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Together as a University, as a leader in climate research and collaborating with our global and local partners we need to ensure we have a workplace and world fit for a dynamic and sustainable future.
UEA declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in June 2019 and committed to emitting no more than its ‘fair share’ of CO2e, in line with the United Nations Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which commits the global community to limiting the rise in temperatures to well below 2°C, and preferably 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.
Working with the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the University has outlined its journey to net zero, with respect to a total carbon budget calculated for the period 2015-2050.
UEA’s Net Zero ambition is to achieve:
A reduction in campus emissions (Scopes 1 & 2) of at least 80% by 2030 against a 2015 baseline
Net zero emissions (Scopes 1, 2 & 3) by 2045 or earlier
Not relying on offsetting for our carbon emission targets
Where are we now?
Our Scope 1 & 2 emissions measured over the 2023/24 academic year were 32% lower than the 2015 baseline*.
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*Scope 1 emissions are from fuels that the university uses on site, primarily natural gas for heating. Scope 2 are the indirect emissions from our bought energy supplies - the electricity we purchase from the National Grid. These emissions are calculated using the average carbon intensity for the electricity grid (location-based reporting). We purchase REGO certificates for 100% of our electricity, making our supply zero-carbon if reported under a market-based approach.
How will we achieve our ambitions?
We’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far on our carbon reduction journey, but we recognise there’s more work to do. We remain committed to meeting our 2030 and 2045 targets and are planning how to accelerate our efforts to achieve the required emissions reduction.
The University is currently finalising the Sustainability element of its 2030 Strategy, which will set out the fundamentals to put us on track for an 80% reduction by 2030 and net-zero by 2045.
A key element will be the decarbonisation of heating on our estate, eliminating the emissions from burning natural gas in our CHP and boilers. We are investigating the option of removing our CHP engines, which we estimate could reduce our emissions to 66% below the 2015 baseline.
We are evaluating how to make more efficient use of our estate, so that the amount of heat and power we supply to buildings is appropriate for the level of occupancy. For example, making sure we heat buildings only when needed and using smart building technology to adjust heat levels automatically.
We are also looking at how we can more efficiently deliver and utilise energy across our campus, through improvements to our district heating system and better building insulation.
More details of the projects we are working on in this area are available on the Energy Implementation Team page.
Tracking our progress
We track and report on our progress as part of our International Standards Organisation (ISO) 14001 certified Environmental Management System and through our Energy Management System, which we are developing to the ISO 50001 standard. These provide an externally verified framework to manage our compliance obligations, protect the environment and make continual environmental and energy improvements.