15 February 2023
A new report
An ambitious roadmap for carbon reduction in the tertiary education sector is outlined in a new report. The report “Accelerating the UK Tertiary Education Sector towards Net Zero,” was commissioned by the Royal Anniversary Trust but with close collaboration from over 20 institutions from across the sector. It offers a robust profile of the tertiary education sector’s carbon footprint; using detailed modelling which highlights target areas for emissions reporting and reduction. It also proposes a new standardised carbon reporting framework designed exclusively for the sector which could enable all HE and FE institutions to measure, report and manage carbon emissions.
The report highlights three principal areas requiring action:
Focus on the built environment and energy
The report has calculated that the built environment accounts for 19% of the sector’s total carbon footprint and that decarbonisation will require a specific focus on the Scope 1 and 2 emissions associated with the energy used for heating and cooling buildings and powering estates. This will require institutions to grapple with legacy heating systems, changing uses of campuses, increasing costs and emerging technologies.
There will also be a need to prioritise the adaptation of estates in response to climate change – tackling energy efficiency and taking a fabric-first approach to refurbishments to achieve climate resilience against rising temperatures and extreme weather events leading to droughts or floods.
A significant challenge
There is also inevitable tension between the cost of decarbonising operations and funding the primary functions of education, training, and research. The scale of the challenge is great:
Focus and coordination
Addressing this challenge will require maximising opportunities for energy efficiency and shifting sources of heat and power to renewable energy. Access to the right data and robust measurement, behaviour change, deploying the right technologies and accountability for the delivery of a clear decarbonisation plan are all key levers to achieve success. All buildings will also need to become climate resilient. This will require investment in the adaptation that protects estates, staff, and students from the impacts of climate change.
The response requires coordinated leadership and decision-making across strategic, financial, technical, and academic functions, with the decarbonisation strategy fully integrated into policies and governance processes.