Carbon Trust helping over half of UK Universities save cash and cut carbon

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23 April 2008
Eighteen more universities join leading Higher Education Carbon Management scheme


Eighteen more universities from across England and Scotland are set to collectively cut their carbon footprints by 72,000 tonnes and energy costs by £8.1 million by joining phase four of the Carbon Trust’s Higher Education Carbon Management (HECM) programme, which launches today.  This brings the number of universities working with the Carbon Trust to 68, out of the UK total of 106.

The Carbon Trust is now working with over half of the UK’s universities to identify and implement carbon saving opportunities. Success is achieved through a structured programme which includes software to analyse energy consumption and workshop support for staff and senior managers to improve their awareness of energy efficiency. 

Through the first three phases of the HECM programme, the Carbon Trust has already worked with 50 universities, identifying annual savings of more than £22 million and 185,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide across all sites involved. Many of the new participants can expect to reduce their energy bills by up to 20 per cent.

Tom Cumberlege, Public Sector Manager at the Carbon Trust, said,
“Universities and higher education institutes emit 3.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. The sector spends more than £200 million every year on energy and when you consider that around 2.5 per cent of the average university’s annual budget is spent on energy the financial and environmental incentives to cut carbon are clear.

“As well as generating cash savings which can be invested in valuable resources for staff and students, cutting carbon emissions can also boost a university’s environmental credentials which in turn may lead to an increase in applicant numbers. 

“The Carbon Trust is looking forward to building on the success of the first three phases of our HECM programme by helping eighteen more universities cut their carbon footprint and take action on climate change.”

The HECM programme is designed to deliver improved energy management of academic, accommodation and leisure buildings and vehicle fleets. The programme is supported by a bespoke toolkit – a web-based manual that gives detailed guidance on the programme’s process and technical advice. It also facilitates the sharing of best practice between participants, enabling them to learn from each other’s experience, thereby optimising results.

The fourth phase of the Carbon Trust’s Higher Education Carbon Management programme will run until March 2009.  Any university that would like to be considered for the fifth phase of the programme should contact the Carbon Trust by emailing alex.mitchel@carbontrust.co.uk.

 
 
Footnotes
 

Notes to editors
• New recruits: Anglia Ruskin University, University of Derby, Lancaster University, London South Bank University, Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Hull, University of Liverpool, University of Northampton, University of Winchester, Birmingham City University, University of Bristol, Cranfield University, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian, University of Abertay, University of Heriot-Watt, University of Stirling and Napier University.

• Twenty universities were involved in the pilot phase of the HECM programme - The Open University, University of Birmingham, University of Warwick, Coventry University, University of West England, University of Wales Aberystwyth, University of Southampton, University of Sussex, University of Cambridge, King’s College London, London Metropolitan University, University of York, University of Bradford, Leeds Metropolitan University, University of Leeds, University of Sunderland, University of Teesside, University of Strathclyde, Oxford Brookes and University of Bath.
• Fifteen universities joined phase two of the programme in May 2006 - University of Northumbria, University of Loughborough, University of Leicester, University of Exeter, University of Surrey, Manchester Metropolitan University, Edge Hill College of Higher Education, University of Central Lancashire, University of Worcester, University of Hertfordshire, London School of Economics, University of London, Queen Mary University London, University of Wales, Cardiff, University of Wales, Newport and University of Wales Institute, Cardiff.
• Fifteen universities joined phase three of the programme in May 2007: University College London, University of Westminster, Royal Holloway University, University of London, Goldsmiths, City University, Roehampton University, University of East London, Kingston University, Bath Spa University, University of Sheffield, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nottingham Trent University, University of Nottingham, University of Bedfordshire and St Andrews University.

The Carbon Trust

• The Carbon Trust is an independent company set up by government in response to the threat of climate change, to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organisations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon technologies. The Carbon Trust works with UK business and the public sector through its work in five complementary areas: insights, solutions, innovations, enterprises and investments. Together these help to explain, deliver, develop, create and finance low carbon enterprise.

• The Carbon Trust is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland.