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Making School-Based GHG-Emissions Tangible by Student-Led Carbon Footprint Assessment Program

Author

Listed:
  • Oliver Wagner

    (Energy, Transport and Climate Policy Division, Wuppertal Institute, Doeppersberg 19, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany)

  • Lena Tholen

    (Energy, Transport and Climate Policy Division, Wuppertal Institute, Doeppersberg 19, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany)

  • Lotte Nawothnig

    (Energy, Transport and Climate Policy Division, Wuppertal Institute, Doeppersberg 19, 42103 Wuppertal, Germany)

  • Sebastian Albert-Seifried

    (Büro Ö-Quadrat, Turnseestraße 44, 79102 Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

Schools play an important role in achieving climate protection goals, because they lay the foundation of knowledge for a responsible next generation. Therefore, schools as institutions have a special role model function. Enabling schools to become aware of their own carbon footprint (CF) is an important prerequisite for being able to tap the substantial CO 2 reduction potential. Aiming at the direct involvement of students in the assessment process, a new assessment tool was developed within the Schools4Future project that gives students the opportunity to determine their own school’s CF. With this instrument the CO 2 emissions caused by mobility, heating and electricity consumption as well as for food in the school canteen and for consumables (paper) can be recorded. It also takes into account existing renewable energy sources. Through the development of the tool, not only a monitoring instrument was established but also a concrete starting point from which students could take actions to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This paper presents the tool and its methods used to calculate the CF and compares it with existing approaches. A comparative case study of four pilot schools in Germany demonstrates the practicability of the tool and reveals fundamental differences between the GHG emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Wagner & Lena Tholen & Lotte Nawothnig & Sebastian Albert-Seifried, 2021. "Making School-Based GHG-Emissions Tangible by Student-Led Carbon Footprint Assessment Program," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:24:p:8558-:d:705870
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kurt Berlo & Oliver Wagner & Marisa Heenen, 2016. "The Incumbents’ Conservation Strategies in the German Energy Regime as an Impediment to Re-Municipalization—An Analysis Guided by the Multi-Level Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. J. C. Minx & T. Wiedmann & R. Wood & G. P. Peters & M. Lenzen & A. Owen & K. Scott & J. Barrett & K. Hubacek & G. Baiocchi & A. Paul & E. Dawkins & J. Briggs & D. Guan & S. Suh & F. Ackerman, 2009. "Input-Output Analysis And Carbon Footprinting: An Overview Of Applications," Economic Systems Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 187-216.
    3. Željko Jurić & Davor Ljubas, 2020. "Comparative Assessment of Carbon Footprints of Selected Organizations: The Application of the Enhanced Bilan Carbone Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
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    1. Roberto Battistini & Fabrizio Passarini & Rita Marrollo & Claudio Lantieri & Andrea Simone & Valeria Vignali, 2022. "How to Assess the Carbon Footprint of a Large University? The Case Study of University of Bologna’s Multicampus Organization," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-22, December.

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