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Story Posted: 01 June 2007

Roehampton University is to cut its carbon footprint.

Roehampton University is set to cut its carbon footprint and reduce energy bills by joining phase three of the Carbon Trust’s Higher Education Carbon Management (HECM) programme.

One of just 15 universities across England and Scotland to participate in this phase of the Carbon Trust’s programme, the HECM programme is designed specifically for universities and higher education colleges, providing them with practical advice on cutting their carbon emissions and reducing energy costs.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Chris Cobb said the programme would see the implementation of a carbon management strategy: “This is a real effort to reduce our carbon footprint through simple awareness raising and physical improvements to our infrastructure. It should also open up matched funding opportunities for more costly investments.”

“Through working in close partnership with the Carbon Trust on their Higher Education Carbon Management programme, we will develop a strategy and a set of practical actions that will help us to be more energy efficient. We are looking forward to saving money, reducing our carbon emissions and playing our role in the fight against climate change.”

Jonathan Horner, who is project managing Roehampton’s participation in the HECM programme said he was pleased to be representing the University in the  programme.

“It’s designed to deliver improved energy management of academic and residential accommodation as well as business travel and vehicle management. It will also provide Roehampton with practical support to identify carbon saving opportunities, software to analyse energy consumption and awareness raising workshops and materials for staff and students.”

To date, the Carbon Trust has worked with 33 universities – one third of the higher education sector – and has identified annual savings of more than £12 million and 125,000 tonnes of CO2 for the sites involved.

Richard Rugg, Public Sector Programme Manager at the Carbon Trust said that, in England alone, the higher education sector emits 3.3million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, making cutting carbon a key priority for all universities and higher education colleges.

"With the higher education sector currently spending more than £200 million on energy each year, improving energy management and therefore reducing energy bills is crucial – particularly as the money saved can be invested in valuable resources for staff and students,” he said.

“Our HECM programme is designed specifically for universities and higher education colleges, who want to establish good carbon management at every level of their organisation. Given the success of the first two phases of the programme, we’re looking forward to working with fifteen more universities to cut carbon emissions and fight climate change.” 

More information about the programme can be found www.carbontrust.co.uk/carbon/he/ .