Our Net Zero carbon journey

In the mid-2010s, our Environment and Sustainability Office began exploring the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our resource use, with the intention to understand our carbon and climate impacts. This coincided with increasing awareness of the importance of sustainability throughout the University and more strategic proactivity.

Taumata Teitei, Vision 2030 and Strategic Plan 2025 articulated sustainability aspirations throughout the university’s portfolios. In the case of Our Enabling Environment, the plan signalled a commitment to work towards net zero carbon status for our estate and operations and to publish meaningful metrics of the University’s progress towards overall sustainability.

Our first comprehensive emissions inventory was produced for the calendar year of 2019. Aligned with International Standard ISO14064-1:2018, this inventory was independently audited and verified by Toitū and serves as our baseline to which future data can be compared.

In 2020, the University, including Auckland UniServices Limited, achieved Toitū carbonreduce certification and the highest level of assurance for all required measures of carbon. The carbonreduce programme involves submitting our inventory data to Toitū for auditing and verification on an annual basis. This process includes documenting any adjustments to the methodology (e.g., identifying new emissions sources).

Alongside other tertiary institutions in Aotearoa and State-Owned Enterprises, the University is a “Tranche 3” organisation in the Carbon Neutral Government Programme which aims to accelerate emissions reductions in the public sector. As part of this programme, we are required to report emissions annually from 2023, set emissions reduction targets and plans consistent with a 1.5°C reduction pathway. 

Te Taumata Tukuwaro-kore | Net Zero Carbon Strategy was developed in 2022, in conjunction with Te Rautaki Aronga Toitū | Sustainability Strategy. It drew from the foundation provided by Taumata Teitei, and the commitments made in Te Rautaki Tūāpapa | Estate Strategy 2021-2030.

Te Taumata Tukuwaro-kore formally acknowledged the work already completed in our journey to reduce the University’s emissions and climate impacts, the important milestone achieved in establishing an independently verified baseline inventory of emissions and the connected conversations, reasoning, decision-making, commitments, and actions that will accelerate our pathway to be a Net Zero University.

Our pathway is aligned with the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the internationally recognised Science-Based Targets initiative trajectory. It emphasises steep and absolute reductions, as opposed to continuing business-as-usual and offsetting our emissions elsewhere. Because many of our emissions sources are upstream or downstream of our campuses, our pathway involves extensive engagement with current and potential suppliers, helping to influence and inspire carbon reduction in businesses across Aotearoa and beyond.  

The specific targets we have set reflect our top priorities for mitigation. They also reflect the relative levels of data maturity we have for our different emissions sources.

We currently have targets for three categories of emissions sources from our 2019 GHG emissions baseline: work-related travel, energy and fuel, and waste arising from consumption. These three make up what we call our "Net Zero boundary".  

The Environment and Sustainability Office is in the process of establishing and improving baselines for the following emissions sources, which represent our "Extended Net Zero boundary".

1. Air travel - international students
2. Waste - construction and demolition
3. Travel - staff and student commuting
4. Working from home
5. Freight and couriers
6. Embodied carbon (from materials)
7. Information and Communication Technology
8. Food on campus

Progress and targets are due to be reviewed in 2025.

Our progressive pathway also includes developing a well-informed, evidence-based carbon mitigation process for residual (hard-to-abate) emissions. This mitigation programme is due to begin in 2025. 

Our action plan has 9 priority areas to fulfil our Net Zero carbon 2030
commitments:

1. Strategic alignment: how we work together to ensure Te Taumata Tukuwaro-kore is well aligned and implementation is coordinated across all University’s strategic priorities and partnerships.
2. Investment and building capability: how we plan and develop systems and, allocate resources to support an ongoing decarbonisation programme and implement reporting mechanisms including those related to climate change risk and adaptation.
3. Travel: how we plan for our needs for all travel and commuting.
4. Energy and fuels: how we plan for, procure, conserve, and use all energy sources and fuels including electricity, gas, steam, fuels for plant and equipment, and fleet.
5. Waste prevention and the ‘circular economy’ approach: how we plan for and procure what we consume, including our food on campus, what our suppliers and on-site partners provide, and how we plan to address any unused or unwanted resources and prevent waste.
6. Biodiversity, carbon removal and storage: how we embrace and improve our biodiversity and how we harness opportunities for carbon removal and storage within our estate and communities.
7. Our physical space: the development of our campuses will be shaped by the work we do through “The Future of Space” project and campus masterplanning to ensure that the campuses are efficient and right sized for university activities.
8. Digital environment: how we ensure the digital infrastructure supports the net zero carbon trajectory.
9. Communication and Engagement: how we communicate and engage with our university communities, tangata whenua and beyond and how we ensure our progress is accessible and transparent.

An important entity for carbon reduction is our Sustainable Estate and Operations working group, established in 2021 and comprised of representatives from service divisions across the University. Chaired by the Sustainability Office, the working group focuses on the priority areas.

The group maintains a carbon reduction project registry, which summarises in progress, completed, and ongoing projects from our collective efforts. In the last two years, completed emissions reduction projects include air travel policy changes to encourage fewer flights and lower-carbon travel options, a sustainable finance framework, the decarbonisation of Sector 200 buildings including B201 and Waipapa Marae, lighting upgrades at City and Grafton Campuses, and an increase in the procurement of certified carbon zero electricity to 100% in October 2024.

We are committed to accuracy and transparency in our emissions reporting.

In 2023, the University’s greenhouse gas emissions were 25% lower than our baseline year of 2019. While there has been a steady increase since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have not ‘bounced back’ to baseline levels. For instance, in 2023, staff air travelled 36 million fewer kilometres than in 2019 and produced almost 40% fewer emissions.

While we are cautiously optimistic about meeting our 2025 emissions reduction targets, the overall upward trends signals the importance of continuing to shift policies and practices and engaging our many suppliers.

Progress on our top three emissions sources is also reported via the Carbon Neutral Government Project tranche 3 dashboard.