Credit: Hugo Cadavez on flickr
Reporter
To achieve its goals, the University will be partnering with organisations such as SP Networks and Innovation Gateway
The University of Glasgow has launched a new initiative which plans to significantly reduce CO2 emissions across buildings on campus. This initiative will involve waste reduction measures and has a goal of reducing carbon emissions by at least 6,000 tonnes over the course of five years.
University Chief Operating Officer and Sustainability Champion David Duncan lauded the measure, stating: “This is an important step for the University and reflects one of the aims of the University Strategy 2015-2020 – to create an efficient, well-designed and well-built estate, which operates in a sustainable manner.”
Currently, the University releases about 66,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The plan intends to bring that number down to 55,000 tonnes by 2020. According to the most recent University climate report, most of the University’s carbon consumption comes from electricity use, with gas and oil consumption and student and staff commuting making up a significant part of the remaining carbon use.
The University will be partnering with organisations such as the power distribution company SP Networks and the business sustainability alliance Innovation Gateway. Innovation Gateway has previously worked with many high-profile companies across the UK, including Tesco, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and Unite Students.
SP Networks will be working to upgrade the power grid across the western campus. The plan will also involve features across campus such as solar panels on rooftops, automatic lighting on streets and in buildings, and rainwater collection initiatives.
Chris Pearce, Dean of Research Professor with College of Science and Engineering, stated: “The energy strategy is just another component in creating a campus for the future and a smart campus – one that’s going to be fit for purpose, not just for now but for the future. It will be an exemplar of what we can do, not only in terms of providing a campus fit for the future for our students and our staff, but also in terms of the research we can do to demonstrate new ideas and new technology.”
