How can Further & Higher Education establishments reduce energy & carbon?
The Coalition Government is committed to create ‘the greenest government ever’, in line with our national and international commitments to reducing carbon emissions as set out in the Climate Change Act 2008 - 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, against a 1990 baseline.
The following areas are highlighted as the most viable interventions in terms of scale of impact and cost-effectiveness for the sector:
• Environmental management systems – incorporating waste, water, transport etc
• Building energy and space management;
• Building fabric upgrade;
• Efficient energy supply (combined heat and power (CHP)/tri-generation, district heating);
• Renewable energy;
• Lights and electric appliances (including information and communication technologies (ICT);
• Behavioural change and new ways of working.
Currently the annual energy costs for the Further Education (FE) & Higher Education (HE) sector alone are around £200 million, resulting in CO² emissions of around 31/2 million tonnes per year. The Government believes it is, possible to reduce these emissions by around 20 per cent.
The HE sector in England committed to the government targets for carbon emission reductions of 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, against a 1990 baseline. This is equivalent to a reduction in the HE sector of 0.606 MtCO2 by 2020, and 1.426 MtCO2 by 2050, against a 1990 baseline.
Key milestones for reduction have been set in line with the five-year national carbon budgets and consist of a one per cent increase by 2012, and then a 18 per cent reduction by 2017, against a 1990 baseline.
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This agenda, therefore, incorporates the full remit of energy usage, transportation, water consumption and waste, environmental management and broader construction issues.
Source: Gov Today