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Carbon and energy

We have made several key commitments to tackling climate change.

This includes commitments to reducing the University’s carbon emissions, and pioneering research work in tackling climate change across a wide range of disciplines.

The University has a target to reach Net Zero carbon Scope 1 and 2 by 2030 and Scope 3 by 2050. More immediate targets and actions are set out in our Environmental Sustainability Action Plan.

We are committed to reducing our carbon impact and being transparent in our efforts. The University has reported energy data to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) since 2005/06, 2014/15 for fleet data, and 2021/22 for f-gas and anaesthetic gas emissions. In 2024/25, our total Scope 1 and 2 emissions reached a 32% decrease from these baseline reports (now 21,956 tCO₂e).

You can find the most up-to-date information about our emissions on our dedicated Carbon Reporting page.

Carbon management

The University has undertaken many physical and technological actions towards decarbonisation. Recent feasibility studies have provided valuable insights into future carbon reduction opportunities on campus, and we are starting to develop energy modelling to further inform our decarbonisation pathway.

There are currently two large carbon reduction projects taking place as part of our Net Zero Programme:

This is a campus wide programme and includes 6 energy conservation measures aimed at reducing our electricity and gas consumption:

  • LED lighting upgrade across 34 buildings
  • solar PV panel installation on buildings at Column Drive
  • Air Handling Unit upgrades across 5 buildings
  • fume cupboard upgrades in Main Building
  • valve and pipe insulation in Plant Room areas
  • installation of an additional ground source heat pump at Optometry

Collectively, the changes were calculated to help the university save 1,361 t/CO2e each year, which was around 5% of our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions. It will also help reduce our annual energy costs.

This project will involve building fabric upgrades at Tower and Law buildings to help improve the thermal efficiency, improve the internal environmental conditions and prepare the buildings for a future heat pump.

Alongside these large projects, other smaller scale carbon reduction measures have been implemented including:

  • improvements to our Building Energy Management System and sub metering infrastructure
  • thermal improvements including installing internal pipework insulation and TRV upgrades, window and roof replacements
  • energy savings measures including motor upgrades, Fume Cupboard LED lighting installations, compressor upgrades, transformer upgrades

A Net Zero Implementation Plan is being drafted as the operational programme of works we will undertake to move towards Net Zero for Scopes 1 and 2. Our plan will be published on the website in 2026.

Energy consumption

Our direct energy consumption from buildings owned or operated by the University totalled 117,637,659 in the 2024/25 year, a 3% decrease from 2023/24. Over this time, we decreased:

  • gas consumption by 2%, totalling 69,876,637 kWh in 2024/25
  • electricity consumption by 5%, totalling 47,761,022 kWh in 2024/25

Energy saving initiatives

To support our work reducing energy consumption, we run targeted ‘Switch-Off’ campaigns during quieter periods of the academic year, such as Christmas and Easter, encouraging staff and students to turn off non-essential equipment, lighting and heating. More information about these campaigns can be found on the staff intranet.

We also support departments to reduce day-to-day energy use through initiatives such as Green Impact, which includes actions focused on efficient use of heating, lighting and equipment, and helps embed good energy practices across campus.