Help make the University’s Climate Strategy better by responding to our consultation. In our 2016 Climate Strategy, the university committed to become net zero by 2040 by eliminating avoidable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestering any unavoidable emissions. We also set out a whole institution approach to climate mitigation and adaptation across our research, learning & teaching, estates and operations, procurement and investments. Yet as the various environmental crises deepen, we recognise the necessity of a step change in effort and urgency and we plan to update our strategy accordingly in 2024. Image What could our sustainable campus look like in the future?\nImage enhanced using Artificial Intelligence (AI). Original photo: Laurence Winram. Let's make our Climate Strategy better To ensure that the University maintains its leadership position, and to realise the benefits of collaborative action, we established four working groups in 2022 to explore a revised approach in each of Operations, Research, Learning and Teaching, and Partnerships. Over 80 academic and professional services colleagues from across the University worked together through these groups over seven months to identify potential deliverable actions commensurate to the size of the external challenges. We are currently considering three key recommendations from the working groups that will inform a successor for the current Climate Strategy: Rebalance our focus, from operational carbon reductions to increase the emphasis on the positive impacts of research, partnerships and learning and teaching to reflect the potential for impact in these areas Widen the focus, strengthening efforts on biodiversity, water scarcity, and chemical pollution, bringing ambitions in line with our approach to climate change, sufficient to address the magnitude of these interrelated crises. Set science-aligned interim targets, thus ensuring our net zero carbon target takes a science-aligned approach, in support of our existing 2040 goal. Our Climate Strategy principles Urgency: The urgency of the climate and nature emergencies mean that we will accelerate climate and biodiversity action across the University as quickly as possible. Led by the Science: As a globally leading scientific institution we will be guided by the best available evidence, reporting standards, and expert engagement. We will follow international best practice and draw on world-leading expertise from across the University. Whole Institution Approach: We recognise that as an institution we must maximise the opportunities for impact across research, learning and teaching as well as addressing our operational impacts. Transparency: Clearly communicating the objectives and opportunities of the Climate Strategy successor is paramount in our large and diverse University community. Likewise, our alumni, external stakeholders and the public all need to have clarity on what we are doing, how, and why. We will provide accessible reporting on all aspects of the strategy. Just Transition: All action designed to address the climate and nature emergencies must also be considered within the context of achieving a resilient, sustainable and just transition to net zero. We will engage closely with staff, students and communities to ensure the opportunities for their involvement and benefit are maximised throughout. Our Climate Strategy vision The University will embed climate action into all of our key strategies and activities - from learning, teaching, research, innovation and partnerships to estates design and use, IT and energy use, from travel and procurement to our investments. We will become aligned to the requirements of climate science in reducing our emissions at pace and will successfully deliver our net zero by 2040 target. We will be a local leader and international exemplar, working with partners around the world to play our part in researching, designing and delivering world leading climate solutions. Respond to our consultation We are holding a four-week consultation to seek the views of staff and students on our proposed updates. We are keen to know if you support our direction of travel and what you think our priorities should be across: net zero learning and teaching research and innovation partnerships operations nature and biodiversity water scarcity and chemical pollution our people and culture. The consultation closed on Monday 18 December 2023 at 12 noon. Document Preview: Climate Strategy consultation 2023 (550.4 KB / PDF) At the end of the consultation, you can enter a prize draw for one of ten £50 gift vouchers for Love2shop to thank you for your time. The University will collect and analyse responses to this consultation and town hall events (below) in January 2024. These inputs will be collated into a recommendations report to inform the development and finalisation of the new Climate Strategy in 2024. Attend a Town Hall event We will be holding a series of town hall events where you can hear more about our proposed approach, ask questions and share your views. All staff and students are welcome to attend. Monday 20 November, 6pm to 8pm (Potterrow, in collaboration with the Students' Association) - book on Students' Association website Thursday 23 November, 11:30am to 12:30pm (Kings Buildings) Tuesday 28 November, 11am to 12pm (online) Wednesday 29 November, 12pm to 1pm (Central) Monday 4 December, 11am to 12pm (online) Book your place [University login required] More information Zero by 2040, our 2016 Climate Strategy Read "Zero by 2040", our 2016 Climate Strategy Principal Peter Mathieson: what does sustainability mean to you? (video, 2018) Climate progress to date The University has made major progress in delivering a wide range of commitments on climate change, biodiversity and circular economy leading to our QS sustainability rankings of first in Europe and fourth globally. Our emissions continue to fall despite strong organisational growth, and we are actively delivering on major commitments such as carbon sequestration via forests and peatlands. Our 2021/22 carbon emissions University ranks first in UK for sustainability Notable successes Fossil Fuel Divestment In 2021, the University completed full divestment from fossil fuels, marking a significant milestone on its journey to net zero and becoming the largest university endowment in the UK to be free of direct fossil fuel investment. By transitioning away from investments in fossil fuel, the University’s investment portfolio now reflects its commitment to tackling the climate crisis and is focussed on lower carbon products and other investment types that are socially and environmentally responsible. By 2018 the carbon intensity (emissions per million invested) of our directly held shares was estimated to have fallen by over 90% from a peak in 2006. Edinburgh Earth Initiative The Edinburgh Earth Initiative (EEI) was launched in 2021 to drive a step change in University engagements with global climate and sustainability challenges. It resources interdisciplinary research, extends our global partnerships, and supports transformative learning experiences for those most impacted by the climate and environmental crisis. The work of EEI aims to ensure that our research and teaching has the greatest possible positive impact on climate and environmental by 2030. Fastblade In 2021, the School of Engineering in partnership with Babcock International, launched FastBlade, the world’s first test facility that uses regenerative hydraulic technology to offer high-quality, low-cost fatigue testing of tidal blades and other composite structures for research and product development. FastBlade will help secure Scotland’s lead in marine energy and exemplifies the University of Edinburgh’s leadership in research on an industrial site. The facility was developed ‘for industry and with industry’ and will deliver new jobs and attract businesses to Scotland for composites products and tidal blade development. Scottish Climate Intelligence Service Work with the City of Edinburgh led to a collaboration across all of Scotland’s cities through the Scottish Cities Alliance, and to the formation of the Scottish Climate Intelligence Service, a national programme supporting Scottish Government and all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities to deliver area-wide programmes of emissions reduction essential to meeting Scotland’s climate change targets and to the global response to climate change. Climate Solutions Open Access Course The University delivers many courses on climate and sustainability, both as part of the curriculum and as a series of MOOCs, such as our Climate Solutions course which is available in English, Arabic and Hindi with versions focused on Egypt, India, Malawi and the UAE and has been accessed by over 6,500 learners to date. Sustainable Campus Fund Our Sustainable Campus Fund was established in 2016 as an internal investment vehicle to provide financing within the University for implementing: energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability projects that generate cost savings. Over £1.25m of projects were funded in the first two years, which yielded financial savings of £370,000 and carbon savings of 1,300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum. This strong performance led to an increase in overall investment in the Fund to £4.75m over five years. Sustainable Travel Policy A new Sustainable Travel Policy was launched University wide in February 2022. The policy requires the consideration of ‘climate conscious travel’, a presumption against the use of first-class travel for aviation, and a presumption against mainland UK flights. We are analysing the combined impact of the policy alongside Covid-19 in changing travel patterns and early indications show that the trend pre-2019 for ever increasing travel volumes and emissions has been halted. Forests & Peatland Programme The University has made a long-term commitment to capture and store its unavoidable carbon emissions from travel, by expanding forests and restoring peatlands in Scotland to sequester and mitigate over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and create positive benefits for nature. We have purchased 431 hectares at Drumbrae in Stirlingshire, which will be the first of several sites where we will create woodland and improve open habitats to sequester the emissions arising from our travel. The programme also presents significant partnership opportunities for research, teaching, and community benefits. You can find out more about the programme here. Publication date 16 Oct, 2023
