As the pressure to meet net zero intensifies, universities are among the many institutions stepping up to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change. Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is at the forefront of this movement, embedding sustainability into every aspect of its operations, teaching, and community engagement.
We spoke with Simon Chubb, ARU’s Head of Sustainability, to hear how the university is tackling the challenge of achieving net zero and what others can learn from their experience.
TEAM: Why is achieving net zero important to Anglia Ruskin University, and how does it align with your institutional values and mission?
Simon Chubb: Achieving net zero is deeply aligned with Anglia Ruskin University’s mission to transform lives through innovative and entrepreneurial education and research. Our core values, including innovation, responsibility, and community, are reflected in our commitment to sustainability. We see it as our responsibility not only to our students, but also to the communities that host us and future generations.
Since 2010, I’ve witnessed a growing interest in sustainability among our students, especially after 2019 when global movements like the school climate strikes gained momentum. That surge in student activism led ARU to declare a climate and ecological emergency and publish a more ambitious sustainability strategy the following year, one that our Vice Chancellor insisted should challenge us and push boundaries.
While sustainability may not yet be the deciding factor for students choosing a university, it has become a baseline expectation, a “licence to operate,” in the higher education sector. Institutions must meet rising standards or risk falling behind.
For ARU, the path to net zero is not just about compliance or reputation, it’s about long-term resilience. With over 75 buildings, transforming our infrastructure takes time, and the risks of inaction by the 2030s and 2040s are significant. That’s why we’re investing now, driven by both institutional values and a clear view of the future.
TEAM: What specific strategies and initiatives has ARU implemented to move towards net zero across teaching, research, operations, and community engagement?
Simon: Operationally, ARU is already zero carbon in Scope 2 emissions, thanks to a pioneering power purchase agreement (PPA) established in 2019. As one of the first UK universities to collaborate on a joint PPA, we joined forces with 19 other universities to source 20% of our base load power from wind farms in Scotland and Wales. The remaining 80% is supplied by nuclear energy, with verified generation declarations, ensuring a fully zero-carbon electricity supply.
To tackle Scope 1 emissions, ARU has prepared a 10-year investment programme aiming for zero carbon by 2035. This includes installing air source heat pumps across campuses, where all buildings are powered by ARU’s zero carbon electricity, making them effectively zero carbon facilities.
For Scope 3 emissions, the university is targeting net zero by 2045. Progress includes implementing a university-wide travel management system that tracks carbon data for all business and academic travel, including student field trips. This system enables ARU to enforce its policy of avoiding air travel for journeys under 750 miles, with exceptions only for specific well-being needs. The data also allows for greater accountability, with faculties and departments monitored for compliance.
These initiatives reflect ARU’s commitment to sustainability across its institutional mission, embedding environmental responsibility into every aspect of its operations and engagement.
TEAM: Can you share some key challenges ARU has faced on this journey and how you’ve overcome them?
Simon: One major challenge has been financing decarbonisation projects, especially after the withdrawal of government grant funding. While investments in technologies like LED lighting and solar panels have clear paybacks, heat decarbonisation (e.g., air source heat pumps) does not offer a financial payback under current market conditions. Electricity remains more than three times the cost of gas, and without reform of the energy markets, these upgrades remain economically unviable. The unexpected withdrawal of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme has further complicated matters, removing a key source of grant funding just as we were preparing to scale up.
Compounding this is the broader financial pressure across the higher education sector, driven by declining international student recruitment and tighter visa controls. While ARU remains financially stable, we’re still bound by regulatory constraints on borrowing and cash flow, making it difficult to fund the tens of millions of pounds needed to meet our 2035 zero carbon target.
We’ve responded by staying focused on what’s achievable. Rather than relying on large, expensive masterplans, we’ve taken a step-by-step approach, building momentum through practical, scalable investments. We’ve also leaned into collaboration, whether through joint power purchase agreements or public sector frameworks, to share risk and access support.
Technology isn’t the biggest barrier; it’s policy uncertainty and financial structure. Until energy markets are reformed and long-term funding mechanisms are in place, universities across the UK will continue to face tough decisions. But by staying agile, grounded, and collaborative, ARU is navigating these challenges with clarity and purpose.
TEAM: What technologies, innovations, or service providers have been most critical in helping ARU reduce its carbon footprint?
Simon: As well as the collaborative power purchase agreement, which had the biggest impact in terms of tonnes of carbon reduced, we have something called the Re:fit energy performance contract, delivered in three phases. Through this framework, ARU has implemented technologies such as LED lighting, solar panels, advanced building management systems, and cooling optimisation—all of which have delivered strong returns, with an average payback period of around six years.
TEAM: How does ARU measure and track progress towards net zero?
Simon: ARU uses TEAM’s Sigma energy monitoring and targeting software to monitor energy use across the estate, with all billing and half-hourly data integrated into the system.
For projects delivered under the Re:fit energy performance contract, ARU uses the internationally recognised IPMVP (International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol) to assess energy savings. Monthly reports from the service provider, Vital Energi, detail whether projected savings are being met and flag any reconciliation required under the performance guarantee.
ARU cross-verifies these reports using its own billing and metering data from the Sigma energy management software, ensuring transparency and accuracy. Sigma also supports day-to-day energy management, helping us to maintain operational efficiency while staying on track with our long-term sustainability goals.
TEAM: How do you engage students, staff, and wider stakeholders in contributing to ARU’s sustainability goals?
Simon: Engagement is central to our sustainability strategy, my team make dedicated efforts to involve students, staff, contractors, and visitors in meaningful climate action. One of the university’s most impactful initiatives is ARU Green, a behaviour change and rewards programme designed to encourage sustainable practices across energy, water, waste, travel, and purchasing.
Participants commit to weekly actions, such as switching off unused equipment or choosing low-carbon travel options and log their efforts through the platform. Top-performing individuals receive monthly rewards like high street vouchers, while teams, based on faculties, services, and student residences, compete for the chance to donate to a charity of their choice. Since its university-wide rollout in 2020, ARU Green has recorded 40,000–50,000 actions annually, saving around 100 tonnes of carbon each year.
Beyond incentives, ARU Green serves as a communications hub, helping the sustainability team share updates on projects like Re:fit investments and new solar installations. Monthly newsletters reinforce the message that individual actions matter and that the university is leading by example.
This programme has transformed engagement from a passive effort into a measurable, cost-effective driver of carbon reduction. By evidencing the impact of behaviour change, ARU can justify continued investment and foster a culture where sustainability is shared, visible, and valued.
TEAM: How has ARU balanced the financial costs of net zero initiatives with long-term social, environmental, and economic benefits?
Simon: ARU has experimented with internal carbon pricing for capital investments, setting a price of £300 per tonne of carbon. However, since the university’s building standards and policies already align with net zero goals, the administrative burden of carbon pricing was not justified. Instead, ARU focuses on investing in the right technologies and building standards from the outset, ensuring long-term alignment with sustainability objectives.
The carbon pricing trial served as a valuable internal audit, confirming that ARU’s investment programme is already aligned with its net zero ambitions. It also reinforced the university’s commitment to making responsible choices today that will deliver long-term benefits for both the institution and the wider community.
TEAM: Can you share an example of a successful project or initiative that has had a significant sustainability impact; one that surprised you?
Simon: One initiative that continues to surprise us with its impact is ARU Green. While it’s designed as a behaviour change programme, its effectiveness in delivering measurable carbon savings has exceeded expectations, especially when compared to more capital-intensive projects.
What’s most striking is how consistently ARU Green outperforms in terms of cost-efficiency. When we present our carbon reduction portfolio to senior colleagues, the return on investment from this programme often stands out. It’s a reminder that when scaled across a university community small, everyday actions can drive significant environmental outcomes.
Beyond its environmental benefits, ARU Green has helped embed sustainability into the culture of the institution. It aligns with ARU’s identity as an entrepreneurial and data-driven university, where evidence-based approaches resonate strongly with staff and students. That cultural fit has been key to its success.
In addition to ARU Green, we’ve made sustainability a core part of the academic experience. Since 2014, all undergraduate courses include sustainability in their design. Our Ruskin Modules, built around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, have earned national recognition, and this year, students in our health faculty developed a planetary scorecard to audit their curriculum against sustainability criteria. These kinds of student-led innovations show that impactful change often comes from within, and not always from the biggest budgets.
TEAM: What advice would you give to other universities or organisations beginning their net zero journey?
Simon: At Anglia Ruskin University, we’ve learned that collaboration is key. No institution can do this alone. We’ve benefited from partnerships—whether through joint power purchase agreements with other universities or by leveraging public sector frameworks like Re:fit. Sharing knowledge, resources, and support has been essential.
Finally, accept that the journey won’t be perfectly mapped out. What matters is knowing your direction of travel and committing to it. Be flexible, stay focused, and build momentum through achievable steps. That’s how we’ve made progress, and how others can too.