Towards a Carbon Neutral and Sustainable Campus: Case Study of NED University of Engineering and Technology

Globally, universities are evaluating and targeting to reduce their carbon emissions and operate on a sustainable basis. The overall aim of this study revolves in addressing the following three questions: (1) How to calculate carbon footprint, including indicators selection, criteria, and measurement, for higher education institutions? (2) How to evaluate impact and effectiveness of various mitigation strategies in context of a higher education institution? (3) What are the possible limitations of approach selected for carbon footprint calculation. This paper presents estimation of the carbon footprint of NED University using a carbon calculator along with the identification of sources with maximum contribution to its carbon footprint. The carbon footprint of the NED University main campus for 2017 was calculated to be approximately 21,500 metric tons of equivalent CO2 and carbon footprint per student was 1.79 metric tons of equivalent CO2. Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions each contributed nearly 7% of the carbon footprint, while Scope 3 emissions accounted for 85.6% of the carbon footprint. Major interventions such as switching to renewables, usage of energy efficient appliances, electric vehicles, and massive tree plantation inside and outside the campus were identified as the most effective mitigation strategies.

Automated summary

Globally, universities are striving to reduce carbon emissions. This study focuses on calculating carbon footprint, evaluating mitigation strategies, and identifying limitations for higher education institutions. Using NED University as a case study, the carbon footprint and major contributing sources were identified. The results showed that Scope 3 emissions accounted for the majority of the carbon footprint, and interventions such as switching to renewables and tree plantation were considered the most effective strategies.