Energy plan
Building on our historic successes, we developed a new Energy Plan during our 2022/23 academic year. Since then we have reviewed and refreshed the Plan to ensure progressive implementation of projects and actions to achieve our Environmental Sustainability Strategy commitments. We also share our experiences and learn from our peers within other further and higher education institutions and wider partners.
To measure progress we monitor consumption (kWh), spend (£) and associated carbon impact (tCO2e) monthly. Progressive impact is reported quarterly at our Environmental Sustainability Strategy Board of Governance and overall impact within annual reports such as our Public Bodies Climate Change Duties report to the Scottish Government.
To support and fund our work, we manage a recycling fund made available through Salix. The fund supports continual investment through a planned spend to save approach. All projects processed through Salix must pay themselves back (through reduced electricity or gas consumption) within 12 years and must cost no more than £305 per lifetime tonne of carbon saved.
Recent projects
Craiglockhart campus: Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre
- Replacement of existing light fittings with LED
- Annual consumption, cost and carbon impact reduction of 81.6%
- Payback of the new light fittings within 8.4 years
Sighthill campus: office block corridors
- Replacement of existing light fittings with LED
- Annual consumption, cost and carbon impact reduction of 45.9%
- Payback of the new light fittings within 7.2 years
All campuses and student accommodation sites: electric calorifiers
- Installation of electric elements within existing hot water storage tanks
The project was commissioned during summer 2024/25. A full post-installation analysis is currently underway and will be published in November 2025. Overall, the project has enabled gas fuelled heating and hot water systems to be reduced and fully shut down. Over the summer months, hot water has been generated using electricity instead of gas.
Water
We use around 20m litres of water annually. The use of the water results in the generation of around 5 tonnes of carbon (tCO2e). However, for the actual impact of water and waste water generation, visit the extensive amount of information available from Scottish Water.
There are many initiatives in place to conserve water, including real time monitoring and waterless urinals. These kind of projects have resulted in significant reduction with 2024/25 consumption less than half the amount used during 2006/07.
Reporting our emissions
The University monitors environmental impact through a variety of means. As a public body in Scotland, Edinburgh Napier is legislatively required to submit an array of information to the Scottish Government annually. Our reports can be found on the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) website.
Reports cover carbon and wider environmental impact associated with business travel, electricity, gas, waste and water as well as a wider overview of governance arrangements, projects carried out and planned and also action towards sustainable procurement and adaptation. To publicly report both qualitative and quantitative information, ongoing audits of impact are collated.