi-dimensional risk from plastic waste mismanagement (PWM).
Such risk is approximated and analysed using two different behaviour theories, the Expected Utility Theory and Protection Motivation Theory in a survey amongst 242 managers in Nigerian SMEs examining the endogenous relationship between perceived impact of PWM and perceived effectiveness in addressing it.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.147086
Rhetorical Strategies Employed by Big Oil in the Context of IPCC Reports of Climate Change
Mitchell, A. S., and Bhattacharyya, S. C. (2025)
DESPITE long-standing evidence linking fossil fuel combustion to greenhouse gas and climate change effects, and the growing advocacy for reductions and regulatory limits on their use, fossil fuel corporations remain hugely profitable and influential.
In response to scientific evidence linking Big Oil’s corporate activities directly to climate change impacts, tactics favoured by Big Tobacco to medical evidence linking smoking to cancer appear to have also been adopted by Big Oil in responding to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings.
https://doi.org/10.3390/world6030128
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production