Sustainability 39 I recycle Figure 35: Breakdown of responses to Sustainability theme questions 4% 7% 16% 27% 47% Strongly disagree Moderately disagree Neutral Moderately agree Strongly agree I have made sacrifices so that I can live more sustainably 7% 13% 24% 25% 31% I am careful about my use of electricity and water 6% 12% 21% 25% 36% It is extremely important to address climate change 4% 6% 19% 25% 47% Applicants are just as likely as last year’s cohort to agree that it is extremely important to address climate change, with overall agreement at 71%. Most still take action on sustainability, but this year’s cohort is less likely to report making sacrifices and less likely to strongly agree that they recycle and use electricity and water carefully. As in last year’s results, international applicants are much more likely to show strong commitment to sustainability. The sustainability index score for international applicants alone would be 76, compared with 66 for UK applicants alone. Concern about climate change remains high, but day-to-day commitment to sustainable behaviours has softened. Appendices Introduction Sustainability Thematic analysis Applicant Index Report 2026 Belonging, equity and inclusion The Sustainability score measures strength of feeling about climate change alongside personal commitment to living sustainably. 67 Down 1 from 2025 Back to contents