CO2eq footprint Ghent University
Ghent University has been calculating its carbon footprint every year since 2019. This is the sum of all the greenhouse gases we emit. With our climate plan, we aim to reduce our university's total emissions year on year. The end goal? The Paris Climate Agreement standard: net zero emissions by 2050.
Scope
The carbon footprint includes both direct and indirect emissions of various greenhouse gases, such as CO2, divided into 3 'scopes':
- Scope 1: the direct emissions of greenhouse gases on our campuses through the consumption of fuels, gas, own cars and the release of refrigerant gases
- Scope 2: indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the consumption of purchased electricity and heat produced elsewhere
- Scope 3: all other indirect emissions, mainly due to:
- Mobility, i.e. staff commuting and business trips
- Waste processing
- Indirect emissions from the activities below are not yet taken into account due to the high uncertainty and incompleteness of the available data:
What's yet not included:
- Commuter traffic and air travel by students
- Production of purchased materials, such as equipment, ICT hardware, materials, chemicals, consumables, food for the student restaurants, etc.
- Construction and renovation of buildings and paved surfaces
Allocation of CO2 emissions and evolution
Our CO2 footprint amounts to 43,781 tonnes CO2e (analysis year 2022). The vast majority of this can be attributed to energy consumption, air travel and commuting.
Allocation of CO2 footprint 2022
Evolution of CO2 footprint from 2019 to 2022
Reduction of CO2 footprint referred to 2019
|
Summary CO2 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
reductie t.o.v. 2019 |
|
Energy |
28.696 |
27.375 |
33.341 |
28.002 |
-2% |
|
Cooling agents |
555 |
555 |
555 |
555 |
0% |
|
Freight |
260 |
260 |
260 |
111 |
-57% |
|
Mobility |
25.667 |
12.345 |
11.295 |
14.162 |
-39% |
|
Direct waste streams |
626 |
626 |
626 |
951 |
+52% |
|
Total |
55.803 |
41.161 |
46.076 |
43.781 |
-19% |
Goal
Ghent University endorsed the EU ambition to become climate neutral by 2050 and translated this ambition into UGent objectives, both in terms of energy (direct emissions) and emissions from purchases and travel (indirect emissions).
It was initially decided to realise proportionate efforts in the various sectors to pursue this overall objective. At a later stage, the target could be tightened in certain sectors, in order to go slightly less far or slower in another sector.
Strategy
The trajectory for the next 10 years was made concrete with a Climate Plan. For all relevant policy plans, ambitions are set, boundaries defined and actions formulated in transition plans. The results are monitored annually by the Executive Board and actions are adjusted where necessary.