The University of Sussex are set to fail to meet it’s CO2 emissions targets for the 2013/2014 academic year.

According to a report prepared for the University’s Performance Committee, which met on 28 October, it was stated that the strategic plan target of releasing 17,074 of TCO2 or less was not actually being met.

Instead, emissions of 19,963 of TCO2 have been forecast for the last academic year.

The University is currently at the start of a five-year journey towards the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 21 percent over the planning period.

The report also stated that the University had failed to reach the target of releasing a total of 17,739 of TCO2 in the 2012/2013 academic year.

The actual figure for TCO2 released in that academic year totalled at 21,773. A University of Sussex spokesperson, speaking about the emissions targets, said: “We’re working in partnership with Sussex Estates and Facilities (SEF) on reducing energy consumption, although we recognise that all staff and students have a role to play in this.

“We’re having to adjust our own targets in line with new legislation and we’re now at the start of a five-year journey towards an overall target in order to comply with this legally required reduction.”

Despite this year’s breach of the target, the University is currently leading innovation with regard to sustainable design with the Northfield residences on campus being one of the first accommodation schemes across the country to have been awarded a BREEAM Excellent rating as well as a Green Apple Award for environmentally sustainable construction.

In order to ensure that the targets are not exceeded again next year, the University has said that it is aware of the need for “collaborative work in 2014-15 with SEF and the Students’ Union on the Green Impact campaign to improve campus-wide energy awareness and demonstrate the environmental and financial benefits of eliminating waste and improv- ing sustainability across the campus”.

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