GLASGOW Caledonian University (GCU) has been rated first class in the 2015 People & Planet University League for its environmental and ethical performance.

The university came second in Scotland and tenth out of 151 universities in the UK. It was ranked 46th last year.

Paulo Cruz, Sustainability Officer at GCU, said: "At GCU, we aim to embed sustainability into everything we do, from learning, teaching and research to associated support services and the way we manage the campus.

"We are delighted that our commitment has been recognised by People & Planet.

"The improvement in our performance wouldn't have been possible without the help and cooperation of students and staff, who strive to make GCU a more sustainable university."

People & Planet is the UK's largest student network, which campaigns to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment.

Its University League, formerly the Green League, is the only comprehensive and independent table of UK universities, ranked by environmental and ethical performance.

Criteria include carbon reduction, student and staff engagement, sustainable food, workers' rights, ethical investment and education for sustainability.

Recent GCU sustainability initiatives include piloting Cycling Scotland's Cycle Friendly Campus Award, the introduction of the Cycle to Work scheme and investment in state-of-the-art recycling facilities and a combined heat and power system to help reduce the university's carbon footprint.