SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

2A low-carbon campus

UPES has measured its carbon footprint, set public targets to cut it, and planned the energy upgrades to get there.

Energy and divestment policies

The UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy^[1] (2025) commits the university to the following.

• Energy-efficient new buildings and renovations. Every new building and renovation must follow the Bureau of Energy Efficiency's Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) and the National Building Code of India, use GRIHA or IGBC green-building ratings where feasible, and specify BEE star-rated lighting, air-conditioning, pumps and motors.
• Upgrading existing buildings. Energy audits identify which buildings to upgrade. Old lighting and air-conditioning are replaced with star-rated equipment, insulation, ventilation and natural lighting are improved, rooftop solar is added where feasible, and upgraded buildings are brought in line with ECBC.
• Carbon management. Following the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064, UPES measures its carbon footprint regularly, sets reduction targets, and cuts CO₂ through energy efficiency, renewable energy, less diesel generator use and electric vehicles, reporting progress periodically.
• An energy efficiency plan. Guided by ISO 50001 and BEE guidelines, the plan sets a baseline for energy use and reduction targets, uses periodic energy audits to find savings, and assigns actions, responsibilities and timelines.
• Annual reporting. UPES will publish an annual energy and carbon report covering energy consumption, energy use intensity, greenhouse gas emissions and progress against targets.

An Energy, Environment & Sustainability Committee implements the policy. It reviews the design of new buildings and renovations for compliance and approves and monitors the building upgrade plan, the energy efficiency plan and carbon reduction targets.

The UPES Divestment Policy^[2], embedded in the Energy Policy, Environment Policy, Green Campus Policy and Climate Action Plan, moves the university away from fossil fuels such as coal-based electricity, diesel and petrol. In practice this means solar power and solar water heating, LED lighting, electric carts and battery-operated vehicles for getting around campus, restrictions on fossil-fuel vehicles on campus, and cleaner cooking and heating.

The RISE Centre

UPES set up the RISE (Research on Impact, Sustainability and ESG) Centre with Aspire Impact in September 2024 to lead its work on climate change and carbon neutrality. It works through three pillars:

• Sustainability Projects: measuring UPES's impact, setting net-zero targets, running the Climate Action Plan and building a live Green Dashboard.
• Environment Education: including the ESG, Sustainability and Impact Specialist Programme, run with Mahindra University and Aspire Impact, which trains mid- and senior-level professionals to lead net-zero and circular-economy transitions in their organisations.
• Aspire Circle Fellowship: nurturing young leaders in sustainability and ESG.

UPES has also received the Gold Leaf certification from Aspire Impact, becoming the first university in India to complete a standards-based impact assessment with full Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas accounting, with Platinum-level performance in emissions management.

Climate Action Plan

The RISE (Research, Impact, Sustainability and ESG) Centre's Climate Action Plan sets out a phased path to net zero. Purchased electricity makes up 55.3% of emissions, commuting and procurement 40.7%, and direct fuel use 4%.

Planned actions include:

• More solar. Expand rooftop solar from 100 kW to 300–400 kW, and buy renewable power through purchase agreements or certificates.
• Efficient buildings. Upgrade lighting and HVAC with smart controls and more efficient units, cutting an estimated 180–275 tonnes of CO₂e a year.
• Cleaner fuels and transport. Replace LPG with biogas and bio-CNG, electrify campus service vehicles and promote greener commuting.
• Better tracking. Report greenhouse gases every year, pilot an internal carbon price, track Scope 3 emissions more fully and adopt sustainable procurement.
• Offsetting the rest. Invest in regional afforestation to neutralise emissions that cannot be avoided.

A Climate Action Task Force of senior leaders, academics, operations staff and students oversees the plan, and the RISE Centre is building a live Green Dashboard to report progress.

Measuring energy and emissions

An ISO 14064-1 greenhouse gas inventory by Colliers covers June 2023 to May 2025, tracking diesel generators, LPG, vehicles, refrigerants, grid electricity and air travel. Grid electricity use rose from about 45.2 lakh kWh to 51.0 lakh kWh, while refrigerant emissions fell by a third.

The audit's roadmap shows that adding 600 kWp of on-site solar would cut direct emissions by more than 15%, and 1,650 kWp would cut total emissions by more than 15% by 2029.

As the Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy requires, these periodic audits serve as energy reviews. They show where UPES uses the most energy and creates the most emissions: grid electricity first, followed by refrigerants from air-conditioning, LPG in kitchens and diesel generators. That analysis shapes where savings are targeted, through on-site solar, renewable power purchases where rooftop space is limited, and the lighting and HVAC upgrades in the Climate Action Plan.

UPES used about 51 lakh kWh of grid electricity in 2024–25, along with diesel and LPG. Under the policy, the university's annual energy and carbon report will track total energy use and energy use intensity (energy used per square metre of floor space) against its reduction targets.