Carbon Emission Assessment and Reduction Pathways of Teaching and Research Equipment in Application-Oriented University in China Based on Life-Cycle Analysis

In this study, 7647 scrapped pieces of teaching and research equipment (T&R equipment) in an application-oriented university in China in 2024 were employed to assess their carbon emissions using lifecycle analysis. A lifecycle accounting framework was established based on expenditure–environmental expansion input–output (EEIO) models, and the greenhouse gas emissions across the producing, using, and scrapping stages of the T&R equipment at this type of university were estimated. Carbon emission reduction pathways for T&R equipment at this type of university were proposed. It is clear that the lifecycle emissions of the scrapped equipment at this type of university equal 8350.8 tCO 2 , including producing, using, and scrapping stage emissions of 2277.9 tCO 2 , 5848.9 tCO 2, and 223.9 tCO 2 , respectively. It is noted that the producing stage accounts for the dominant contributor to carbon emissions, with 70.0% of the total amount. In view of subcategory emissions, information technology equipment (A0201) contributes the most emissions, with 18.0% during the producing and scrapping stages, whereas instruments (A0210) and electrical/electronic production equipment (A0233) contribute the most, with 21.4% and 15.7%, in the using stage. The results of scenario analysis show that, for most equipment, total carbon emissions can be reduced by about 233 tCO 2 /a on average if scrapped one year in advance. However, for information technology equipment (A0201), emissions increase by 48 tCO 2 /a. This method offers comparability and replicability in scenarios lacking physical measurements, providing quantitative evidence and carbon reduction pathways for green procurement, asset renewal, and end-of-life recycling in higher education institutions.