Climate Action Plan
Change the way we operate
In 2021, we committed to:
- net zero total emissions by 2040 – a decade earlier than UK government targets net zero direct emissions by 2030
- net zero direct emissions by 2030.
We have a strong track record of carbon reduction. In the last decade, we've reduced our emissions from utilities by 54%. We do not send any waste to landfill; it’s either recycled or used to produce energy.
Our net zero carbon pledges are far-reaching across our curriculum and through interactions within the Higher Education sector. We’re empowering students, staff and our creative community, to innovate and imagine a decarbonised future. Through collaboration with other universities, we’ll learn what’s working on the path to net zero.
We need to embed environmental stewardship across our estates, business operations and communities. We need purposeful policies which connect across UAL departments and sites.
What we’ll do
- Set Science-Based Targets to chart our emissions reduction pathway. This is in line with the latest climate science and within a just share of the Global Carbon Budget.
- Change how and what we consume as a university.
- Reduce direct sources of carbon emissions – aiming to reach net zero direct emissions by 2030.
- Reduce indirect sources of carbon emissions; to reach net zero by 2040.
- Commit ourselves to climate justice in our job roles.
What we've done so far
- Produced detailed inventories of our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, in line with Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol and HESCET reporting frameworks.
- Produced an annual Carbon Management Plan (PDF 5.1MB) that explains how we manage carbon reduction. This includes how it’s adjusted each year, according to budgets and operational changes.
- Committed to be a pilot institution in The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education's initiative. The initiative is developing 'Science-Based Target Framework Guidance'.
- Adapted and piloted University College London’s (UCL) Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework in our workshops and technical facilities at Central Saint Martins.
- Undertaken a research project into student and staff mobility, particularly international travel.
- Piloted a project in our library services to remove all plastic book covers.
