Carbon Management

Net Zero 2050

The Open University has committed to Net Zero 2050

This means that The Open University will:

• set Science Based Targets (SBT) in line with the 1.5-degree trajectory recommended by the Paris Climate Agreement;
• across the full value chain – Scope 1 (all direct GHG emissions), Scope 2 (indirect GHG emissions from electricity consumption) and Scope 3 (GHG emissions from water, waste, travel and the extraction and production of purchased materials and outsourced activities).

We shall transparently measure and annually report our carbon emissions following the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (the internationally recognised standard for corporate carbon reporting).

In December 2020, we started working with the Carbon Trust to produce a Net Zero plan with interim targets which we aim to publish in stages during the course of this year.

This builds on our work to measure and reduce our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions since 2010 and signals an expansion of our commitment to meet the urgent call of the International Panel on Climate Change.

Energy consumption:

During 2018/19 The Open University reduced overall Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions by more than 750 tonnes. The Carbon Management Plan (https://www.open.ac.uk/about/estates/carbon-management) has been the main driver of this progress, with the total percentage reduction across the whole estate increasing to 53.7% (from a 2005 baseline).

• Electricity consumption reduced by 1.2% to 16,151 MWh in 2018/19.

• Gas consumption reduced by 7.9% to 16,084 MWh in 2018/19.

During 2018/19 the Open University’s carbon emissions reduced by 10% to 7127 tCO2e. The reduction in carbon emissions means that the University has achieved the Carbon Management plan target of a 36% reduction by 2020/21 against the baseline year of 2005.  It contributes to the targets set by the Climate Change Act and the targets set for higher education by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), now the Office for Students (OfS).

This work feeds into the OU's support of the above UN Sustainable Development Goals.