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About us

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  1. Queen Mary University of London
  2. About us
  3. Sustainability
  4. Sustainable development goals
  5. Goal 13: Climate Action
  6. Operations

Operations

Tracking energy and carbon across our estate

Queen Mary monitors energy use and associated carbon emissions across its managed estate through its energy-management systems and ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management System. The University tracks campus-wide electricity and gas consumption alongside Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, allowing changes in energy use and the carbon intensity of purchased electricity to be monitored over time. This whole-estate approach supports Queen Mary’s management and reporting of energy performance and progress towards lower-carbon operations. 

Cutting carbon emissions across our estate

Queen Mary has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2050, with its current carbon-reduction programme explicitly covering Scope 1 emissions from directly controlled energy and fuel use and Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity. 

In 2024/25, combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions were 24% lower than the University’s 2018/19 baseline, despite growth in the estate. Over the same period, Scope 2 emissions were 31% lower and Scope 1 emissions 11% lower than the baseline. Queen Mary has also set a nearer-term target to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by a further 18% by the end of 2027/28 compared with 2023/24, supported by its Energy and Carbon Reduction Plan. 

The University also monitors and works to reduce important Scope 3 sources, including waste and supply-chain emissions, strengthening its wider approach to reducing indirect emissions alongside operational decarbonisation. 

Investing in energy reduction 

In 2025, Queen Mary developed a three-year Energy and Carbon Reduction Plan for its estate. The programme was approved with approximately £5 million in Invest to Save funding. Once all planned projects have been delivered, Queen Mary estimates that they could reduce annual energy consumption by around 12.76 million kWh. The programme is projected to generate approximately £2.2 million in annual financial savings. Measures include better building-management controls, estate-level energy monitoring and targeted improvements to buildings and equipment. 

Setting out our climate and sustainability priorities

Queen Mary’s Environmental Sustainability Action Statement 2025/26–2027/28 sets out the University’s current environmental priorities. It includes commitments covering energy and carbon, sustainable travel, waste, biodiversity, sustainable procurement, sustainability skills, education and engagement. 

The Action Statement also commits Queen Mary to developing a formal Carbon Management Plan and Heat Decarbonisation Plan for its managed estate. 

The plan is publicly available to be shared with local government and community groups, and other external organisations to access Queen Mary’s climate priorities, commitments and planned actions. 

Working with Tower Hamlets on local climate action

Queen Mary shares its climate priorities, knowledge and expertise with local government and local community groups through the Tower Hamlets Climate Partnership. 

The Partnership brings Queen Mary together with Tower Hamlets Council and organisations from education, health, housing, business, faith and the voluntary and community sectors. Its members are expected to share data, expertise, knowledge, information and good practice, and to work collaboratively on borough-wide climate action plans. 

Through this formal partnership, Queen Mary shares and aligns its institutional climate action with local government and community partners, contributing to collective action towards Tower Hamlets’ ambition to reach Net Zero by 2045.  

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