The Climate Emergency

Our action on the climate emergency

In 2019, we signed the 2019 Global Universities and Colleges Climate Letter, declaring a climate emergency and recognising the need for a drastic societal shift to combat the growing threat of climate change.

From 2021 onwards, our highest-level carbon and climate commitments are included in our Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy and form part of the University’s Environmental Management System (ISO 14001) and respective operational control procedures for Our Working Environment, Our Natural Environment and Our Travel.

Expand the headings below to find out more about our climate action:

Three students walking outside the Abbey on Singleton Campus

Committed to Zero Carbon

As per our Sustainability and Climate Emergency Strategy, Swansea University is committed to achieving Zero carbon for direct emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 2035, with at least a 70% reduction by 2030*. With a Scope 3 target to achieve (on average) a 2.5% year on year reduction in scope 3 emissions, 50% reduction by 2035 (35% by 2030) from a 2015 HEFCW agreed baseline.

The University currently sets an annual decarbonisation budget of £3m which is integrated into Estates projects planning and aligned with the Swansea University Decarbonisation Action Plan, Estates and Campus Services, Net Zero budget. The University COO and the Director of Estates and Campus Services (E&CS) are responsible for the decarbonisation action plan. Performance monitoring, reporting and implementation of decarbonisation interventions are managed by the Sustainability and Infrastructure Services teams.

We publicly report all scope carbon emissions annually alongside other UK HE Institutions on the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) website and publish a Path to Zero Annual Performance Report 2022 - 2023 as part of our ISO14001 Environmental Management System. Targets and performance are monitored through university annual plan performance, Environmental Management Review and strategic Sustainability Committee.

* Emissions are tracked against targets from our HEFCW agreed 2015/16 baseline year.

Divestment

The University has committed to divest from fossil fuels.

Collaborating for Action on Climate Change and Nature Recovery

Swansea University supports collective regional efforts on zero carbon as active members of:

The Climate Change and Nature Action Charter Signatories Group. Established to meet the Net Zero 2050 commitment made by UK and Welsh Government and support work to put nature into recovery. The Charter Signatories Group comprises of a wide range of organisations with a Swansea presence for action on climate and nature and supports the work of Swansea Public Services Board and Local Well-being Plan.
Low Carbon Swansea Bay (LCSB). LCSB’s overarching purpose is to develop a co-ordinated, integrated and sustainable approach to reducing carbon emissions across all sectors in Swansea and South West Wales.
Swansea Bay Healthy Travel Charter. We are committed to healthier and more sustainable forms of transport. We have signed the Swansea Healthy Travel Charter and are collaborating on its commitments to support student, staff and visitors to walk and cycle more, take public transport, and switch to electric vehicles.