The London School of Economics is the first UK university to be verified as carbon neutral! The university was certified by BSI, The British Standards Institution, in 2020/2021 to reduce carbon emissions and invest in carbon offsetting schemes. Since 2005, the university has reduced its direct carbon emission by 44%. In addition, in 2009, it started sourcing all its electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar. 

The carbon-neutral status is determined by direct and indirect emissions. The direct emissions come from fuel and gas used for heating and operating the university’s buildings. The indirect emissions come from electricity, ventilation, IT equipment, business travel and waste. Student travel is not accounted for in the calculation of indirect emissions.

According to GHGP, The Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the global standard for measuring carbon emissions for both private and public entities, reporting on direct emission coming from supply chains is optional; however, even for this point, the university hopes to set a new standard by its 2050 zero-carbon target. 

Charles Joly, head of sustainability at LSE, stated: “LSE has started estimating carbon emissions linked to international students travelling and hope to be able to report these soon. And they form part of our 2050 net-zero carbon target, which applies to our indirect emissions usually referred to as Scope 3 emissions.”

So far, £4.8 million has been invested in energy efficiency measures since 2015, including installing LED light, lighting controls, solar panels and insulating pipes.