Report at a glance

Overall Progress:

• Since the 2021/22 baseline, SWC has achieved a 29% reduction in gross emissions (from 1,807.9 mtCO₂e to 1,282.97 mtCO₂e).

Reporting Change:

• The 2024/25 reporting year covers April–March rather than the academic year.

Scope 2 (Electricity Use):

• 2024/25 emissions fell to 383.97 mtCO₂e (location-based), down from 508.4 mtCO₂e in 2021/22.
• The reduction is largely due to energy efficiency upgrades, including the installation of LED lighting at Omagh and Dungannon campuses. In addition, on-site solar PV generation continues to play an increasing role in reducing grid electricity demand and associated Scope 2 emissions. This shift highlights the importance of expanding PV capacity rather than relying solely on renewable electricity procurement.

Solar PV Generation:

• PV continues to deliver carbon offsets (30.97 mtCO₂e in 2024/25).
• As systems become fully operational across all campuses, PV will make a greater contribution to reducing net emissions, particularly now that 2024/25 is used as the benchmark year under the new reporting cycle.

Looking Ahead:

• Scope 2 reductions are progressing well through efficiency and on-site renewable measures.
• Scope 1 remains the key challenge, with major investment in heating decarbonisation required to unlock deeper savings.
• SWC remains committed to delivering on its Net Zero 2030 interim goals and 2050 full decarbonisation target through sustained action, innovation, and partnership.

South West College (SWC) is committed to achieving excellence in Sustainability and Climate Action, with a strategic ambition to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Following the original baseline assessment in Academic Year 2021/22, total emissions were calculated at 1807.9 mtCO₂e, reducing to 1773.66 mtCO₂e after applying renewable energy offsets.

In the most recent reporting year, 2024/25, SWC’s total carbon emissions fell to 1282.97 mtCO₂e — a reduction of 29% compared to 2021/22. After applying renewable energy offsets, net emissions decreased further to 1252.00 mtCO₂e. This demonstrates substantial progress in implementing effective decarbonisation strategies, including enhanced energy efficiency, behavioural change, and cleaner energy systems across all campuses.

A key contributor to this success remains the College’s investment in photovoltaic (PV) generation and the integration of renewable technologies, which together have significantly offset emissions while promoting local clean energy production.

SWC continues to set a strong example of environmental leadership within the education sector, underpinned by its Sustainability Action Plan, Net Zero Action Plan, and sector-leading building performance, with estate-wide benchmarks outperforming standard consumption metrics for both electricity and fossil fuel use. Looking ahead, SWC will remain proactive in reducing emissions across all three scopes — including indirect (Scope 3) emissions — through detailed project planning, collaboration with partners, and targeted retrofit programmes. Remaining emissions, once reductions have been maximised, will be responsibly offset through verified schemes to achieve a genuine net-zero status.

Ongoing carbon footprint monitoring and annual reporting will ensure transparency and drive continual improvement as the College advances toward its 2050 target.

Between 2019/20 and 2024/25, South West College has achieved a 29% overall reduction in reported carbon emissions, decreasing from 1,807.9 mtCO₂e in 2021/22 to 1,282.97 mtCO₂e in 2024/25. This demonstrates the successful implementation of targeted sustainability initiatives and decarbonisation strategies across the college estate.

Scope 1 emissions (direct) fell by 11.6% compared to baseline (from 1,017.09 mtCO₂e in 2021/22 to 899.01 mtCO₂e in 2024/25). While 2024/25 Scope 1 figures are lower than previous years (other than 2023/24), heating (gas oil) remains the largest contributor and cannot be meaningfully reduced without investment in alternative heating and hot water systems.

Scope 2 emissions (indirect from electricity use) are reported in two ways:

• Market-based: 0 mtCO₂e — SWC procures 100% certified renewable electricity, resulting in zero emissions under this accounting method.
• Location-based: 383.97 mtCO₂e in 2024/25 (down from 508.4 mtCO₂e in 2021/22). This reduction reflects LED lighting investments at Omagh and Dungannon campuses, alongside renewable electricity procurement. Further improvements are expected as new PV capacity comes online.

Scope 3 emissions (indirect from supply chain, commuting, etc.) remain a smaller portion of the footprint and continue to be influenced by operational practices, flexible working arrangements, and more sustainable procurement.

In addition to procuring green electricity, SWC has invested in on-site solar PV systems, which generated 30.97 mtCO₂e in carbon offsets in 2024/25 (34.24 mtCO₂e in 2021/22). Although some PV systems are underperforming, SWC is actively working with Future Renewables to resolve issues, with the Skills Centre system still to come online and a new PV plan for Dungannon in development.

Together, these efforts underscore SWC’s role as a leader in sustainability within the further education sector — delivering real-world reductions aligned with its Net Zero 2030 interim goals and its 2050 full decarbonisation target.