Our carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide, that we release into the atmosphere either directly or indirectly. The standard unit of measurement for greenhouse gas emissions is tonnes or kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e or ktCO₂e)1.
Total carbon footprint
Our total carbon footprint for the 2023/24 academic year was 127 ktCO₂e. This is a decrease of 3% compared to the 2022/23 academic year.
| Source | Percentage of total carbon footprint |
|---|---|
| Gas and fuels | 6% |
| Electricity | 5% |
| Commuting | 3% |
| Business travel | 5% |
| Other travel | 33% |
| Building works | 3% |
| Lab equipment | 11% |
| IT equipment and software | 10% |
| Business services | 9% |
| Catering | 2% |
| Other goods and services | 6% |
| Investments | 4% |
| Other | 3% |
We are continuing to work on reducing emissions produced from our campus and operations, in line with our net zero targets.
Calculating our carbon footprint
We categorise our greenhouse gas emissions into three scopes using the international accounting tool, the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and the Environmental Association of Colleges and Universities (EAUC) standard carbon emission reporting guidelines.
Scope 1 emissions are direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by the University. This is mostly gas use in buildings.
Scope 2 covers indirect emissions from the electricity consumed by the University, which we do not generate ourselves.
Scope 3 covers the other indirect emissions that are associated with our activities. This includes:
- construction
- purchasing goods and services
- staff business travel
- student home travel
- commuting
- waste
- water
- investments
- Scope 3 elements of Scopes 1 and 2
Our previous carbon footprints
Read our annual sustainability reports to see the University's carbon footprint in previous years.
Confidence in the numbers
A key part of our footprint methodology is having confidence in calculated figures. There are two key components to the calculation, the accuracy of the data and the calculation methodology. We’re continually working to improve the accuracy and confidence we have in our data. Examples of where we’ve increased our confidence in our carbon footprint include:
- improved data collection for student home travel to Bath and on placement, as this now includes comprehensive and anonymised data of domiciles for all students and the location details of placement students who do not travel to Bath during the academic year
- improved data collection for fugitive emissions after working with our cooling equipment suppliers to provide detailed refrigeration gas losses
- improved calculation methodology for purchased goods and services by continually working with suppliers to calculate embodied carbon data
- improved calculation methodology for waste generated in operations by using a weight-based methodology for two-thirds of our waste while working towards converting the remainder of our waste footprint
Internal audit
The University of Bath’s Internal Audit Department undertakes an independent assessment of the carbon data presented within the Sustainability Annual Report every year. They make sure that the data we publish has been calculated using the University methodology and complies with the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education Standardised Carbon Emissions Reporting for Further and Higher Education.
Different types of reporting
We take responsibility for reporting on our carbon footprint through our annual report. However, we also voluntarily provide data to the HESA Estates Management Record (EMR).
The EMR annual report covers Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions data submitted by universities.
Due to reporting criteria, there are differences in the carbon emissions reported by HESA compared to the data we report ourselves. This is because the scope for our footprint calculation is wider as we think it's important that we take responsibility for all actions we take and are responsible for the carbon emissions associated with them. For example, we include the carbon footprint of IAAPS and our investments in our calculations. We also take a more detailed approach to reporting in some areas like travel, to allow us to better track progress and target actions.
See our carbon footprint and waste data on the HESA website.
Our carbon management plan
We were the first UK University to produce a Carbon Management Plan in 2003, where we set out our targets to reduce our carbon footprint and a plan to achieve them. The next plan in 2011 was described as 'exemplar for the sector' by The Carbon Trust.
In 2020, the University set the ambitious and challenging targets to be net zero for Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2040.
This is hugely challenging to achieve but can be done through a range of approaches. Our approach focuses first and foremost on reducing our demand. Since 2005, we’ve reduced our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 46% primarily through reducing demand and shifting from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
To achieve further reductions, we’re addressing more complex challenges related to the upgrade of our energy infrastructure. We’ve modelled Scope 1 and 2 carbon reduction scenarios in line with our capital plans. Given the scale of the challenges ahead, we’re now reviewing our net zero targets and exploring partnerships to support the delivery of large-scale solutions.