GHG Emission Accounting and Reduction Strategies in the Academic Sector: A Case Study in Mexico

Leslie Cardoza Cedillo, Michelle Montoya, Mónica Jaldón and Ma Guadalupe Paredes ()
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Leslie Cardoza Cedillo: Engineering School, Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza García C.P. 66238, Mexico
Michelle Montoya: Engineering School, Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza García C.P. 66238, Mexico
Mónica Jaldón: Engineering School, Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza García C.P. 66238, Mexico
Ma Guadalupe Paredes: Engineering School, Universidad de Monterrey, San Pedro Garza García C.P. 66238, Mexico

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: The carbon footprint (CF) quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by human activities, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 e) units. It is an instrument for monitoring and mitigating the effects of climate change, which particularly affects low- and middle-income countries such as Mexico. The Mexican government has established a goal of reducing GHG emissions by 22% from the levels in 2000 by 2030. Although most efforts to reduce GHG emissions have been focused on the energy and agriculture sectors, the academic sector is also important since it can advise changes in public policy. In this study, the 2019 CF of the Centro Roberto Garza Sada (CRGS), a design school at the Universidad de Monterrey, was estimated in an effort to develop measures for reducing GHG emissions. The GHG Protocol was employed to calculate the total CF of the CRGS and identify the greatest contributors, including commuting (50.2%), energy purchase (28.5%), business travel (19.6%), and energy generation, use of paper, refrigerants, and shipments (1.7%). Three progressive mitigation scenarios were developed to reduce the GHG emissions from commuting, energy consumption, collaborators and student mobility, and material resources. These strategies could reduce the GHG emissions of the CRGS by 63.5% of the baseline assessed.

Keywords: academic sector; carbon footprint; greenhouse gas emissions; mitigation strategy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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