Decarbonization in Higher Education Institutions as a Way to Achieve a Green Campus: A Literature Review

Abstract

Reducing the carbon footprint (CF) helps to meet the targets of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), with emphasis on SDG 13, which seeks urgent measures to combat climate change and its impacts. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) or universities, as organizations engaged in education, research, and community service, play an important role in promoting sustainable development. Thus, HEIs are increasingly interested in practices to reduce their CF, in addition to training professionals for this worldwide need. CF reduction is a tool to assess the sustainability and decarbonization of a campus that aligns with Green Campus (GC) initiatives. The objective of this study is to carry out a literature review of the current situation of CF reduction practices in HEIs and the move toward a greener campus, identifying the main sources of emissions according to the GHG Protocol and classification by scope. This article sought to identify the HEIs/universities with already-implemented decarbonization initiatives through the elaboration of a table. This study was based on a portfolio of 33 articles published up to February 2022 that analyze the CFs of HEIs and the implementation of green initiatives. Differences were identified in the methodology and data used by each university. The results show that the main reason for this is the lack of standardization regarding the time metric (year, semester), functional unit (student, employee, area), limitation of data collection (scope 1, 2, 3), and sources of emission and emission factors, mainly about Scope 3 (sometimes not considered in the calculations). However, despite the differences, the search for standardization was observed in the studied articles, as well as the expectation of reduction in the CF of HEIs over time. It also identified the efforts of HEIs in implementing green initiatives aimed at decarbonizing their campuses. It can be concluded that the CF of HEIs requires improvements and solutions to a series of challenges, including the definition of emission sources representative of Scope 3, the creation of a robust database of emission factors, and the development of tools and methodologies—with greater standardization—that cover the needs of the type of institution globally, and that can be used comparatively as an effective model by other HEIs.

Sustainable Development in Third Level Programs: Distilling a Pathway to a True Net-Zero Education

“…Among the various categories, economic barriers emerge as the most prominent, overshadowing administrative, personal, social, political, and student-related factors. This observation aligns with the existing literature, which emphasizes the critical importance of overcoming barriers such as time constraints, financial costs, and data reliability in the assessment of greenhouse gas emissions [114]. Notably, administrative, personal, and social barriers emerge as equally important contributors to the challenges in decarbonization efforts.…”

“…Societal norms that can impact decarbonization efforts in higher education, such as attitudes toward sustainability, resource use, and climate change, have been a focal point in previous studies [125]. Higher education institutions, as social institutions, are influenced by societal perspectives on environmental responsibility and sustainable development [114]. The current study aligns with these prior findings, highlighting the continuing significance of societal norms in shaping the commitment of higher education institutions to decarbonization.…”

“…Furthermore, our study acknowledges the pivotal role of higher education institutions in managing the carbon footprint, fostering public awareness, and educating future leaders. It is evident that the allocation of funding across subjects can influence the prioritization of decarbonization initiatives within these institutions [114].…”

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“…Thus, the study presented an analysis of zero energy buildings, explaining their positive as well as negative impacts. Da Silva et al (2023) The study aimed at analyzing existing research that investigate decarbonization strategies and their role in achieving sustainable environment. The sustainable strategies, that are adopted worldwide, like use of renewable energy sources, enhancing energy efficiency, promoting sustainable transportation options, and implementing carbon offset programs provided a supportive framework towards combating climate change issue.…”

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“…In order to encourage sustainable development, higher education institutions are setting up Green Campus Initiatives (GCIs) [38][39][40].They are concentrated on the implementation of sustainable infrastructure, the reduction of environmental impacts and economic costs, and boosting student understanding of the idea of sustainable development. The sustainability initiatives of higher education institutions are included in the Green Campus Initiatives models, which are geared toward achieving the Talloires Declaration's and UN Sustainable Development Goals targets.…”