It will focus on reducing emissions in energy, supply chain, waste, buildings and travel by air and land in its bid to achieve net carbon zero.
Reaching the goal would require reducing emissions by 54%, or about 27,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Net carbon zero programme manager Craig Cliff said targeting these areas, which the university council had agreed on last year, was critical to being able to achieve the goal.
"Since that time, we’ve developed the Journey to 2030 document so students, staff, and community members can engage with what we’re doing."
So far the feedback had been positive, he said.
Energy emissions would be reduced by 70%.
The university would eliminate its last coal boiler on its Invercargill campus and, in general, reduce fossil gas through upgrades, and using more solar power in residential colleges.
It had set aside a $5.5million decarbonisation fund to expedite such projects.
It would also work with supply chain and procurement staff, mostly around food it brought in, to obtain low-emission products.
Student projects would also raise awareness about low-carbon options.
Staff would be encouraged and supported to avoid non-essential travel.
The university would engage with travel agents and airlines on using sustainable fuels and choosing the most fuel-efficient air travel routes for students and staff.
It would investigate carbon credit offsetting and producing its own carbon credits.
On land, the university’s fleet would be reassessed. Staff would also be encouraged to use public transport, walk, or cycle, Mr Cliff said.
Waste on campus would be reduced by 55%, with a focus on waste to landfill, wastewater, refrigerant emissions, and recycling.
A food waste digestor would be installed, and more if it helped significantly.
It would try to limit carbon emissions by controlling the energy used to extract, transport, and install building materials and by running carbon literacy sessions with property services.
Some of the emissions cuts might be costly, but others, such as behaviour changes and using the same money in a different way, were not, Mr Cliff said.
The first tranche of work, starting now and finishing in 2023, included considering how Otago could combat emissions from students’ air travel.
The impact of student air travel was calculated for the first time last year — revealing the total for 2019 was almost a quarter of the university’s emissions.
The work would also include providing prototypes of emissions reporting for teams, departments, buildings and colleges, ensuring accurate reporting and managing of refrigerants and investigating operational opportunities for teaching, learning and research.
