Towards a New Carbon Goal
Though achieving carbon neutrality in 2024 was an important milestone for the university, it is not the end point. Leading institutions have a social responsibility to set ambitious climate goals. Having met the goal it set in 2007, Duke is evaluating modern climate goals to match the ambition of the Climate Commitment. The Office of Climate and Sustainability is facilitating this planning alongside the Facilities Management Department and university leadership.
Current planning includes assessing emissions reductions targets informed by the latest climate science, which instruct organizations to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Net-zero is defined as a reduction of actual emissions by 90% or more, with carbon removal credits used to address the remaining residual emissions. This science-based goal will allow Duke to set different targets for categories of emissions it has operational control over (scopes 1 and 2) and those that it has less control over (scope 3). It also includes setting interim reduction targets which will allow the university to check progress over time.
During this period of assessment and planning, Duke maintained carbon neutrality in FY 24 and FY25 using high-quality offsets. This approach allows the university to sustain near-term climate responsibility while establishing a long-term framework that prioritizes direct emissions reductions and alignment with science-based pathways for climate stabilization.
Comprehensive Sustainable Operations Planning
Currently, Duke is also amid comprehensive sustainable operations planning, including a roadmap to guide sustainable operations priorities and objectives in buildings, food, purchasing, transportation, waste, water and natural space.