University of Aberdeen

As part of the University of Aberdeen’s commitment to sustainability we have developed an innovative, publicly accessible, data-rich “Sustainability Dashboard”.

Developed to provide visually compelling emissions data reporting, the dashboard uses Power BI functionality to publish comprehensive, granular data across all Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. Going back to 2015/16, users can explore current and historic trends, including building level energy emissions and Scope 3 sources, including student relocation and business travel.

The dashboard supports our wider sustainability reporting, including the sustainability content in Annual Reports and our statutory Public Bodies reporting for Scottish Government. It enables our community of staff and students to review hundreds of data points, utilising the data for research and study. As importantly, making this material publicly available is a significant step towards satisfying the expectation that Scottish public bodies report openly and transparently, demonstrating their progress towards net-zero to a wider audience.

LINK TO SUSTAINABILITY REPORT

Please note that the link is not to a traditional text-based sustainability report (we do these separately), but rather to an innovative, user-friendly and publicly-accessible data dashboard reporting current and historic emissions.

What the Judges Thought

The judges saw this as an innovative and very transparent way of presenting data, and it would be great for more universities to have this level of information and to be open in sharing this. The judges wanted to recognise the forward-thinking nature of this reporting.

What it Means to Win

“We are proud of the efforts that have been made in recent years to showcase our sustainability commitments and improve our emissions reporting. This Green Gown Award represents a significant endorsement of the work undertaken and is testament to the efforts of all involved.”

Professor George Boyne, Principal and Vice-Chancellor

Top 3 Learnings

1. How we report our emissions can be highly graphical and engaging while also being granular.
2. Making our emissions data publicly available enables academic research that specifically focuses on the University.
3. The inter-departmental collaboration on this project has showcased our “whole institution” approach to sustainability.