HE provider environmental information 2021/22
65% of UK HE providers who submitted data saw reductions in their Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in 2021/22.
133 HE providers submitted carbon emissions data to HESA through the optional Estates management record for the year 2021/22. The total Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions for these providers stood at 1.4 million tonnes CO2.
Of the 130 HE providers who submitted data for the past two years, 85 (65%) saw a decrease in emissions. 128 providers reported their total energy consumption in both years, of which 78 (61%) saw an increase in energy usage.
108 providers reported on-site generation of solar electricity totalling 19.1 Gigawatt hours in 2021/22. On-site wind energy generation totalled 7.5 Gigawatt hours from only six providers. Total reported energy consumption was 7.2 Terawatt hours.
The Estates management record is a statutory requirement for HE providers in Wales but is optional for HE providers in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. With many in the sector looking to improve environmental sustainability, HESA is working to facilitate UK-wide reporting that will support the UK’s tertiary education sector in the race to decarbonise its operations.
As well as energy and emissions the open data publication HE Provider Data: Estates Management includes data on the area of universities’ buildings and grounds, water consumption, waste, recycling, transport, and environmental management.
Notes
- Carbon emission figures relate to Scope 1 and 2 emissions excluding emissions from supply chain, transport and waste. Scope 3 emissions figures are included separately in the Environmental information statistics tables for most HE providers.
- See Definitions: Estates management for full definitions of terms used in the release and explanation of the coverage of statistics.
- HESA is now part of Jisc. Jisc is now the data controller of personal data previously controlled by HESA. Privacy information on the HESA website has been updated.
- Jisc cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived from the data by third parties.
