Hillhead Review

The University measures progress towards its sustainability targets. However, it has failed to meet its target since 2022, and the most recent data shows that emissions are rising rather than falling.

The University of Glasgow’s carbon targets include achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, meaning it must reduce its organisational carbon footprint to 27,000 tonnes from 60,358. This is part of the Carbon Management plan approved by Dr David Duncan and Professor Jaime Toney.

Data indicates that business travel and gas consumption are the primary drivers which cause the University to exceed targets set in place to achieve the 2030 goal.

The most up to date University reports from 2021/22 state that the University failed in its target, the carbon footprint increased to 40,803 CO₂e, missing the mark by around 7,000 tonnes of CO₂e. The University blamed this on post-Covid business travel and staff commutes. 

However, new figures obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request reveal that the situation has worsened: emissions climbed to 49,780 CO₂e in 2022/23 and then to 56,507 CO₂e in 2023/24, placing the University’s footprint just off pre-Covid levels. 

Now to the fine print, here’s a year-on-year breakdown of the University of Glasgow’s reported carbon footprint:

Additionally, the University separates emission tracking into three scopes. Scope 1 emissions include gas consumption, fleet vehicles and refrigerant emissions. Scope 2 emissions include electricity consumption. Scope 3 emissions include water consumption, water production as well as business travel and staff and student commuting.

Scope 1 emissions fluctuate, the university pins this on gas-fired CHP engines. Scope 2 emissions have decreased due to decarbonisation. But scope 3 emissions is where it gets interesting. Flight related business travel has caused emissions to surge. While emissions dropped during the pandemic to just 245 CO₂e in 2020/21, they rebounded sharply to 12,311 in 2022/23 and rose further to 15,687 in 2023/24, exceeding pre-Covid levels. Gas consumption has also increased, rising from 15,551 CO₂e in 2021/22 to 19,330 in 2023/24.

It is worth noting that if the University maintained its pre-Covid trajectory, the combined carbon footprint would have risen astronomically. ARUP estimated that the carbon footprint would have risen to 20,335 CO₂e in 2035 and to 75,366 CO₂e in 2045. This option was wiped off the table by proactive carbon management, which Glasgow University must refocus on amidst recent upward trends.

The University is required to return data on an annual basis to the Scottish Government under the Public Sector Climate Change Reporting duty and the Higher Education Statistics. It will continue to do so until the 2030 deadline.

The University of Glasgow declared a climate emergency in May 2019 and has since committed to be ‘net zero’ for greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, aligning its reduction targets with the UN Environment Programme emissions Gap Report to prevent global warming greater than 1.5 degrees Celsius.

 As part of the wider goal of sustainability the University of Glasgow was the first in the UK to fully commit to divestment in 2014. This was part of the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) strategy, reallocating roughly £18 million of investments in order to start the push towards carbon neutrality.

Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, the University’s Principal and Vice Chancellor, said: “Fully divesting from the fossil fuel industry is a landmark moment for the University, and one that we have been working towards for 10 years…making sure we lead the way when it comes to embedding sustainability across the board, from investing in cleaner sources of power, improving the fabric of our buildings, and supporting staff and students to adopt sustainable practices.”

The University of Glasgow has been contacted for comment.