Carbon, Energy and Water

We have three buildings on campus with photovoltaic (PV) solar panels which generate over 375,000 kWh each year. This is equivalent to the energy which would be required to power a typical electric car for a journey 6 times around the circumference of the earth! 

The University has a range of new buildings and redevelopments which incorporate market leading technologies. All of the new buildings are ‘fossil fuel free’, generally utilising air source heat pump technology to heat and cool the buildings. Every redevelopment or refurbishment project is taken as a significant opportunity to optimise and upgrade equipment – whether this be lighting, heating, ventilation, or research equipment. 

Our highest profile projects are the new National Health Innovation Campus (NHIC) and the redevelopment of our historic Ramsden Building. 

The University’s Sustainability Team are in the process of conducting a thorough energy survey of the highest energy consuming buildings on the Queensgate campus. This programme is continually highlighting opportunities to improve the efficiency of our equipment, reducing our overall carbon footprint. The current programme for energy reviews can be seen below: 

Our ambitious Net Zero targets will not be achieved easily. We need collaboration, ideas and support from the whole University community. Here are some ideas of how you can get involved in supporting this mission: 

• Become a Sustainability Champion and gain hands-on experience supporting the sustainability team in decarbonisation projects. 

• Get involved with the LEAF programme or other environmental initiatives in your lab or workspace. 

• Report potential energy waste: if you spot that lights are on in an unoccupied room, or PCs are on when they don’t need to be, take action and report this to the Sustainability team at Sustainability@hud.ac.uk. 

• If you are too warm, turn down the radiator/ thermostat – before you think about opening a window. 

• If you are too cold, think about whether you can move to another spot in the same room – further away from a window, away from a ventilation grille, etc. 

• Switch fume cupboards or other laboratory equipment off when not in use 

• Switch off your computer and monitor if you are leaving your desk for more than a couple of minutes. 

• Make maximum use of daylight by opening blinds fully and switching off lights when natural light is bright enough. 

Every year the University tries to break its record of energy and carbon saved during the Christmas campus shutdown. 

Christmas 2024 saw a highly successful Christmas Switch-Off campaign. Thanks to the enthusiastic collaboration between staff and students, approximately 97 tonnes of CO₂ were saved, which is equivalent to approximately 2% of our annual carbon footprint (scope 1 and 2). 

Between 2024 and 2026, we will upgrade all our old light fittings to highly efficient LED fixtures. 

Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 2 (emissions from electricity use) 

The University’s Net Zero Carbon Emissions Plan sets out an absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions target of 3,000 tonnes CO2 per year by 2030. Each year, the University reports our progress against this target in the University’s financial statement. Our emissions are measured according to the Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework (SCEF), which complies with the GHG Protocol and aligns with the approach taken by most other Higher and Further Education institutions in the UK. 

Scope 3 (indirect emissions)  

This represents the largest source of emissions from the university's activities, and the hardest to manage due to them falling outside the organisation’s direct control. Areas that create Scope 3 emissions include business travel, goods and services procured, building and facilities management and construction, Information and Communication Technology services, waste, and water management. Scope 3 emissions can vary significantly from year to year based upon internal and external factors affecting the university.

The university's reported indirect emissions figure for 2023/24 is 17747.57tco₂e. The university will continue to develop its measurement framework to ensure the application of a robust Scope 3 evaluation system.

The University's Carbon Neutral Strategy and Net Zero Carbon Emissions Plan ensure that the University is working towards goals 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, and 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.