Duke outlines progress toward 2050 carbon emissions plan, targets net zero

Tavey Capps, Duke’s executive director of climate and sustainability, presented the University’s current progress towards carbon neutrality and a new goal for emission reduction in 2050 during a Wednesday Durham Environment Affairs Board city hall. 

In 2024, Duke reached its goal of achieving carbon neutrality under its Climate Commitment, which it launched in 2022. It achieved carbon neutrality by reducing emissions by 31% since 2007, despite expanding both its physical footprint and population by over 20% during the same time period. The University reached carbon neutrality primarily by reducing energy use, investing in renewable sources and purchasing $4 million in carbon offsets.

However, Duke has further goals to pursue, as outlined in a Sept. 23 report on the University’s 2030 climate strategy.

As Capps stated Wednesday, carbon neutrality is just one of many interim checkpoints toward an eventual “next generation climate goal” of achieving net zero scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2050. Scope 1 emissions refer to direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources controlled or owned by an organization, while scope 2 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with the organization’s purchase of energy. The University hopes these goals will allow it to “continue its role as a climate leader.” 

Using the 2025 emissions as a baseline, the net-zero plan will entail a 90% reduction in overall emissions, with plans to “potentially” use carbon reduction credits for the remaining 10%. 

“Sometimes people hear 2050 and feel like that’s so far away. We are just pushing it out and not being aggressive,” Capps said. “We will have very ambitious interim targets every five years out to 2050 that we will revisit on that five-year interval to see if we can push ourselves to go even further.”

The details of the net-zero 2050 plan will be finalized by the end of this year, according to Capps. A Sustainable Operations Roadmap will be complete by the spring of 2026, which will map current states and priorities for utilities and other on-campus infrastructure that can be revised for sustainability. 

Capps shared current models for what the University will emphasize achieving, which focus on campus utility and infrastructure, building efficiency and solar procurement.

“We’ve invested a lot in making our utility systems as efficient as they can be currently, but there’s more that we can do,” she said. 

Examples include replacing steam heating systems for hot water, continuing implementation of the University’s High Performance Building Framework, shifting infrastructure focuses from “growth to renewal” and increasing the use of solar.

The Durham Environmental Affairs Board meeting saw residents ask about Duke’s approach to engaging community partnerships, which is one of the five pillars of its Climate Commitment. 

Michelle Carter, clean energy campaigns director at the North Carolina League of Conservation Voters, asked about planned opportunities for Duke’s engagement with the Durham community.

Capps emphasized in response that Duke hopes to listen to the Durham community’s priorities and engage in a “very [deliberate]” way that “doesn’t feel like Duke’s coming in and saying, ‘look at all the stuff we’re doing.”

Other questions focused on the University’s external partnerships – in particular, the University’s current investments in fossil fuels and its stance on the City of Durham’s development of a rapid transit bus system. 

In her answer, Capps spoke to the University’s attempts at engaging DUMAC to measure sustainability impacts of investments. She also stated that the University has not yet finalized plans for transportation but is “taking advantage” of opportunities to collaborate.