Keele University Achieves Carbon Trust Standard

The Carbon Trust Standard is the world’s only initiative that requires an organisation to take action themselves by reducing their own carbon emissions year-on-year.

Martyn Wilde, Energy Manager, Commercial and Facilities Management Directorate, Estates, said: “We’re delighted to have the Carbon Trust Standard symbol. It is a great way of showing that we have taken action on climate change and communicating our environmental credentials. Cutting carbon is a priority for us and we have cut our carbon emissions by 3 % as part of the initiative. It shows that we are at the forefront when it comes to tackling climate change and have taken action ourselves by reducing the carbon emissions that we are directly responsible for.”

Initiatives at the Staffordshire-based university included a major boiler and control replacement programme, improvements to building fabric, upgrading of lighting in a number of areas across campus, considerable replacement of aged water mains, disciplined approach to maintaining energy related control equipment, staff awareness campaign to reduce end user electricity consumption, piloting solar hot water generation in halls of residence and regimented approach with utility management, which have helped to achieve this reduction.

Tom Delay, CEO of the Carbon Trust said: “We congratulate Keele University in achieving the Carbon Trust Standard and challenge other organisations to follow their example and prove that they too are taking tangible steps to fight climate change.”

The Carbon Trust Standard was launched in June 2008 with the support of Environment Secretary Hilary Benn and Dragon’s Den entrepreneur Deborah Meaden.