The Scottish Government passed the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. This has committed the Government to achieving a demanding national CO2e reduction target of 80% by 2050 (against a 1990 baseline) with an interim target of 42% by 2020. Key to the legislation is Section 44 – ‘’Public Bodies Duties Regulations’’, by which public bodies are legally obliged to contribute to the delivery of the Act’s emission targets (EAUC, 2015).
A key delivery mechanism for the ‘’Public Bodies Duties Regulations’’ was the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment (UCCCfS). As a part of the UCCCfS, universities are committed to monitoring, reporting, and reducing carbon emissions associated with university operations. Between the years of 2007/8 and 2010/11 all Scottish higher education institutions became signatories of the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment (UCCCfS). Many universities also took part in the Carbon Trust’s Carbon Management Programme. This assisted universities in creating an organisational strategy and practical project list that each institution would implement over a period of approximately five years in order to achieve carbon emissions reductions. The emission reductions were then noted against a baseline year for emission which varied between 2006/07 to 2009/10 for various higher institutes(EUAC, 2015).
The University of Strathclyde was the first Scottish University to complete the Carbon Trust Carbon Management Programme, producing a Carbon Management Strategy and Implementation Plan in 2006 (CMP2006). In February 2009 the University of Strathclyde became a signatory of the 'Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland' (UCCCfS). Through 2010 the University participated in the “Carbon Management Revisited” programme, a Carbon Trust initiative designed to refresh an organisation’s Carbon Management Plan. The Carbon Management Implementation Plan 2011 (CMIP2011) provides a review against the CMP2006 and demonstrates the significant progress made by the University of Strathclyde. It also set out, in detail, the actions which would be taken over the next five years to manage greenhouse gas emissions. The CO2 emissions baseline for 2009/10 is quantified entirely from scope one and scope two emissions sources. Scope one and two emissions have significant short term legislative and financial implications for the University and the CMIP2011 focuses strongly on the abatement strategy for these sources (University of Strathclyde, 2011).
In terms of long term plans, the University aims to reduce its baseline greenhouse gas emission by 50% by 2030 (University of Strathclyde, 2016).
For the purposes of the project, the 50% CO2 reduction by 2030 represents an interim aim consistent with national legislation that is typical of many universities across the country. It is a date that is close enough to require immediate action while being far enough in the future to allow time to implement the changes necessary to achieve the target.
EUAC (2015) Scottish Universities Carbon Management Performance Review Project.[pdf] Available at: http://www.eauc.org.uk/file_uploads/scottish_universities_cmp_review_project.pdf (Accessed: 5 March 2016)
University of Strathclyde (2011) Carbon Management Plan. [pdf]Available at: https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/ps/estatesmanagement/sustainability/UoS_CMIP_2011.pdf (Accessed: 7 March 2016).
University of Strathclyde (2016) Performance Targets [webpage]. Available at: http://www.strath.ac.uk/sustainablestrathclyde/carbonmanagement/performancetargets/ (Accessed: 5 March 2016)