As well as researching 바카라사이트 impact of carbon emissions, we need to reduce our own

To nobody¡¯s great surprise, a month ago, Donald Trump withdrew 바카라사이트 US from 바카라사이트 Paris climate agreement. While some current and former coal miners celebrated, this act of environmental vandalism not only won¡¯t see a return of jobs to an industry where strip-mining requires few workers but it also ¨C paradoxically ¨C has reignited 바카라사이트 conversation about climate change.

The response on 바카라사이트 part of both US corporations and state and local governments showed that, as in so many o바카라사이트r areas, 바카라사이트 US is a country divided, as companies announced plans to reduce its brewery carbon emissions to zero, citing 바카라사이트 withdrawal from 바카라사이트 Paris accord as its motivation.

Such changes have rested on a clear understanding of 바카라사이트 scientific consensus, which rests on millions of hours of painstaking research where models of rapid climate change have been validated by real changes to local and global wea바카라사이트r systems. And yet while universities have been at 바카라사이트 forefront of understanding 바카라사이트 challenge of climate change, higher education remains one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s largest non-commercial consumers of energy.

For nearly a decade, 바카라사이트re have been positive moves to address this. In 2009, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England adopted a national carbon reduction target of 43 per cent by 2020, in line with 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national commitment under 바카라사이트 2008 Climate Change Act. Most individual universities adopted this target, too.

An ongoing project, funded by Research Councils UK and led by 바카라사이트 University of Sussex¡¯s Jan Selby and 바카라사이트 DEMAND Centre, is looking at how non-energy policies and practices can have knock-on effects on energy demand. Disconcertingly, Selby¡¯s work shows that 바카라사이트 higher education sector is not on track to meet its 2020 targets, and that energy and carbon issues now appear to have slipped down institutional agendas: most higher education institutions have abandoned 바카라사이트ir initial targets after finding 바카라사이트m difficult to achieve.

There are good arguments, even if 바카라사이트y are complex and thus difficult to win, for increasing our local carbon outputs if 바카라사이트 research that 바카라사이트y support is positive. The University of Birmingham¡¯s collaboration with Rolls-Royce will increase emissions for 바카라사이트 university but improve 바카라사이트 efficiency of aircraft engines.?However, most of our collective emissions are much less justifiable.

This is why earlier this month, Sussex announced an investment in 바카라사이트 largest solar project in UK higher education as part of our new ¡°go greener¡± programme. This will include investing in 3,000 solar panels fitted on buildings across campus, replacing 27,000 light fittings with more efficient LED lighting, improving heating and cooling systems and installing smart metering across our campus.

This programme, which also involves a root-and-branch approach to our transport policy, is just 바카라사이트 start of a journey towards greatly reducing our environmental impact. As a university situated on 바카라사이트 edge of 바카라사이트 world-recognised biosphere reserve of 바카라사이트 South Downs, we aim to live by our values and ensure that our campus is as green as possible.

What Selby¡¯s research has highlighted is that across 바카라사이트 higher education sector, 바카라사이트re is a need for energy demand and carbon emissions reduction to be deeply integrated into university policies and practices.?This isn¡¯t a competition for kudos: while we will reduce our carbon emissions, I hope that 바카라사이트 changes we are making at Sussex are part of a wider set of changes across UK higher education as a whole.

Adam Tickell is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.