Carbon neutrality pledge for six college campuses
New College Lanarkshire has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality across its six campuses in just over 20 years.
The college – which has campuses in Coatbridge, Motherwell, Hamilton, Kirkintilloch and two in the Cumbernauld area – has pledged to join the United Nations’ climate change campaign in the Race to Zero.
And it is now a signatory of t he Global Climate Letter for Universities and Colleges to achieve netzero carbon emissions, and has committed to carbon neutrality by 2042.
New College Lanarkshire joins hundreds of universities and colleges across the world in signing up to the UN’s global Race to Zero movement.
Ahead of COP26, the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, which takes place i n Glasgow in November, the college has already started to see a reduction in its carbon emissions across its campuses.
In order to sign the letter, it submitted its annual returns to the Sustainable Scotland Network as evidence of efforts to improve sustainability.
The college has cut its carbon footprint by a quarter in t he academic years between 2016-17 and 20192020.
Steps to reduce carbon emissions include a reduction in business miles, a greater emphasis on sustainable travel choices, increased use of recycling, and better energy management practices, including introduction of LED lighting.
There are also plans to replace aging fleet vehicles with electric or hybrid vehicles, and to produce a long-term replacement strategy that will consider replacing infrastructure, including boilers, lighting, plant and equipment, with products that prioritise energy efficiency.
Areas already identified for investigation include renewable energy use, such as wind or solar power on campuses, carbon off-setting projects, and investment in digital and physical infrastructure to facilitate smarter working and learning.
The college’s principal and chief executive, Professor Christopher Moore, said: “With the eyes of the world focused on our region in November, we are inviting our students and staff to help build upon the positive work already underway within our six campuses to achieve our target of net-zero emissions by 2042.
“Given the significance of climate change to the local economy and wider community, our focus on creating a sustainable, healthy and resilient future at the college will continue to inform every decision that we make.”
A working group f or sustainability will be established encouraging input from across the college in joining the Race to Zero.
Kathleen-Anne Fannan, student president for community and sustainability, added: “We have a lot of hard work going on in the background to help students get involved with making a contribution to COP26.
“Not only that, we also want to encourage our students to make more sustainable lifestyle changes that will produce huge benefits.
“Keep your eyes peeled to our MyNCL app to learn how you can get involved and help drive change.”