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Most UK universities are failing to meet their carbon reduction targets, figures reveal.
The sector aimed to reduce emissions directly controlled by institutions by 43% between 2005-06 and 2020-21.
However, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s estate management records, 59% failed to meet this target. This data is used by the League of People and Planet Universities to rank universities’ efforts to reduce carbon.
This year, Cardiff Metropolitan University topped the league table for the first time with a 65% reduction in emissions over a 15-year timeframe.
Oxbridge may be at the top of other league tables but it is slipping down the carbon rankings. Oxford University fell 16 places to 40th, while Cambridge dropped two places to 86th.
Russell Group universities have shown improvement with two – the University of Exeter and University College London – in the top 10 and, in general, the group scored higher than last year.
Jack Ruane, Universities League Manager at People & Planet, said: “It is disappointing to see that 59% of UK universities are failing to meet their carbon reduction targets. This highlights the importance of holding the sector accountable through short-term assessments of actual reductions in carbon emissions, rather than celebrating net zero target-setting, which is often unclear about how offsetting will be achieved.
Divestment from fossil fuels is a difficult proposition for higher education institutions and only 33% of universities (50 out of 153) have a commitment to fully vetting all fossil fuel investments written into an approved policy. A further 10 universities have partial commitments.
Only 7% (11) have made a policy commitment to direct reinvestment in community renewable energy and/or renewable energy projects on campus. Only 3% (four) of the sector has committed to reducing recruitment ties to the fossil fuel and mining industries.
Laura Clayson, climate justice campaign manager at People & Planet, said: “Despite 100 UK universities publicly announcing the exclusion of fossil fuel companies from their investment portfolios, only 60 have included this commitment in a valid policy document. Alarmingly, this is a significant drop from last year’s 76.
“Severing investment ties with the fossil fuel industry is an important first step for universities to fulfill their responsibility to communities on the front lines of the climate crisis and the impacts of fossil fuel extraction. We expect to see a sharp increase in policy exclusions in next year’s league in line with this.”
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