Top Posts
African climate change projects secure major funding
Former French PM urges China, Europe to unite...
NDDC, FOSDO launch tree-planting campaign to address climate...
WHO unveils an ambitious blueprint for action on...
New report shows nearly 900 million poor people...
Lagos to Host 2025 International Climate Change Summit
New study shows overheating world will add 57...
NAICOM urges W’African insurers to invest in climate...
Climate change: Nigeria, development partners launch Net Zero...
Nigeria launches net zero project to fight climate...
EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World
World

Data shows UK Universities failing to hit carbon reduction targets

by Segun Ogunlade December 7, 2022
written by Segun Ogunlade December 7, 2022
594

A Campaign group in the UK has called for institutions to be accountable via short-term assessments after the majority of universities failed to meet their carbon reduction targets, figures reveal as the sector had a goal to reduce emissions directly controlled by institutions by 43% between 2005-06 and 2020-21.

According to the estate’s management record at the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 59% did not meet this target This data has been used by the People and Planet University League to rank universities’ efforts to reduce carbon.

This year, Cardiff Metropolitan University topped the league table for the first time with a 65% decrease in emissions over the 15-year timeframe while Oxbridge slipped down the carbon rankings and the University of Oxford and Cambridge have fallen to 40th and 86th respectively.

Read also: Deforestation: EU law bans goods linked to destruction of trees

“It is disappointing to see that 59% of UK universities have failed to achieve the carbon reduction target. This highlights the importance of holding the sector accountable via short-term assessments of actual reductions in carbon emissions, rather than celebrating net zero target-setting, which are often vague on how offsetting will be achieved,” said Jack Ruane, the university league manager at People and Planet.

Speaking further, he said that divestment from fossil fuels remains a tricky proposition for higher education institutions and only 33% of universities (50 of 153) have a commitment to fully screen out all fossil fuel investments written into a valid policy while a further 10 universities have partial commitments.

Available data shows that Only 7% (11) have made a commitment in policy to directly reinvest in community renewable energy and/or renewable energy projects on campus. Only 3% of the sector (four) have committed to cutting recruitment ties to the fossil fuel and mining industries.

Despite 100 UK universities having now publicly announced the exclusion of fossil fuel companies from their investment portfolios, just 60 have enshrined this commitment in a valid policy document. Concerningly, this is a significant drop from 76 last year.

“Severing investment ties with the fossil fuel industry is an important first step for universities to act upon their responsibility to communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis and fossil fuel extraction impacts. We hope to see a sharp increase in policy exclusions in next year’s league in line with this,” said Laura Clayson, the climate justice campaigns manager at People and Planet.

Story was adapted from the Guardian.

Carbon reductionTargetsUKUniversities
0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
admineconai

previous post
Deforestation: EU law bans goods linked to destruction of trees
next post
Environmentalist seeks political unity to combat climate change

Related Posts

Former French PM urges China, Europe to unite...

October 22, 2025

WHO unveils an ambitious blueprint for action on...

October 20, 2025

New report shows nearly 900 million poor people...

October 20, 2025

New study shows overheating world will add 57...

October 16, 2025

Heaviest monsoon in a decade kills 458 people...

October 9, 2025

Council releases first fully electric bin lorry

October 9, 2025

Study shows US asthma inhalers produce same emissions...

October 7, 2025

Pope Leo hits out at climate change critics

October 3, 2025

Protesters seek $5tr payment from fossil fuel companies

October 1, 2025

UN official says climate change displaces up to...

September 30, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Bloglovin
  • Vimeo

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Eco-Nai+

EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World