Participation in the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Management service has raised the profile of carbon reduction. The resulting plan has set clear targets for our University and we are pleased with the cultural change, carbon and financial savings.
Reducing emissions
When Loughborough University, renowned for its solid environmental performance wanted to further this achievement, we jointly formulated a challenging Carbon Management Plan with a challenging goal of reducing emissions by 15% by 2011. One of the key actions taken forward, a staff engagement programme, has since achieved stellar results, gaining a 5% reduction on site energy consumption in its first year, equating to savings of 708 tonnes of CO2 and £119k.
Energy awareness campaign
Inspired by a previous energy awareness campaign run by Loughborough Students’ Union and supported by the University Facilities Management team, in February 2009 the “It’s Better Off” staff energy awareness campaign was launched.
Undertaken with the full support of the University’s Chief Operating Officer, the campaign included an online energy awareness survey, the creation of a team of 150 staff as voluntary environmental champions, and a range of communication initiatives including a campaign website. As a result of the ideas gained from the survey, the University has since put in place a range of measures to help achieve its overall reduction target.
At a glance:
- Overall target: 15% reduction in emissions over four years
- Annual cost saving of staff engagement: £119,000 in the first year
- Annual CO2 saving from staff engagement: 709 tonnes
Find out more about support and services for higher education institutions to reduce energy costs and cut emissions.