Energy Transition

Heriot-Watt University is committed to sustainability and adopting a rapid and just energy transition through our frontier education and research programmes and partnering with our global communities to drive real change together.

Our principles

Heriot-Watt University has always thrived on being a pioneer in discovery and use of natural resources to serve society – a tradition that has been an essential part of our education and research for the past 200 years. Looking ahead we are focused on adopting a frontier role in assuring rapid energy transition to eliminate the effects of the combustion of fossil fuels, and to develop leadership in areas of climate change research. We remain a University with extraordinary global reach, connectivity, and ambition, where we spearhead the creation of new knowledge and societal policies. As a global charity we take a proactive role in educating, researching and partnering with those who share our ambition for rapid energy transition.

We are committed to show leadership in working for the sustainable future of our planet. This includes our focus on a future in which fossil fuels are no longer needed. We have set 2035 as a target to be net zero in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and equipping our global community with the skills and knowledge to drive real change together. We will continue to work with the energy sector to advocate and assist in a transition to a greener, more sustainable energy, including investing in companies aligned with our ambition to drive a just energy transition.

Research and radical innovation are fundamental to addressing many of the challenges of living sustainably in the modern age. Our world-leading research focuses on finding solutions to major global challenges, through significant international collaborations and connections with government, business, education institutions and industry in addition to long-term community-based projects. Founded on our advanced expertise in energy, we are building on our pioneering research institute to accelerate the energy transition.

Our commitment

Environmental sustainability is one of the Strategic Performance Indicators of our Strategy 2025, which sets out Heriot-Watt's commitment to delivering statutory environmental requirements and enhancing sustainability outcomes across the full breadth of the University's activities. Our approach is outlined in our 10 Institutional Commitments, our Climate Action Framework, and associated policies, which will enable us to develop actions regarding sustainability across our global community. We also recognise that the different countries our campuses are based in are at different stages in their work on this issue and we are committed to working with a broad range of our stakeholders to advance thinking on sustainability more widely through our education and research. We believe this approach opens up new areas of expertise and supports skills and training needed for a just transition. To help build a better and brighter way forward, we're creating the Net Zero Community Hub to focus on the importance of actions we can all take to help reach net zero. The Net Zero Community Hub will be the focal point for sustainability thinking and debate at Heriot-Watt, a hub of inspiration, information, invention, and advice.

Working with the Energy Industry to make an impact

The University works in partnership with the energy industry for the benefit of society, our global campuses and university communities. Heriot-Watt and companies within the energy sector have provided financial support for our world-leading research, and through philanthropic support it has created scholarships to enable student access to our education. Further, it has worked with industry to fund initiatives which support the wellbeing of our student community, including the provision of valuable work placements.

We will continue working with and supporting the energy industry through our education and research programmes in order to assist in meeting wider industry and societal ambitions with regards to net zero, responsible consumption of oil and gas, and a transition to renewable energy sources. This will demand difficult decisions, numerous compromises, and broad, significant changes to our way of life and our ways of working. It is a transition that we must all embark upon, enabling and promoting dialogue between energy producers and users.

Frequently asked questions