Carbon, energy and water
We are proud to be supporting the Greater Manchester carbon revolution which will transform Greater Manchester into a world-leading greener, cleaner, climate resilient city region, improving the health and quality of life for millions of people and protecting our green spaces and environment for future generations.
In line with the science-based target for Greater Manchester, the university is committed to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2038.
By 2038, the University of Salford will have achieved a decarbonised campus, with scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions reduced by 96% from the 2005/2006 baseline, marking a transformative shift towards a sustainable, low-carbon future. Fossil fuels will be a practice of the past, replaced by clean, renewable energy sources such as air source heat pumps and solar photovoltaics. State-of-the-art building management systems will optimise energy use across high-performing, energy-efficient buildings. An energy-conscious culture will be deeply ingrained, with the entire university community actively participating in and benefiting from these decarbonisation efforts, positioning the institution as a leader in the critical transition to a sustainable tomorrow.
In alignment with our overarching Environmental Sustainability Policy we make a commitment to achieving continual improvement of our energy and water performance and energy management system using the ISO 50001 framework to which our system was certified to in late 2019. Our Energy and Water Policy sets out our approach.
Our Energy, Water and Carbon Management Plan
In 2011, we launched our first Carbon Management Plan with targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 43% by September 2020 compared to a 2005/06 baseline. As of end of academic year 2022/23 we had already reduced our scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 70%. This has been achieved partly through reductions in energy use through investment, partly through reductions in the grid electricity emissions factor, and also partly through our divestment of our student accommodation in 2007/08.
Our Net Zero Carbon Plan builds on our significant progress in carbon reduction to ensure we can achieve our objective of an 81% reduction in scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030 and work towards net zero carbon by 2038 in line with the Greater Manchester carbon reduction strategy.
The University of Salford Net Zero Carbon Plan.
This plan is under regular review using our Net Zero Carbon Planning Tool.
Scope 3 carbon emissions account for nearly 90% of the University’s total emissions and we recognise the impact of these emissions and have committed to improving our monitoring and measuring of these and setting reduction targets where possible.
View our Addendum to our Energy, Water and Carbon Management Plan with our baseline and targets for our Scope 3 emissions.