Corpus Christi College aspires to achieve total net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, with the interim target of reducing peak emissions by 50% by 2030. Corpus was one of the earliest Oxford Colleges to set an official carbon target and is now in discussions about more ambitious targets, considering the nature of our climate emergency.
The graph above shows our currently estimated emissions for 2022, 2023 and 2024 by scope. Our Scope 1 direct emissions fell from 328 tonnes Carbon Dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) in 2022 to 299 tCO2e in 2024. Our Scope 2 indirect emissions related to electricity production rose from 193 tCO2e in 2022 to 232 tCO2e in 2024. However, our scope 2 emissions were offset by our long-standing procurement of renewable electricity, as made visible through the Scope 2 negative emissions above. Our covered scope 3 emissions rose from 777 tCO2e to 793 tCO2e over this time period. For more information about what we mean by Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, click here.
While our Scope 1 and 2 emissions and our Scope 3 emissions for utilities and waste are complete, the figures for procurement and travel are initial estimates. We are working on including more of our scope 3 emissions as better data becomes available. The graphs above show the currently estimated makeup of Corpus Christi College emissions by category of activity across all scopes. One graph includes student travel to and from College to their home destination for each term and the other does not. The University also accounts for two return trips for each student from their home destination to College in their scope 3 emissions.
We expect procurement to be a larger part of our emissions and have not accounted for our endowment in these figures as yet. Unless otherwise stated, the conversion factors for emissions are based on the government’s official figures for the given year (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).
Scope 1 emissions
Gas
Corpus Christi College reduced its gas consumption by 9.72% between 2022 and 2024. As visible in the graph below the College’s gas consumption was 161,611 m3 in 2022 and fell to 145,897 m3 in 2024.
Thus, the College’s scope 1 emissions from gas fell from 326 tCO2e in 2022 to 299 tCO2e in 2024. In addition, our gas use caused upstream scope 3 emissions of 55 tCO2e in 2022 and 49 tCO2e in 2024. This means that gas use accounted for over 31% of our estimated emissions as visible in the emissions per category graph including student travel and 64% when excluding student travel. We are working to remove these emissions by degasifying our buildings.
Diesel
The College owns a diesel van which produced 0.9 tCO2e based on invoices of its fuel consumption. There are plans to replace this van with an electric van.
Scope 2 emissions
Electricity
Corpus Christi has a long-standing commitment to purchasing renewable electricity. By doing so, we have been able to avoid 232 tCO2e in 2024, 225 tCO2e in 2023 and 193 tCO2e in 2022. Nonetheless, our electricity use in 2024 caused upstream emissions amounting to 76 tCO2e, or nearly 7% of our total emissions when including student travel and 14% when excluding student travel.
We are also in the process of negotiating a sustainable energy project of national importance which will be used to deliver green power to UK research infrastructure in Oxfordshire. The College will, we hope, be able to take green power from this site using battery and solar arrays enabling us to audit the source of electricity used by the College. This is an innovative 21st century use of agricultural lands given to us by our Founders with the intention of sustaining the medieval College foundation.