5. Carbon Management

Why measure this?

A steep and annual reduction in global carbon emissions is required to avert catastrophic global climate destabilisation and keep global warming increases to below 2 degrees. This requires that countries like the UK, which have historical responsibility for creating the majority of emissions, reduce our carbon emissions by at least 40% by 2020 and 90% by 2050. All parts of the UK public sector are expected to contribute to the 80% carbon reductions by 2050 enshrined within the Climate Change Act (2008) and Climate Change (Scotland) Act (2009). Carbon management is therefore central to the future of environmental management in universities, as recognised by the joint publication by Hefce, Universities UK and GuildHE’s of a Carbon Reduction Strategy (2010) which set a sector-wide carbon reduction target. Although this strategy applies only to English institutions, similar requirements are in place for institutions in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, for example through the Universities and Colleges Climate Change Commitment for Scotland (UCCCfS) and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (Hefcw).

The People & Planet Green League awards points to those institutions which have created strong carbon management plans with targets broadly in line with the sector-wide reduction targets set by the Hefce/UniversitiesUK 2010 strategy. It rewards those universities with ambitious short-term targets as these are crucial to reducing the impact of cumulative emissions and getting an institution on track for a longer-term transition to low-carbon operations.

The People & Planet Green League also awards points for institutions taking a holistic approach to carbon management by including the full scope of their emissions in the reduction targets they set themselves. Transport, waste and procurement activities are shown to account for up to 50% of an institution’s carbon footprint so it is vital that all institutions include these in their carbon management plan baselines and targets. Guidance for institutions on how to do this was published in January 2012 [transport,waste and water], and all institutions are required to calculate, report and reduce these so-called Scope 3 emissions from 2013 onwards.

How are points allocated?

Total: 6 points

Institution has a publicly-available carbon management plan which meets the Carbon Trust and Capital Investment Framework requirements. 1 Point
Yearly average % carbon reduction target (taken from an institution’s short-term targets from a 2005 baseline) are equal to: 2 Points

0 points: less than 2.4%
1 point: between 2.4% and 2.85%
2 points: 2.85% or higher

The carbon management plan includes a baseline and reduction targets for emissions from the following areas:

• Procurement. 1 Point
• Staff and student business trips e.g. flights to conferences and field trips. 1 Point
• Staff and students commuting to university on a daily basis. 0.5 Points
• Carbon emissions associated with the travel between students’ homes and the university at the start and end of term (including international students’ travel to and from their home country). 0.5 Point

How is this criteria assessed?

5 a) Does the institution have a publicly available carbon management plan which meets the Carbon Trust and Capital Investment Framework requirements?

1 Point

Clarifications:

Criteria (5a) has been developed in consultation with and approved by The Carbon Trust. “The Carbon Trust and Hefce’s Capital Investment Framework 2 set out a series of requirements for effective HE carbon management plans. People & Planet uses the same requirements to assess whether an institution’s CMP meet this criteria and receives the full point available.” Tim Pryce, Public Sector Manager, Carbon Trust

No points are awarded if the CMP is not/does not:

• Publicly-available.
• Include a carbon baseline for 2005 which covers all scope 1 and 2 emissions, and set an aspirational carbon reduction target for 2020 against this baseline.*
• Set a SMART carbon reduction target that is a realistic milestone towards the 2020 target, covering scope 1 & 2 as minimum.
• Include an implementation plan to achieve the SMART carbon emission reduction target including estimated carbon savings, time scales and resources. These should cover capital projects and actions to embed carbon management within the institution, for example, through corporate strategy, communication and training. There should also be consideration of how to measure and reduce scope 3 emissions.
• State the estimated investment needed to achieve the SMART target, and the energy and maintenance cost savings that result.
• Clear responsibilities for carbon management.
• A commitment to monitor progress towards targets regularly and to report publicly annually.
• Be signed off by the institution’s governing body.

*Non English institutions are not covered by CIF2 and can therefore set a baseline and a target for dates other than 2005 and 2020 if they wish.

Evidence required:

• Link to publicly-available Carbon Management Plan or equivalent document.
• For questions 5b, c, d, e, f, g please specify the relevant page number on the documents uploaded/linked to confirming you meet the criteria (eg. “See page 26 for Scope 3 baseline figures and related targets”)

5. b) What are your institutions short term carbon reduction targets?

2 Points

Please include baseline year.
0 points: less than 2.4%
1 point: between 2.4% and 2.85%
2 points: 2.85% or higher

Clarifications:

• 0 - 2 points awarded based on the average annual short-term carbon reduction targets set out in carbon management plans. Short-term targets are calculated from the target closest to a 10-year period as possible.
• Points can be awarded if no CMP exists. However, targets need to be referenced in a previous environmental policy or similar document signed off at senior level and publicly available.

5 c) Does the carbon management plan include a baseline and reduction targets for emissions from procurement?

1 Point

Clarifications:

• Procurement emissions need to be included in CMP baseline against which total reduction targets are set or include specific targets for reducing these emissions.
• A baseline review of procurement emissions alone is not adequate - we are looking for evidence that carbon reduction targets include emissions created by the institution’s procurement activities.
• 0 points if targets/baseline appear in draft documents not signed off at senior level.

5 d) Does the carbon management plan include a baseline and reduction targets for emissions from staff and student business trips?

1 Point

Clarifications:

• A baseline and targets for reducing staff and student travel emissions needs to be included in CMP and not just referenced in an independent travel plan.
• 0 points if targets/baseline appear in draft documents not signed off at senior level.

5 e) Does the carbon management plan include a baseline and reduction targets for emissions from staff and student commuting to university on a daily basis?

0.5 Points

Clarifications:

• A baseline and targets for reducing staff and student travel emissions needs to be included in CMP and not just referenced in an independent travel plan.
• 0 points if targets/baseline appear in draft documents not signed off at senior level.

5 f) Does the carbon management plan include a baseline and reduction targets for emissions associated with the travel between students’ homes and the university at the start and end of term (including international students travel to and from their home country)?

0.5 Points

Clarifications:

• A baseline and targets for reducing staff and student travel emissions needs to be included in CMP and not just referenced in an independent travel plan.
• 0 points if targets/baseline appear in draft documents not signed off at senior level.

Next: Ethical Procurement and Fairtrade

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