Carbon footprint of an acadamic organization : a case study of the Department of Environmental Engineering, Chulaongkorn University

Abstract

To evaluate a carbon footprint of an academic institution, direct and indirect GHG emissions were calculated. The major sources of GHG emission were classified into four main categories, which were energy use, material use, transportation, and waste disposal. The aim of this research was to evaluate the carbon footprint of the Department of Environmental Engineering, Chulalongkorn University and to develop alternative options for reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions using the measured carbon footprint as a key factor. The result showed that the total carbon footprint of the department based on year 2009 was 138.6 ton CO₂e/year and the average carbon footprint per person is 1.08 tC. From the calculation, energy consumption was considered as the biggest source of GHG emission that generated 85.2 ton CO₂e annually. It was accounted for 61.5% of the overall GHGs emission. The GHGs emission produced from transportation, waste and material use were 43.3, 9.5, and 0.6 tCO₂e annually or 31.3%, 6.8% and 0.4%, respectively. The implementation option for the reduction of carbon footprint was energy conservation within a building. The strategies included use of appliance with high energy efficiency such as air conditioning system and lighting system as well as turning off air conditioning, lighting lamps and lab equipment when they are not in use. For the waste and material use, 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) is considered to be the powerful strategy that should be promoted to decrease the GHG missions. This implementation strategy should be carried out along with establishment of incentive system in the organization. A campaign to create and raise awareness on GHG emission problems among the staff members and students is also needed for the organization to achieve sustainable reduction of GHG emissions.