SCOTTISH universities have the highest carbon footprint per student in the UK with Edinburgh topping the table for the amount of waste and carbon it produces, according to a new report.
The figures are laid out in the latest report from the DTP technology group which shows that universities in Scotland would need to plant around 8.2 million trees to offset their carbon emissions.
Edinburgh University comes off worst in the report, with emissions totalling 64,525,797.96 kg of CO2 and the total volume of waste water at 287,892 cubic metres, meaning that 2,581,031trees would have to be planted to offset the damage.
The university has pointed to its responsibilities including running supercomputers on behalf of the UK.
Together the Scottish universities have the highest per-student carbon footprint in the UK at 853 Kg CO2e, indicating an urgent need for further action towards sustainability, according to the report.
“Scottish universities, like their counterparts across the UK, must take this opportunity to lead the way in sustainability, demonstrating that a more sustainable future is not only necessary but entirely achievable,” it states.
“Universities have a crucial role due to their impact on society and ability to inspire future generations.”
According to the DTP data, a single university generates 10,778,986kg of Scope 1 and 2 emissions alone and wastes 127,644m3 of water, as well as amassing 1914 tonnes of waste. Scope 1 emissions are the direct emissions that come straight from a company’s operations while Scope 2 emissions are connected to the energy they buy and use.
The 133 UK universities analysed collectively generate 665 landfills’ worth of carbon per year – the equivalent of leaving the engine running in 813,774 cars for a whole year. While planting trees is not the only solution to becoming carbon neutral, each university would have to plant 36 trees per student, every year, to become carbon neutral, demonstrating the breadth of the issue.
The report picks out some institutions for leading the way such as London Metropolitan University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and York St. John University which have each scored 100% in carbon reduction in the People & Planet University League for carbon reduction.
A University of Edinburgh spokesperson said: “We are committed to becoming a net zero university by 2040 and to tackling climate change across all of our activities. Our commitment includes making our estate carbon neutral but also what we buy and invest in, the teaching and research we undertake and our partnerships.
“We are the second largest university estate in the UK by reported Gross Internal Area and our energy consumption is also influenced by the energy intensive nature of our research and by our commitment to run national facilities such as supercomputers on behalf of the UK.
“We are currently updating our climate strategy to respond to the climate emergency and are moving forward with plans to sequester more than one million tonnes of carbon dioxide.
“We announced our full divestment from fossil fuels at the start of 2021 and introduced a sustainable travel policy in 2022 with a presumption against mainland UK flights. We launched our flagship Edinburgh Earth Initiative in 2021 and are actively supporting the City of Edinburgh’s plans to make Edinburgh a net zero city.
“Our climate action has been recognised with numerous awards from our peers at UK and global level but we recognise there is more to do in the face of the climate emergency we all face.”
A spokesperson for Universities Scotland said: “Universities are fundamental in turning the environmental challenges we face into opportunities. This includes a role in building a just transition to net zero, developing people with the skills for the future green economy and the technologies that will enable us to thrive in a sustainable way.
"Between 2019/20 and 2020/21, total reported emissions for the Scottish higher education sector reduced by 52,099 tonnes of CO2e, or 15%.
“The drive to innovate and to deliver cutting-edge research in sectors like technology and health is energy intensive and many universities host key facilities such as supercomputers.
“Another key consideration is that many university buildings, dating from the 1960s and 70s, have exceeded their life expectancy and are highly energy inefficient. For the sector to make its fullest contribution to Scotland meeting its carbon emissions targets, buildings need to refurbished or replaced.
"In 2019, Audit Scotland estimated the value of the backlog of maintaining the university estate at £937 million as government support for this has been cut drastically.”
