Key findings included that electricity consumption was down by two per cent over the last couple of years, despite two major new buildings being built. Energy consumption and water usage are both lower now than 12 years ago, despite significant growth. When growth is taken into account, our usage decrease per m2 of floor area over 12 years are:
- Electricity: 26 per cent lower
- Gas: 28 per cent lower
- Water: 42 per cent lower
This gives us a saving of £1.5m annually.
The report also shows that carbon emissions have gone down by 22 per cent since 2005, despite the period of 2005 – 2019 being one of significant growth in the University’s community and physical infrastructure. Emissions per m2 of building floor area were down 42 per cent over the same period, of which just 11% is due to the decarbonisation of the grid.
Steve Egan, Vice-President (Implementation), who chairs the Sustainability and Carbon Management Steering Group, said:
"The reduction in emissions shown in this report is a really important demonstration of our commitment to sustainability. Of course, the decarbonisation of the grid has helped our efforts, but the fact we've reduced our use of gas and electricity despite a growth in infrastructure is impressive. My thanks to all those involved across the University for their hard work.”