Carbon Footprint of Academic Activities: A Case Study in Diponegoro University

Abstract

Carbon emissions are a significant cause of climate change. As an effort to reduce emissions in the university environment, carbon footprints at Diponegoro University (Undip) need to be calculated to find out how much campus activity contributes to the emissions produced and analyze scenarios that can be applied in minimizing them. The carbon footprint study at Undip was carried out in 3 scopes according to The Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Scope one covers clean water treatment activities. Scope two covers electricity usage activities, while scope three covers transportation, wastewater, and solid waste treatment activities in the campus environment. Carbon footprint emissions from the three scopes are calculated based on methods from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Emissions calculated are CO2, CH4, and N2O expressed in TonCO2-eq. The carbon footprint resulting from campus activities at Undip is 16, 345.83 TonCO2-eq. The first and second-largest carbon footprint contributors came from electricity and transportation activities with a total carbon footprint of 13, 953.22 TonCO2-eq and 1, 449.99465 TonCO2-eq, respectively. The emission reduction business strategies that can be carried out are through conservation and energy efficiency approaches as well as the use of Campus Buses and increasing the number of green space.