COP26: BNU on track to be carbon net zero by 2030

Buckinghamshire New University is on track to be carbon net zero by 2030 – 20 years earlier than the Government’s target – following a series of projects that have reduced its carbon footprint by 55% since 2011.

BNU’s progress towards achieving carbon neutrality is attributed to enhanced campuses, energy savings, responsible waste management, upcycling, and environmental research that has local and international benefits. In 2019, BNU became the first university in the UK to achieve gold accreditation in a scheme which recognises sustainable and ethical businesses.

A snapshot of the projects undertaken so far are described below:

• In 2021, BNU invested £255k for photovoltaic cells places on three buildings at its High Wycombe campus. Since installation, these cells have generated 920,581 kWhs of power and generated significant cost savings.
• Installation of solar panels capable of producing up to 138,000 kWhs of energy per year, equating to an annual saving of 70 tonnes of carbon.
• The Bucks New Usage upcycling scheme redistributes used and unwanted items from student accommodation, such as bedding and small electricals. Clothing and excess items are donated locally to the YMCA or Wycombe Food Hub.
• Various environmental research through European and international projects relating to conservation and sustainability have been completed or are ongoing, including the socio-economic valuation of climate impact chains and decarbonisation pathways in European islands.

In the lead up to COP26, the United Nations Climate Change conference, more than 80 BNU students have sent a letter to local MPs in High Wycombe (Steve Baker MP) and Uxbridge (Prime Minister Boris Johnson) in support of the event and the importance of the government keeping their climate change promises. This academic year, Bucks Students' Union has several upcoming plans and campaigns in support of sustainability, which will be visible on their website.

Professor Nick Braisby, Vice-Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University, said: “As COP26 comes to Glasgow for the next fortnight, there is an increasing focus on what the UK and its educational institutions are doing to achieve carbon neutrality. BNU is proudly on track to achieve this by 2030 and, as a civic university, we will do everything we can to support and engage with local businesses and communities to help them do the same.”

BNU is one of 1050 universities and colleges from 68 countries that have signed up to the global Race to Zero pledge to half their emissions by 2030 and reach net-zero as soon as possible, impacting over 10 million students worldwide. The initiative is led by EAUC (The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education) and Second Nature with support from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at UNEP said: “The higher education system oversees significant resources in human and financial capital, and how they deploy it can have a real impact on the planet. It is inspiring to see universities and colleges play a positive role in transitioning their institutions to being net zero and nature positive. Young people want to attend universities and colleges that are driving the environmental agenda forward, now the challenge is to scale this great work up from the progressive few to a standard procedure for all.”

Tim Carter, President of Second Nature said: “Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing humanity. Colleges and universities play a vital role in helping solve the climate crisis, because, like other sectors, they have committed to institutional net zero goals. Beyond that, however, the sector enables climate actions in other sectors that share these goals. Higher education does this through research, community engagement, student activity, and aligned advocacy. It is through both acting and enabling action that the whole of higher education’s assets can be mobilized to address the challenge we are facing and why the participation of the higher education sector in the Race to Zero is so important.”  

For an overview on how universities and colleges around the world are progressing towards carbon neutrality and recommendations for doing so, please see Times Higher Education’s latest report, The Race To Zero.