Scope 3

Reducing the environmental impact of our purchasing, travel, food, digital services and day-to-day activity.

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Scope 3 emissions account for around 90 per cent of the University’s total carbon footprint. These are the emissions linked to everything we buy, the services we use, the food we provide, the travel we undertake and the way our operations are supported by supply chains around the world. Because these emissions sit outside our direct control, reducing them is complex and depends on clear data, strong governance and the actions of thousands of people across our community.

Our long-term ambition is to reach net zero Scope 3 emissions by 2045. To make progress towards this goal, we have introduced a system of Scope 3 checkpoints: specific milestones to be reached by 2030 across the areas where the University has the most influence. These checkpoints provide structure, transparency and a way of tracking change in parts of our footprint that are often harder to measure. They guide decisions, improve data quality and support consistent reductions over time.

Our approach focuses on improving procurement practices, working more closely with suppliers, reducing the impact of business and commuting travel, shifting to lower-carbon food choices, improving lab sustainability, reducing waste and extending the lifecycle of IT equipment. Alongside this, we are strengthening behaviour-change activity, local sustainability action planning and staff and student engagement. As our evidence base grows, we will continue to refine our interventions and target the areas of highest impact.

Scope 3 emissions are challenging, but they represent our greatest opportunity. By combining better data, smarter procurement, cultural change and clear checkpoints, we are building the foundations for long-term reductions and a credible pathway to net zero by 2045.

Scope 3 checkpoints for 2030

Business travel
  • Remain within an annual carbon budget of 8,000 tonnes CO₂e.
  • Review the budget in 2030 to assess opportunities for further reduction.
Commuting
  • Reduce emissions by 70% from 2018/19 levels.
Capital projects (construction)
  • Remain within a five-year carbon budget of 25,000 tonnes CO₂e.
  • Review the budget in 2030.
Capital asset management
  • Establish a baseline for embodied carbon by 2028.
  • Agree a five-year carbon budget by 2028.
  • Remain within the agreed budget by 2030.
Food
  • Achieve ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) for food-related emissions by 2030.
IT equipment and services
  • Reduce emissions by 30% from the 2018/19 baseline (subject to confirmation following further data work).
Regular purchases (e.g. furniture, textiles, non-lab consumables)
  • Reduce emissions by 75% from the 2018/19 baseline by 2030.
Other supply chain categories
  • Identify and define additional emissions categories requiring targets by 2030.
Lab consumables
  • Reduce emissions by 30% from the 2018/19 baseline by 2030.
Lab capital equipment
  • Establish a five-year carbon budget by 2030.
Investments
  • Measure and report investment-related emissions by 2030.

While these checkpoints set out the specific milestones we aim to reach by 2030, they are not the full set of actions or commitments we are taking in these areas. Each theme across our sustainability strategy - from travel and procurement to food, laboratories, digital services and construction - includes wider targets, policies and programmes that support progress towards net zero. For a complete picture of the work underway, please visit the relevant webpages within each section of this site.

Our sustainability strategy

We have set the principles and direction for our sustainability strategy 

Discover our approach