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> News > USU Sets 2029 Target for Carbon Neutrality in Line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocols

USU Sets 2029 Target for Carbon Neutrality in Line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocols

Published At

09 September 2024

Published By

Threesna Sharfina

“Carbon neutrality is both a scientific necessity and a moral responsibility,” stated Professor Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos, M.Si, Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara. “By setting measurable goals and integrating sustainability across operations, research, and community life, USU reaffirms its leadership in driving climate solutions from the higher-education sector.”

Medan, (March 29, 2024) — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has formally set a clear and ambitious target to become a carbon-neutral campus by 2029. This commitment is laid out in Rector’s Circular Letter No. 1 of 2023, “Environmental Management and the Commitment of Universitas Sumatera Utara to Become a Green, Sustainable, and Carbon-Neutral Campus in 2029.” The pledge follows the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocols, covering Scope 1 emissions from direct campus activities, Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity, and selected elements of Scope 3, including commuting and procurement. To ensure that its climate reporting is accurate, comparable, and aligned with international practice, USU also plans to harmonise its greenhouse-gas accounting with the ISO 14064 Standard for GHG management.

To realise this target, USU has adopted a comprehensive roadmap that tackles both operational systems and everyday behaviour across the campus community. The plan brings together expanded use of solar energy, the application of energy-efficient building standards, the promotion of low-emission transport, the strengthening of waste-to-resource initiatives, and regular, annual carbon assessments. Rather than relying on a single flagship project, USU is building a portfolio of mutually reinforcing actions designed to steadily reduce its overall emissions while embedding a culture of sustainability in daily campus life.

One of the most visible components of this roadmap is the Go Ride Electricity programme, which introduces electric scooters and vehicles as zero-emission transport options to reduce fossil-fuel use on campus. In parallel, USU is increasing its renewable-energy capacity by installing solar panels on major academic and administrative buildings, supported by smart, real-time monitoring devices that track electricity consumption and help optimise efficiency. These technical measures are complemented by energy-efficient building standards and smart-building practices that lower energy demand through better insulation, lighting, and ventilation. At the same time, the university is strengthening waste-to-resource initiatives through activities such as Eco Brick and Eco Enzyme Festivals, which encourage the transformation of plastic waste into building materials and organic waste into environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, illustrating in concrete terms how low-emission practices can be integrated into everyday routines.

USU is also investing in ecological infrastructure that supports climate resilience and urban cooling. Retention ponds are being developed as part of a water-sensitive design approach that helps manage stormwater, reduce flood risk, and moderate local temperatures, while contributing to carbon sequestration and biodiversity on campus. The university’s commitment to annual carbon assessments, guided by GHG Protocol principles and moving toward ISO 14064 alignment, ensures that progress can be tracked transparently and that emission-reduction strategies can be refined over time based on robust data.

Through these targeted actions, Universitas Sumatera Utara aligns its campus transformation with Indonesia’s national climate targets and global sustainability frameworks. The 2029 timeline provides a concrete reference point for planning, monitoring, and public accountability, signalling that the university is prepared to be measured against its own climate commitments. “Carbon neutrality is both a scientific necessity and a moral responsibility,” said Rector Professor Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si. “By setting measurable goals and integrating sustainability across operations, research, and community life, USU reaffirms its leadership in driving climate solutions from the higher-education sector.”

USU’s carbon-neutrality commitment directly advances Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action) and operationalises the mandates of Rector’s Regulation No. 3 of 2019 on the Implementation of the Green Campus Movement together with Circular Letter No. 1 of 2023 on Environmental Management and Carbon Neutrality by 2029. By combining renewable-energy integration, energy-efficient buildings, sustainable mobility, ecological infrastructure, strengthened waste-to-resource programmes, and rigorous carbon accounting, Universitas Sumatera Utara demonstrates that carbon neutrality in higher education is both achievable and essential—supporting Indonesia’s wider path to net-zero emissions and a resilient, low-carbon future.

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