Wednesday 15-01-2025 - 09:55

 

We’ve received our baseline greenhouse gas footprint report to guide our journey towards reducing our carbon footprint, and now we need your help!

 

 

Small World Consulting (a company based on campus) completed the Greenhouse Gas analysis during the 2023/24 academic year, with the analysis looking at LUSU data for the 2022/23 financial year as an indicative year. This is because there were no specific carbon reduction measures known to have taken place during this given year, so the report acts as a good baseline for future action.

The report identifies the total and breakdown of Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG) associated with LUSU operations. GHG emissions are often and more commonly discussed as ‘Carbon’ emissions. LUSU’s greenhouse gas footprint (or Carbon Footprint) is expressed in tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalent (CO2e), which expresses the footprint associated with emissions of a range of gases with global warming potential as a sum of the equivalent of their output as Carbon Dioxide.

LUSU’s Total GHG footprint for 2022/23 was 2,093.4 tonnes CO2e. To put this figure into perspective and scale, Lancaster University’s carbon footprint in the same academic year was 71,406 tonnes CO2e.

Breaking it down, LUSU’s carbon emissions split into some of the most significant spending categories as 59.6% for Food and drink resale, 18.1% Housing fuel and energy use and 14.1% Other operational procurement. Of the 59.6% of the total GHG footprint resulting from  the resale of food and drink, 96.4% was contributed by the purchase of food for LUSU Shop (formerly Central, 57.5% total GHG emissions) and the remaining 3.6% as drink purchased for resale by The Sugarhouse (2.1% total GHG emissions). Other breakdowns include 75.5% of the 18.1% for Housing fuel and energy use as gas used in LUSU Living properties (13.7% total GHG emissions), and LUSU premises, that’s The Sugarhouse, LUSU Shop and the LUSU Offices, accounted for 5.8% total GHG emissions.

See the report in full for the full breakdown and subsequent pages for a detailed breakdown of each spend category.

The report comes with some inaccuracies in SU activity but acts as a great foundation for targeting our carbon reduction efforts. There are a number of recommendations for the Union’s next steps, but we want input from you to guide us in prioritising what we do next.

As a result, we will be hosting a Carbon Conference in Summer Term to discuss with students our next steps in a two-part event:
•    Part 1: Presenting the carbon audit and its findings.
•    Part 2: Workshopping how you would approach reducing the Union’s carbon footprint.

The same discussion will be presented to Union Assembly sub-committees (e.g. Presidents Committee, Sport Committee, Societies Committee, Faculty Forums, etc.) during Lent Term.

Concurrently an informed session with the Trustee Board will be held to go through the carbon impact assessment with a professional, so that members of the Trustee Board understand the extent of LUSU’s carbon footprint, and what tangible steps the Union can take to achieve such things based on the SWC Carbon Footprint Report.

The Board can then action steps to reduce the Union’s carbon impact following the above, with student consultation taken from the Carbon Conference and discussion with Union Assembly sub-committees. The aim is to implement a series of changes that reduce the Union’s carbon footprint in the most substantial way with due consideration of its impact to the Union’s financial position. If desired, the Union can also employ SWC in a future academic year (suggested 25/26) to complete another carbon audit to:
•    Analyse the impact of carbon reduction measures set out by trustee board following analysis of previous audit and recommendations from students.