22 November 2023 
Joni Rhodes, BUFDG Project Manager
In July 2023, BUFDG, AUDE (the Association of Higher Education Directors of Estates), and the EAUC (the Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education) launched the Cost of Net Zero report, which estimated the cost for the Higher and Further Education sector to reach Net Zero will total £43.8 bn, with £37.1 bn attributed to H E.
The corresponding Cost of Net Zero Calculator has been designed to help institutions project their spend and emissions at a strategic level, and provide an estimate of what it will cost to achieve Net Zero goals within a certain timeframe. For more information on the report and calculator, including downloads and launch webinars, visit our Sustainability and ESG pages.
This work was delivered by Energise, a sustainability consultancy supporting organisations and sectors to collaboratively address their carbon footprint by providing expertise and tools, with additional funding from the Department for Education.
We are pleased to confirm that Energise will continue to provide technical support and maintenance for the calculator tool until late 2024, to ensure users across the tertiary education sector have the support they need to make the best use of this tool and it remains up to date.
As well the publication of Frequently Asked Questions, and offering one-to-one advice via email, Energise will be holding a series of online surgeries throughout the year. These are aimed at those using the calculator who have queries regarding specific figures or fields, technical queries that have not been covered in the FAQs, or who wish to share particular insights or experiences with the designers and/or other users.
The first surgery will take place on Monday 22 January 2024 10-11am via Team, places are limited and booking is essential.
Ongoing queries can be sent to info@energise.com, and dates of future surgeries will be announced shortly.
We are keen to hear from members who have engaged with the calculator and have insights to share, please contact Joni. We will be seeking your views on this tool in 2024 so we, along with AUDE and the EAUC, can ensure we support the sector with Net Zero aims in the most appropriate way going forward.
