Application of NTC-ISO 14064 standard to calculate the Greenhouse Gas emissions and Carbon Footprint of ITM’s Robledo campus

Abstract

The aim of this study is to calculate the Carbon Footprint (CF) of one campus of the Instituto Tecnológico Metropolitano (ITM), a higher education institution in Medellín, Colombia. Such calculation was conducted from the perspective of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), considering and analyzing significant impacts of the ITM on the environment and its relationship with its surroundings derived from its operational activities related to the objectives in its mission statement (education, outreach, and research). The methodology used here for the LCA, the Carbon Footprint calculation, and the compilation of input and output inventories of different subprocesses (that comprise ITM’s operation) observed the requirements and guidelines established in the ISO 14001 (2015), 14040, 14041, 14043, and 14064 standards. According to results the activities that emit the most GHG fall within Scope 1, especially the use of fossil fuels (for the transportation of equipment and ITM employees), with about 69%; and, in Scope 2, electricity consumption contributes 26.8%.