The University of Tunis El Manar (UTM) publishes a carbon neutrality timeline that is organised by greenhouse gas scope: Scope 1 by 2026, Scope 2 by 2036 and Scope 3 by 2050. This article summarises the targets and the baseline as they appear on UTM’s own pages.
What the three scopes mean
The scopes come from the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol. Scope 1 covers direct emissions, Scope 2 adds indirect emissions from purchased energy, and Scope 3 includes all other indirect sources, such as travel, procurement, waste and water. This is also how the THE Sustainability Impact Ratings methodology describes them.
UTM’s targets
| Scope | Covers | UTM target |
|---|---|---|
| Scope 1 | Direct emissions | By 2026 |
| Scope 2 | Indirect emissions from purchased energy | By 2036 |
| Scope 3 | Other indirect emissions | By 2050 |
One note on the wording: UTM’s carbon page also labels the plan a “Net Zero Carbon 2040-50 Roadmap” and gives a Scope 2 range of 2016-2038 in its summary. The timeline text on UTM’s pages states 2036 for Scope 2, which is the year used here.
Baseline and reporting
UTM uses 2016 as the base year of its GHG inventory. It has reported Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions publicly since 2016 and Scope 3 emissions since 2010, the latter per capita and based on Tunisian government data.
UTM’s original goal was a 29% reduction of total emissions against the 2016 baseline over seven years. After the pandemic UTM recalibrated this to a 10-25% reduction.
What the 2022 emissions report found
UTM’s GHG Emission Report 2022 was prepared by Prof. Noamen Rebai of the National Engineering School of Tunis (ENIT). It follows the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard with an operational control boundary and counts carbon dioxide only.
Over 2016-2022 Scope 1 averaged 54% of total emissions and Scope 2 averaged 36%. In 2022 stationary combustion, meaning natural gas for heating, laboratories and the canteen, was about 60% of emissions, and purchased electricity was about 36%.
The action plan
UTM’s carbon reduction action plan, developed in 2021, has four work streams: Energy and Water, Travel and Transportation, Commuting, and Waste. Each has milestones for 2026, 2030 and 2050, and the plan gives priority to solar energy and wind turbines.
UTM’s net-zero page lists the university’s membership of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), the International Universities Climate Alliance and the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI). It adds that student clubs such as Enactus and the Google Developers Clubs support the work. UTM’s sustainability pages also list a climate change policy among 12 policies.
How THE reads a carbon neutrality target
In THE’s 2026 methodology, SDG 13 (Climate Action) asks universities for the date by which they will be carbon neutral. The target must cover both Scope 1 and Scope 2, and a Scope 1 target alone is not accepted. THE also takes into account which scopes are covered and whether the evidence is public.
This is one indicator among many in SDG 13. The targets above are described as UTM publishes them, not as THE scores them. For the university’s 2026 activity on climate, read the SDG 13 report page, and for energy the SDG 7 report page. The full list is on the reports page.
Sources
- University of Tunis El Manar: Net Zero commitment and carbon reduction action plan
- University of Tunis El Manar: Carbon emissions, towards a Net Zero target
- University of Tunis El Manar: GHG Emission Report 2022
- University of Tunis El Manar: Sustainability menu (policies, reports, committee)
- Times Higher Education: Sustainability Impact Ratings Methodology 2026, version 1.0