Queen's University Belfast, often referred to simply as Queen's, is a prestigious institution located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, within the United Kingdom. Founded in 1845, it has established itself as a leading research university, renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation across various disciplines. The university operates primarily in the higher education sector, offering a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Queen's is particularly noted for its strengths in research, engineering, and the humanities, making it a hub for intellectual growth and discovery. With a strong emphasis on employability and student experience, Queen's University Belfast has garnered recognition for its impactful research and community engagement. Its notable achievements include being a member of the Russell Group, which represents 24 leading UK universities committed to maintaining the highest research and teaching standards.
How does Queen's University Belfast's carbon action stack up? DitchCarbon scores companies based on their carbon action and commitment to reducing emissions. Read about our methodology to learn more.
Mean score of companies in the Education Services industry. Comparing a company's score to the industry average can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
Queen's University Belfast's score of 42 is higher than 69% of the industry. This can give you a sense of how well the company is doing compared to its peers.
In 2024, Queen's University Belfast reported total carbon emissions of approximately 86,145,000 kg CO2e. This figure includes about 15,605,000 kg CO2e from Scope 1 and 2 emissions (market-based) and approximately 70,541,000 kg CO2e from Scope 3 emissions. The Scope 3 breakdown reveals significant contributions from purchased goods and services (about 37,326,000 kg CO2e), business travel (approximately 21,613,000 kg CO2e), and employee commuting (around 7,375,000 kg CO2e). In 2023, the university's emissions were slightly lower, with total emissions of about 71,268,000 kg CO2e from Scope 3 and approximately 13,967,000 kg CO2e from Scope 1 and 2 (market-based). The Scope 1 and 2 emissions for 2022 were reported at about 16,387,000 kg CO2e (market-based) and 20,503,000 kg CO2e (location-based). Queen's University Belfast has set ambitious climate commitments through its Queen’s Travel Plan (2023-2028), aiming for a 25% reduction in carbon emissions from commuting by 2028. This initiative targets both Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, reflecting the university's commitment to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. The university's emissions data is not cascaded from any parent organization, indicating that these figures are independently reported. Overall, Queen's University Belfast is actively working towards reducing its carbon emissions while addressing the challenges posed by its operational footprint.
Access structured emissions data, company-specific emission factors, and source documents
| 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | - | - | - | - |
| Scope 2 | - | - | - | - |
| Scope 3 | 78,914,000 | 00,000,000 | 00,000,000 | 00,000,000 |
Queen's University Belfast's Scope 3 emissions, which decreased by 1% last year and decreased by approximately 11% since 2019, demonstrating supply chain emissions tracking. Their carbon footprint includes supplier sustainability and value chain emissions data across Scope 3 categories, with "Purchased Goods and Services" being the largest emissions source at 53% of Scope 3 emissions.
Climate goals typically focus on 2030 interim targets and 2050 net-zero commitments, aligned with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to ensure alignment with global climate goals.
Queen's University Belfast has not publicly committed to specific 2030 or 2050 climate goals through the major frameworks we track. Companies often set interim 2030 targets and long-term 2050 net-zero goals to demonstrate measurable progress toward decarbonization.
