Durham University is unlikely to meet its target of reaching Net Zero carbon emissions by 2035, according to newly released minutes from a University Council meeting.
The Council was told at a meeting in February, with the minutes released in August, that the university was unlikely to achieve its zero-carbon emissions ambition. The institution’s strategic performance indicator for Net Zero was given a red rating.
The minutes linked the assessment partly to a lack of finance for sustainable technology. Potential investment included heat recycling systems and photovoltaic panels, also known as solar panels.
Solar plans and council support
Durham’s original ambition included a significant increase in photovoltaic energy across its estate. The university also considered developing a large off-site photovoltaic solar farm.
According to the minutes, the university said Durham County Council had moved away from funding climate-related initiatives after Reform UK came to power in May 2025. It said support from the local council was required to achieve the 2035 target.
Durham County Council has since undeclared a climate emergency and revoked its pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2030. Palatinate said it approached the council for comment but had not received a response.
What the university’s targets cover
Durham University’s 2023 Sustainability Ambition Statement sets a goal of cutting Scope One and Scope Two emissions by 65 per cent and using carbon-removal offsets for the remainder. The document describes the target as both ambitious and realistic.
Scope One emissions come from the university estate, while Scope Two emissions relate to electricity use. Together, they account for 30 per cent of the university’s total emissions. Scope Three emissions are excluded from the 2035 Net Zero target.
The university’s financial report for the year ending July 2025 records a 15 per cent reduction in Scope One emissions from the 2018 baseline, against a 67 per cent target. Scope Two emissions had fallen by 32 per cent, compared with a 100 per cent target.
Projects already under way
Two buildings in the Hatfield College estate, Boldon House and James Barber House, have been decarbonised. James Barber House received the Sustainable Built Environment Award from the county council.
The university is also updating bulbs to LED systems to reduce lighting electricity use. Projects are planned for the Bill Bryson Library and the Chemistry and Geography departments, following recent upgrades to the physics department.
Some Scope Three measures have performed more strongly. Waste emissions have been cut by 84 per cent and water emissions by 70 per cent, both exceeding their 40 per cent targets. Business travel emissions have fallen by 33 per cent towards the same 40 per cent target.
A Durham University spokesperson said the QS Sustainability Rankings and Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings recognised Durham as being among the world’s leading universities in addressing climate change and sustainability.
The spokesperson added that the university’s ambition to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2035 remained in place. Staff and students are due to discuss how that ambition might be achieved as part of consultation on a new University Strategy in autumn.