Purpose:\ud
The Higher Education Statistics Agency requires Higher Education Institutes to reporting their Scope 3 (Travel) carbon emissions effective from January 2015 to show leadership in carbon reporting perspectives. This research contribution is to new knowledge and management processes involves the designing and implementing a hybrid environmental management system(EMS) for Scope 3 (Travel) carbon emissions accountability, developing new quantification tools and reporting by adopting Global Reporting Initiative G4, using Nottingham Trent University (NTU) as a collaborative case study.\ud
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Research Design and Methodology:\ud
The research design methodology evaluates NTU’s EMS using qualitative to quantitative semi structured SWOT and mRating evaluation questionnaires. Developing a Scope 3 (Travel) carbon quantification tool using data derived from a travel survey of NTU’s staff and students and travel data of overseas students and business travel. Determining a UniCarbon travel sustainability index as a key performance indicator for reporting purposes.\ud
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Findings:\ud
SWOT and mRating empirical values computations provided the basis for the development and implementation of a new hybrid EMS particular to NTU. The total amount of Scope 3 (Travel) carbon emissions were: staff and student commute (6,656MtCO2e), business travel (2,674MtCO2e) and overseas students (42,312MtCO2e). NTU’s Scope 3 (Travel) carbon emissions performance index is 0.49, indicating partial emissions sustainability. \ud
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Contribution to new management practices and new knowledge:\ud
This research contribution to new management processes providing frameworks for an efficient adoption of EMS practices for Scope 3 (Travel) carbon emissions accountability. The development of quantification tools, enables benchmarking and implementing emissions abatement policies to meeting the HE Sector’s 2020 emissions targets of 43% of the base year 2005. The UniCarbon index offers a summative reporting empirical measurement of travel sustainability reporting, enabling comparisons for use within the HE Sector that also could be replicated to other industry sectors