Environmental sustainability

In 2023, the University of Cape Town (UCT) continued to work actively towards becoming a more environmentally sustainable campus, as part of its Vision 2030. Efforts were underpinned by the continued implementation of the Environmental Sustainability Strategy, the university’s roadmap towards becoming a net-zero carbon, water, and waste-to-landfill campus by, or before, 2050.

UCT has continued to lead South African universities with regards to measuring and reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, being one of the few universities to measure and report on its annual carbon footprint. The draft Carbon Footprint Assessment Report for 2022 was compiled in 2023 and is currently under review. The report shows a positive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions under scope 2 (electricity consumption) compared to the 2012 baseline. Campus energy consumption post-COVID-19 lockdown has not reverted to past levels of consumption, despite the campus being almost fully back to business as usual in 2022.

From a water perspective, UCT saw positive progress in 2023 with the continued implementation of the university’s Department of Higher Education and Technology (DHET)-funded Sustainable Water Management Strategy. A further four residences have undergone water savings retrofits (now a total of 15), including the installation of low-flow toilet flush systems, showerheads and wash hand basin taps/piping. These initiatives will save the university thousands of litres of potable water every year.

Internal UCT approvals were received in 2023 for the onsite central sewage water recycling treatment plant, next to the Kopano residence, for the lower campus residences. The plant will be combined with a Future Water learning centre surrounded by a beautifully landscaped area for student amenities, cultural practices, and places of respite. This will be a first for any university in the country and a global leading example of combining sustainable water management with education and places for respite and amenities. This ‘green precinct’ is earmarked for completion in late 2024/early 2025.

UCT’s Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika (d-school Afrika) received its 6 Star Green Star Design certification from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) in 2023. It is the only university to achieve this on the continent for a new building. The building includes signage with QR codes that lead to more information online about various green building features. This creates an opportunity for students, staff and visitors to learn more about green buildings and sustainability through self-guided tours of the building. The university Council also approved the updated UCT Minimum Green Building Construction Standard policy in June 2023, which provides further clarity and a policy framework, building on the original minimum 4 Star Council decision made in 2012 with further ambitious targets added in support of UCT’s Vision 2030 sustainability goals.

The Khusela Ikamva Sustainable Campus project continued to make positive progress in 2023, with research continuing and various campus sustainability tours being hosted to help grow the UCT sustainability community of practice. A new Living Lab site was identified in the Neville Alexander building on upper campus. The hope is to combine various sustainability initiatives to create a common amenity space for staff and students, to further activate and pedestrianise upper campus in a sustainable manner.

In 2023, UCT students won both streams of the Greenovate competition (Engineering and Property & Construction Management), which is a wonderful demonstration of students leading with their honours research projects on the topic of sustainability.

Manfred Braune

Director: Environmental Sustainability