Environmental Sustainability (Edition 2)

0 or 100.

Membership of more than 1 group does not increase the points awarded. 

As part of QS Academic Reputation Survey, we ask academics to respond to the following statement on a 5-point Likert scale, from 'strongly disagree' to 'strongly agree'.

My university prioritizes minimizing its climate change impact in its day-to-day operations.

Institutions which meet our response rate threshold receive a non-zero score for this metric averaged across all responses. To avoid a low number effect, institutions with eligible but still low response rates are damped on a sliding scale. :

A student society which is formed and operated by students for students, with a focus on the environment, green issues, conservation and/or climate issues. 

0 or 100

An institution which has publicly committed to a net zero year target, and/or is a member of the Race to Zero Committment. 

If their target year is:

• Before 2022 : score 50
• Between now and 2025 : score 45
• Between 2026 - 2030 : score 40
• Between 2031 - 2035 : score 35
• Between 2036 - 2040 : score 30
• Between 2041- 2045 : score 25
• Between 2046 - 2050 : score 20
• Between 2051- 2055 : score 15
• Between 2056 - 2060 : score 10
• After 2060 or year not given : score 5

Total Scope 1 + Scope 2 Emissions in tonnes (tCO2e) for the last full reporting year. 

This should follow the GHG's protocols corporates standard for Scope 1 and 2. Your institution should be following their guidelines in order to submit this accurately. If you do not record your emissions in this way, please do not guess - leave it blank with an explanatory note. 

• Scope 1 emissions— This covers the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions that the university makes directly — for example while running its boilers and vehicles.

• Scope 2 emissions — These are the emissions the university makes indirectly – like when the electricity or energy it buys for heating and cooling buildings, is being produced on its behalf.

Please do not submit guesswork

Gross Internal Area. 

To be provided in meters squared (m2).

This refers to the whole enclosed area of a building within the external walls taking each floor into account. 

GIA will typically include:

• areas occupied by internal walls (whether structural or not) and partitions
• service accommodation such as WCs, showers, changing rooms and the like
• columns, piers, whether free standing or projecting inwards from an external wall, chimney breasts, lift wells, stairwells etc
• lift rooms, plant rooms, tank rooms, fuel stores, whether or not above roof level
• open-sided covered areas (should be stated separately)

GIA will typically exclude:

• open balconies
• open fire escapes
• open-sided covered ways
• open vehicle parking areas, terraces and the like
• minor canopies
• any area with ceiling height of less than 1.5m (except under stairways)
• any area under the control of service or other external authorities

Please do not submit guesswork

This indicator refers to the total annual energy (kWh equivalent) generated through renewable energy sources for the whole estate.  

Typically this may include energy derived from:

• biomass-fueled boilers,
• solar electric panels (photovoltaics),
• solar thermal panels (solar water heating),
• wind turbines,
• ground source heat pumps,
• other.

The consumed energy may not only be consumed by the university, but may also be sold on or stored. 

If your institution does not have an accurate record of this, please do not submit guesswork. QS will devise country or regional minimums where this data is not submitted. 

Baseline measurement year + progress towards goal.

This should be the year, no earlier than 2005, which you consider your baseline year to measure progress against your net zero commitment. By baseline year we mean the point in history where you started to track emissions to GHG standards (or closest equivalent) and their progress/changes. Your default baseline year will be the first year (no earlier than 2005) for which you produced 12 months of full data.