Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework Update

1st July 2022

Background

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Challenge was launched in February 2022 by the Royal Anniversary Trust. A part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Challenge is to develop a Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework for the UK higher and further education sector, as outlined in the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy.  This part of the Challenge has commissioned the EAUC to develop the Framework in partnership with the sector, with funding from the Department for Education. The 21 Queen’s Anniversary Prize winners that are taking part in the Challenge will provide feedback on the Framework before it then goes out for wider sector feedback later in the year.

Progress to date

EAUC have a working group made up of the sector to help develop the draft Framework and underlying guidance. A draft of this will be discussed at a meeting with the 21 institutions on 28 June. Following this feedback, a further iteration of the Framework will be developed. In September we will seek wider feedback from the sector, working closely with key partners such as Universities UK, Association of Colleges, Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG) and EAUC.

The Framework will set out the areas that colleges and universities should report against. The guidance will provide best practice ways to collect and measure data. The Framework is based on the GHG Protocol and is not creating a new methodology of accounting but framing the Protocol within an education setting to provide a standardised way of reporting for colleges and universities. The Framework will include Scopes 1, 2 and 3.

The Framework is the first step of establishing a reporting mechanism for the HE & FE sector. Following the recommendation of the Framework to the Department for Education, the Department will then establish a data collection portal for institutions to use. The Framework that EAUC is developing is not the data collection product.

Timelines

• June – July 2022: Draft Framework shared with the QJC 21 institutions and feedback provided
• August 2022: Next iteration of the Framework to be developed
• September – October 2022: Sector wide feedback sought through key partners
• October – November 2022: Next iteration of the Framework to be developed
• December 2022: Proposed Framework presented to the Department for Education

Additional workstream

Funded by Department for Education and PHES (AUDE/BUFDG) there is an additional element of guidance being developed which will sit alongside the Framework. This will include estimate costings for specific carbon reduction actions. This will help guide institutions to develop budgets that are aligned with their carbon plans. This piece of work is running concurrently with the above Framework but will be delivered in February 2023.



Standardised Reporting Group
To assist this work a Standardised Reporting Group has been established by the Department for Education. Membership of this group includes representatives from:

• Universities UK
• Association of Colleges
• BUFDG
• AUDE
• EAUC
• HESA
• UK Universities Climate Network
• Department for Education
• Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Team

This group meets monthly.

Notes:
Queen’s Anniversary Prize Winners are:

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Chichester College Group
• Exeter College
• Grimsby Institute
• Heriot-Watt University
• Imperial College London
• London School of Economics & Political Science
• London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Nottingham Trent University
• South West College
• Swansea University
• The Manchester College
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Bradford
• University of Glasgow
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Leeds
• University of Oxford
• University of Reading
• University of Strathclyde
• Warwickshire College

EAUC Standardised Emissions Reporting Working Group is comprised of:

• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Keele University
• King's College London
• University of Cambridge
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Lincoln
• University of Nottingham
• University of the West of England

Further information
Queen’s Anniversary Prizes 
Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Challenge 
Department for Education Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy