Carbon Management Plan

Read our Carbon Management Plan 2016-2026

In 2015 Swansea University, previously a single campus university based at Singleton Park, Swansea, opened the Bay Campus, a £450m, 65 acre expansion project, and became a dual campus university.

Due to this substantial change in our facilities and population, we agreed with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales that 2015 – 2016 be established as the relevant representative Carbon Management Plan (CMP) baseline year. Thus our 2016-2026 plan succeeded our previous 2010 – 2020 Carbon Management Plan and was approved by the University's Senior Management Team and Finance Committee.

The Carbon Management Plan Provides:

clearly defined short, medium and long-term SMART carbon reduction targets (e.g. 3.5% annually and 35% by 2026)
a framework of carbon reduction measures, investments required and expected savings (e.g. lower carbon development strategy and lower carbon mindset, including communications and training)
clarity on carbon management governance, roles and responsibilities
a commitment to monitor and structure carbon reporting progress towards the targets publically and annually (i.e. scope 1, 2 and 3)
signposts to supporting documentation (e.g. Sustainability Strategy and Travel Plan)
reports and targets; and sets out reduction measures for scope 3 emissions.

Read Our Carbon Management Plan Now

How Do We Measure the Effectiveness of Our Plan?

Each year, as part of our ISO14001 Environmental Management System, we report on progress against our plan. This reporting of our achievements takes place at the University’s Corporate Responsibility Committee, which is chaired by Swansea University’s Registrar and Chief Operating Officer and attended by staff, students and trade union representatives.

Want to Get Involved?

Developing “A Lower Carbon Mindset” is one of our five core Carbon Management Plan reduction themes, which focuses on student and staff engagement in carbon monitoring, management and reduction.

To achieve our goal of lowering carbon emissions by 35% by 2026. we must engage the whole university community in carbon management.

Through the following projects we are unlocking our student and staff potential to lower our energy consumption, whilst informing and inspiring future generations to have a lower carbon mind set.

The Student Energy Project

In 2016, we were the first university in Wales to engage energy-saving scheme, The Student Energy Project (TSEP) at our Singleton Park Campus halls of residence to help us lower our carbon footprint and provide energy cost-savings. In the first year of operation, TSEP recorded a 4% lowering of our electrical energy consumption, equating to 60,000 kWh of savings.

What is TSEP?

When you register your room with TSEP you can easily monitor your energy and water usage. The scheme offers simple energy saving tips such as using natural light instead of having the lights on and turning off appliances when not in use. If you use less energy than expected, you earn points which you can cash in, in exchange for some fantastic rewards.

How can I get involved with TSEP?

Getting involved with TSEP is simple. You just have to register your room. Once you've registered you can get involved through competitions, volunteering, online courses and there are even job opportunities through TSEP.

Become a TSEP Rep

If you're really keen, you could become a TSEP rep and help us encourage other students to sign up to the scheme. In return for your commitment, you get a free hoodie, cash bonuses and work experience in an energy sector company.

You can watch a video about TSEP here and find out more here.

Blackout - Swansea University's Switch It Off Campaign

Every year at Swansea University, we run a university-wide campaign to remind both students and staff to switch off appliances, save energy and lower carbon emissions.

During the campaign, we hold a Blackout event, during which a group of staff and student volunteers return to university buildings after dark to monitor everyone's switch off efforts. We leave sweet treats for those who switched off and polite reminders for those who need more encouragement.

Last year Blackout saved the University 9% when compared to a similar earlier weekend. Our successful annual Blackout campaign serves as a great reminder to switch off. It's a really fun event; a great way to get to know new people and socialise with fellow students and staff; and you gain valuable experience at the same time.

Getting involved in Blackout helps students work towards a Sustainability Award and allows University staff to gain valuable SWell points through the SWell engagement programme.

SWell Staff Engagement and Carbon Reduction

Through the University’s SWell programme, we reward our staff for taking a range of everyday sustainable and wellbeing-related actions.

One of the eight activity themes on SWell is “My Footprint”. Staff can earn a £5 gift voucher if they gain over 4000 points by carrying out routine activities, reducing their carbon footprint and helping the university to manage carbon and achieve our 35% reduction target.

Carbon reduction is a common thread woven through many of our other SWell engagement activities. Below is a list of other activities on SWell where carbon reduction is a driver.

Cycle to Work Scheme
Sustainable Healthy Commuting
Sustainable Healthy Campus Travel
Teleconferencing
Shop Free Week
Meat Free Monday
Recycling
Furniture Reuse
Stairs over lift
Reusable Cups
WasteFreeWednesdays

Find out more about SWell here.

We are backed by electricity generated from renewable sources

At Swansea University, we pay a renewables tariff for 100% of our grid electricity. This means we fund our electricity consumption to be supplied to the grid from renewables. Here's a breakdown of our Renewable Sources from our green tariff.

Swansea University is a proud member of the Low Carbon Swansea Bay network

Low Carbon Swansea Bay supports reduction of Swansea's carbon footprint. It'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. It's more specific aims are:

To develop and champion a coordinated approach to carbon reduction.
To ensure that reductions are measurable and meet or exceed national targets.
To maximise opportunities for carbon reduction projects in the region to access resources and share good practice.

View our Low Carbon Swansea Member Certification.