Enhancing Ecological Footprint Awareness among Academic Staff at Gazi University: A Sustainability Communication Approach

Abstract

Sustainability communication is vital in informing, inspiring, and mobilizing individuals and organizations to take collective actions that contribute to environmental protection, social justice, and economic prosper-ity. A crucial aspect of sustainability, ecological footprint awareness assesses the consciousness of the im-pact of individuals or communities on the environment. This research investigates the level of ecological footprint awareness among academic staff at Gazi University, Turkey, using a comprehensive scale. Find-ings indicate varying levels of awareness across dimensions influenced by gender, marital status, academic title, and income, suggesting potential implications for policymakers and university administrators. The efficacy of sustainability and ecological footprint reduction initiatives can be increased among heteroge-neous cohorts of academic personnel by implementing customized communications and awareness initia-tives. Additional investigation may further elucidate the precise determinants underlying these disparities and scrutinize the most efficacious modes of communication for each faction, thereby augmenting the sus-tainability discourse at Gazi University and in the broader context.