Recommendations for Preparation of Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gases Emission Inventory for University Campuses

Most of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change come from urban areas, and cities are at the forefront of low-carbon initiatives, playing a crucial role into mitigating global climate change. In this context, comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable development practices. The role of a Sustainable Campus, as a field for research and experimentation, is already recognized by initiatives such as the International Sustainable Campus Network, the UNEP Global Universities Partnership on Environment for Sustainability and others. A ground rule for those initiatives is the establishment of a campus-wide inventory of GHG emissions. Nevertheless, existing guidelines commonly refer to the Campus inventory in broad terms, without offering any specific and detailed methodology on how to calculate the emissions generated from the campus operation. Based on literature review, surveys and workshops, this research offers recommendations to prepare the campus inventory, based on the widespread standard Greenhouse gas Protocol for Cities GPC. Some relevant emissions sources, specific to University Campuses, are identified. It is expected that, with the proposed recommendations, the resulting inventory will allow a better visualization of GHG mitigation opportunities.