What can the drive to net zero carbon for a University estate teach major private and public sector landowners?
All the challenges to achieving a net zero carbon future for the built environment are present in a university estate. Buildings of all ages – many of them historic - and many functions, from accommodating large gatherings, to serving a specific scientific purpose, to providing multiple residences, render master-planning and the decisions towards carbon reduction complex and convoluted. New build must be balanced with refurbishment, energy provision and consumption must be rationalised, long term needs must be planned for in a changing landscape. What can owners and operators of health trusts, transport hubs and above all local authority estates learn?
