The College continues efforts to make the built environment more sustainable.

Sustainability

Since the baseline year of 2017, the College has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 25%, excluding an offset for the purchase of renewable electricity. When this is included, the decrease in Scope 1 and 2 is 45%. In the past year a number of energy saving and decarbonisation projects have been completed and demand reduction exercises have been undertaken.

• Air Source Heat Pumps were installed on the roof of Lerner Court during Easter 2024, and the Ground Source Heat Pumps replaced in early 2025, at which point the gas boilers were removed. The two projects combined have so far saved nearly 41 tonnes of CO2e emissions.

• Individual room heating controls were installed in Castle House in September 2024. These automatically adjust the radiators to a setback temperature when the room is vacant. In conjunction with the ongoing project to replace the windows with triple glazing, this has saved nearly 12 tonnes of CO2e, and over £3,000 on gas bills.

• A warmer than usual spring meant the heating hours were reduced early across the College, with a 17.5 tonne carbon saving.

In addition to these carbon saving projects, the College achieved a Green Impact Platinum Award, the student group Clare Goes Green won an Excellence Award for a composting project, and last year’s Tangled Planet exhibition organised by the College Office won a National Green Impact Award. These awards recognise the College’s sustainability improvements beyond building projects and staff actions, requiring input from across the College community.

The urgent project to replace the Memorial Court boilers (now over 26 years old) has progressed through the early RIBA stages of design, and a number of pre-application discussions have been held with the planning authority. This project consists of providing the new heat source and reducing heat demand via building fabric upgrades. The proposed fabric works to the buildings will provide new double glazing (in the existing sashes) to 35% of the windows and radiator upgrades to other rooms to allow the heat from air source heat pumps to circulate at efficient temperatures.

Buildings

Small Projects

• External decorations of Thirkill Court were completed in two phases in September 2024 and Easter 2025.

• External decorations to 14-16 and 18-20 Castle Street were completed in September 2024.

• The Law Reading Room was refurbished with upgraded electrics, new carpets and decorations at Christmas 2024.

• Improvements to the College Offices were carried out over the summer of 2024.

• The bathroom to O2 guest room was refurbished at Easter 2025.

• Lerner Court LED lighting upgrades with significant energy savings.

• The bridge gates have been redecorated by the in-house team, and the top sections have been re-gilded by a specialist.

• The in-house team redecorated the Avenue lamp posts, and a specialist conservator has restored the lanterns.

• The Boat House has been redecorated externally to preserve the historic fabric.

• The in-house maintenance team continues its hard work behind the scenes (mostly) to keep the College in good order. In the last 12 months, 4529 job tickets were completed and closed.

Housekeeping

This year the housekeepers cleaned over 400 student bedrooms every week plus staff and Fellows’ offices and the public areas of the College. They also supported the conference season, making more than 9,000 bed changes over the course of the summer.

To read the latest updates on the Old Court Project, click here.