Leiden University to prioritise direct CO2 reduction and halt certificate purchases
From 2026, Leiden University will prioritise direct CO2 reduction. It will do so by no longer purchasing compensation certificates and investing in energy savings instead.
The university is working hard to make its buildings more sustainable and reduce its gas consumption. Since 1990, it has achieved a considerable 47% reduction in its CO2 emissions but must do more to achieve the goal of a 95% reduction by 2050, says Real Estate Director Chris Suijker. ‘We now want to focus on energy reduction instead of compensation certificates, which are not guaranteed to be effective.’
Climate projects
Purchasing Verified Emission Reduction credits (VERs) funds international climate projects, but studies have shown that these projects do not always run to plan. For example, land for planting trees may be acquired illegally and promises about sustainable forestry are not always kept. Research by students from the LDE Sustainability Honours Programme has also shown that the university cannot guarantee it has reduced its CO2 emissions, even if the certificates meet international standards. The university stopped purchasing these compensation certificates in 2024, also within the scope of cost-cutting.
Guarantee of Origin certificates
The university will also stop purchasing Dutch Guarantee of Origin certificates (GoO), which show that electricity comes from renewable sources such as wind and solar energy. These have not led to additional green energy production capacity in the Netherlands. There are a fixed number of wind farms in the North Sea and the government fully subsidises their construction. Contractual obligations mean the university will stop buying these from 2026.
Invest in sustainable measures
Halting the purchase of both types of certificate will result in savings of 400,000 euros a year from 2026 and 500,000 from 2027. This will enable the Real Estate department to permanently invest in other sustainable measures, such as replacing the lighting systems in all our buildings with low-energy LED ones and saving energy at facilities such as labs. The university will also continue other sustainable measures such as installing more solar panels and creating green roofs and biodiverse gardens. ‘This decision means the university is focusing on concrete measures that will have a measurable impact on its energy consumption and CO2 emissions’, says Real Estate Director Chris Suijker.
The university wants to gain a better picture of all its CO2 emissions, such as travel, commuting and the purchase of goods, with the aim of reducing these.