Enhanced guidance on calculating the carbon footprint of travel, homeworking and supply chains now available for universities and colleges

EAUC has published an updated version of the Standardised carbon emissions framework that guides post-16 education organisations to measure and report carbon emissions in line with national requirements, other institutions and global protocols. 

Updates to the framework include clearer guidance on measuring and reporting Scope 3 emissions, including those linked to travel, homeworking and supply chains.

There are also updates to the land and livestock and renewable electricity sections.

Originally developed in consultation with the UK Government's Department for Education, a steering group of post-16 education institutions and relevant sector bodies in 2022, the guidance encourages the reporting of emissions in line with effective practice in institutions and the internationally recognised Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

It continues to include information on national requirements when relevant, making it suitable for use by colleges, universities and other post-16 organisations in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

This latest revision was created with a working group from the sector and funded by the Scottish Funding Council.

The framework has also been updated to be more user-friendly, allowing readers to navigate directly to different sections and refer to the index. It also includes a glossary and translations of key Greenhouse Gas Protocol terms for the post-16 education sector.

Fiona Goodwin, Deputy Chief Executive of EAUC, said:

"At EAUC, we’re delighted to have brought together colleagues from across the sector to update to the standardised carbon emissions framework. The updated version includes more information on Scope 3, land and renewables to help institutions to report carbon emissions accurately and consistently."

The framework sets out basic, intermediate and advanced approaches to reporting emissions to support institutions to improve the accuracy and completeness of their data over time.

Claire Davies, Sustainable Procurement Manager at Nottingham Trent University and a member of the working group, said:

“I’m especially pleased to see the strengthened guidance on supply chain emissions and the clearer reporting levels. These updates recognise that institutions are at different stages, while still encouraging progress towards more accurate and useful data. The 2026 version reflects a lot of shared learning across the sector. Collaboration between universities has helped strengthen the guidance for institutions whether they are just starting out or looking to improve its methodology.”

Notes to editors:

• This guidance replaces the original Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework, published in 2022
• Often representing up to 70% of an institution's overall carbon footprint, Scope 3 emissions are those generated indirectly through activities such as procurement, travel, homeworking and digital services. They have traditionally been considered more difficult to measure in the higher and further education sector because of a lack of data available or provided by suppliers.

• The updated guidance is available at: https://www.eauc.org.uk/resources/resource/standardised-carbon-emissions-framework-scef