We, the undersigned, call upon the University of Sheffield to commit to switch to a low-carbon electricity supplier in its next energy procurement agreement.

Sheffield University is strongly committed to sustainability. It produces world class sustainability research, has divested from fossil fuels, and has developed the 2018 Sustainability Strategy.

Currently though, the University procures it's electricity from a biomass-burning generator, which is not a low-carbon energy source. According to the latest research, global carbon emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030 to have a reasonable chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. To achieve this, it is imperative that large institutions like the University of Sheffield take the lead in reducing their carbon emissions. Since the majority of the University’s direct emissions come from its electricity use, changing energy supplier is an obvious step towards this goal.

In the 2018 Sustainability Strategy, the University made a commitment to consider the feasibility of switching to a low-carbon energy supplier. A recent briefing produced by Sheffield students shows that it is practically and economically viable. Doing so would help deliver on our moral obligation to do all we can to mitigate climate change.

Please read our briefing if you would like more information about where the University currently procures it's energy, why biomass has a high carbon footprint and the research we have conducted into how they could switch to a low-carbon energy supplier. .:https://uosenergyswitchhome.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/powering-ahead-v2-1.pdf

We also have a blog: https://uosenergyswitch.home.blog/