Key issues for decarbonising university heritage properties

Britain has some of the world’s oldest building stock, which in many places defines our heritage and history. This is evident across our university campuses. However, with the built environment being responsible for nearly 40% of carbon emissions and an increasing focus on emissions reduction to reach net zero targets, attention must now be given to how the environmental performance of these properties can be improved. “The greenest building is the one that already exists”, identified Carl Elefante, former president of the American Institute of Architects. But how can universities as heritage property owners address the challenges that decarbonisation presents?

Laura Ludlow examines some key issues here.