Carbon Management Programme

"Every pound we spend on energy or lose in fines is a pound we do not spend on staff salaries, research or our students' education"

Chris Higgins, Vice-Chancellor

To meet Government targets for universities we have set ourselves an ambitious target of a 30% carbon reduction by 2014 against a growing estate with world-class research facilities in a residential college setting. This brings with it both opportunities and challenges with regards to reducing our carbon emissions. We have already made good progress in this area, reducing our carbon emissions by 5.5% in 2008/9 compared with the previous year. The 30% reduction we have agreed will have to be made across every area of our institution and we will need the participation of all of our staff and students to make this happen, as well as the active support of local organisations and suppliers. This Carbon Management Plan is not about restricting or limiting the activities of the University but instead is about making the University more efficient, eliminating waste and saving money that can support the academic activities. 

Durham University was awarded the Carbon Trust Standard in March 2011, confirming that the University has been reducing carbon emissions over the past three years.  The Carbon Trust will review the situation again in two years time and although our Carbon Management Plan is necessarily ambitious, we commend it to you and ask for your strong support to help make it happen.

Read the Carbon Management Plan here.