Cardiff Metropolitan University secures £18 Million to speed up net zero campus plans

Cardiff Metropolitan University has secured £18 million in low-cost loan funding from the Welsh Government to accelerate work to decarbonise its campuses.

The funding, awarded through an extension to the Digarbon Round 2 scheme, and delivered by Salix Finance, brings the University’s total Digarbon support to £24.2 million, following £6.2 million awarded in December 2025.

Subject to a full technical assessment, the investment will fund additional low carbon heating systems, expanded solar generation, energy efficient lighting and building upgrades across Cardiff Met’s estate, cutting emissions and reducing long term energy costs. Together, these measures will significantly reduce carbon emissions and strengthen the resilience of the University’s estate.

The announcement follows strong progress through Cardiff Met’s award-winning "Halve the Half" initiative, which delivered a 33% reduction in gas use, a 10% cut in electricity use and 20% reduction in water consumption in two years, saving more than £1.8 million without major capital works.

The latest funding will support the next phase of improvements to remove gas heating from several buildings, increasing onsite renewable energy generation and introducing battery storage to reduce reliance on the energy grids.

President and Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University, Professor Rachael Langford said: "This significant investment is a strong endorsement of the progress Cardiff Met has made on its decarbonisation journey, and of our ambition to continue leading on sustainability in higher education.

“Building on our Halve the Half initiative and our initial Digarbon award, this funding allows us to deliver a new phase of lasting improvements that will reduce emissions, lower costs and create more sustainable environments for our students, staff and communities.”

Graham Lewis, Chief Officer for University Environments, said: “With fewer than 1,200 working days left for organisations committed to net zero by 2030, this funding allows us to move faster at scale.

“This next phase is about building on the work to date and strengthening our energy resilience for outcomes that are better for our finances, our carbon footprint and our local communities.”

Gbenga Adenaike, Digarbon Programme Manager said: “We’re committed to supporting Welsh Government to help the public sector meet its ambition to be net zero by 2030.This further funding will enable both Cardiff Metropolitan University and Bangor University to progress vital and exciting projects even further.

“Digarbon has proved very popular and demand for the support has consistently outstripped supply, and with ongoing programmes in place, these organisations are well placed to quickly adapt and expand their activities to meet additional funding opportunities as they occur.”

The Digarbon scheme provides low-interest loan funding to further and higher education institutions in Wales to support heat decarbonisation, energy efficiency, renewable energy and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Funded by the Welsh Government and delivered by Salix Finance, the scheme supports the Welsh Government’s ambition for the public sector to reach net zero by 2030.

Cardiff Met was recently ranked first in Wales and top ten in the UK in the People and Planet University League 2025/26. Its Halve the Half initiative has also received national recognition at the Times Higher Education Awards, and the Digital Construction Awards.