Facilities

Net Zero on Campus: Facilities

Resources and case studies for decarbonizing campus facilities systems

Campus facilities include buildings for working, teaching and studying, laboratories, residence, and recreation, like theaters and gymnasiums. Facilities span across the areas of energy, materials, transport, and waste, all of which need to simultaneously contribute to a college or university’s net zero commitment. Strategies include replacing carbon and energy intensive equipment, establishing green laboratories, and retrofitting campus buildings.

Resources

Instructions for use: The directory categorizes each resource by Initiative, Type, and Decarbonization Stage. Use the filter and sort options in the top left corner of the panel below to narrow your search. Access the resource directory via a desktop for best use of filtering and sorting mechanisms. Click on each resource to expand the full details. For a larger view of the entire directory, use the expansion option in the bottom right corner of the panel.

 

Filter and Sort Options:

  • Theme: What is Net Zero, Why Net Zero Matters, Enablers of Change, Institutional Support, Address All Emissions, Clearly Defined Targets, Cost-Benefit Analyses, Financing, Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Initiative: Replace Carbon and Energy Intensive Equipment, Retrofit Campus Buildings, Construct New Sustainable Buildings, General Facilities
  • Type: Campaign/Commitment, Database/Resource Hub, eBook, Guide/Report, Informational Article/Web Page, MOOC, Ranking, Tool, Video
  • Decarbonization Stage (amount of net zero experience required):
  • Starter: A university or college that is either at the pre-commitment stage or has recently made a commitment to net zero, and is yet to implement initiatives
  • Proficient: A university or college that has taken the initial steps of transitioning to net zero and has a long term plan or strategy in place
  • Advanced: A university or college that shows leadership in research and innovation in climate change and has implemented net zero initiatives on campus
  • Accessibility: Open-Source, Proprietary

Case Studies

Case studies of exemplary campus decarbonization initiatives from universities and colleges at the forefront of climate action around the world. These case studies can help inspire and inform similar efforts on other campuses, as they offer key insights including lessons learned, barriers, and resources used in the realization of each project. Submit your own case study to be featured by contacting info@unsdsn.org.

University of Tasmania: Green Bond-Supported Campus Redevelopment Case Study

By Info • 29 Aug, 2023
The University of Tasmania is undertaking a multi-year redevelopment of all three of its campuses, bringing its environmental and financial sustainability focus together into a Green Bond Framework. This framework requires achieving a minimum 20% reduction in upfront carbon emissions through the adaptive reuse of existing buildings. So far, across five projects we have avoided 13,527 tCO2e, averaging reductions of 32% for new builds and over 60% for re-purposing existing buildings versus reference buildings.
Show More Case Studies

For more case studies, please see the following networks: Second Nature, EAUC Sustainability Exchange, Race to Zero for Universities & Colleges, Green Gown Awards, SDSN Accelerating Education for the SDGs in Universities. The guides and reports included in the online toolkit also contain additional case studies and examples.

Get Involved with Net Zero on Campus

Contribute to the Online Toolkit

  • Submit your own case studies and decarbonization resources to be featured;
  • Share your questions and/or feedback with us at info@unsdsn.org.

Join Our Community

Learn More

  • Explore SDSN’s free, open educational resources from the world’s leading sustainable development experts to use in your classrooms: MOOCs, educational videos and lectures, and global community of practice.

Net Zero on Campus is a collaboration between SDSN, the Climateworks Centre, and Monash University, in partnership with Second Nature and the EAUC (Secretariat of the Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges).

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