The University takes a whole-institutional approach to sustainability and mitigating its climate emissions. These pages detail how we embed these principles into our digital infrastructure, including on-site assets, our webpages and artificial intelligence.

Onsite assets

For the purchase of on-site assets, the process begins with their specification, where internal checks require buyers to consider the energy efficiency of new assets.

Once a specification is approved, suppliers are selected through public procurement frameworks available to the University, with supply chains monitored using Electronics Watch (through APUC).

The University’s IT department configures devices to minimise power usage by enabling short power save periods. Staff and students are further encouraged to consider energy use through the University’s inductions for students and staff.

At the end of the assets’ useful life, digital infrastructure is returned to the University’s IT department for data wiping and collection by the University’s electronic waste contractor, who either processes devices for re-use or recycling (depending on condition). The collection of redundant IT equipment is governed and monitored by the University’s Environmental Management System.

The University’s Recycling FAQs detail how staff should arrange for electronic equipment to be collected for recycling.

Low-carbon website

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) website architecture is designed to minimise greenhouse gas emissions throughout the whole infrastructure/user journey.

GCU’s content management system (Squiz) uses European-based AWS data centres and CloudFlare as a content delivery network to cache GCU’s website so that the amount of data transmitted over long distances is reduced. Both AWS and CloudFlare run on 100% renewable energy (see ‘critical suppliers’ in Squiz’s Environmental and Carbon Emissions Policy Objective for more information).

Despite running on 100% renewable energy, the University has started using the Sustainable Web Design Model to understand carbon emissions associated with its website/web infrastructure. This is a new methodology for the University, and it has only been used to evaluate its website, but the intention is to extend it to include its virtual learning environment (provided by Blackboard, which also uses AWS) and other cloud-based systems.

This evaluation showed that for 2024-25:

• 2.39 gCO2e – page view
• 63 tCO2e – total annual page views.

The University will use these insights to identify opportunities for reducing the data (bandwidth) required to serve its website, and once we are confident with the methodology/magnitude of emissions, they will be added to its annual GHG emissions inventory (carbon footprint reports). This information will also be used to produce guidance for web and content developers to help minimise energy consumption from digital infrastructure.

Responsible use of artificial intelligence

The University has produced guidance for students and staff on the responsible use of artificial intelligence.