A Case Study For The Unıversıty Efforts To Reduce Carbon Footprınt - Dokuz Eylül Unıversıty Tınaztepe Campus İn İzmir, Türkiye

Abstract

This study aims to calculate the carbon footprint of Tınaztepe Campus, the central and largest campus of Dokuz Eylül University, and to comprehensively evaluate the environmental impacts of the campus during this process. The study provides a detailed analysis of carbon emissions resulting from the campus's energy consumption, transportation, water usage, and other resources. In this regard, carbon emissions were determined by using data on fuel consumption for transportation and heating (gasoline, diesel, and natural gas), electricity consumption, and water usage at the university. Additionally, the contribution of the university's solar energy system, used as a renewable energy source, to reducing carbon emissions, as well as the carbon sequestration capacity of the university's forested land, were also taken into account to calculate the total carbon footprint of the campus. The calculations were carried out using the United Nations' IPCC Model Tier 1 approach. As a result of the calculations, the annual total carbon footprint of Tınaztepe Campus was found to be 2,669.83 tons of CO₂. Moreover, the annual per capita carbon footprint was calculated to be 0.064 tons of carbon. According to the findings of the study, the largest share of carbon emissions comes from natural gas consumption, while the smallest share originates from water consumption. Based on this data, various strategic recommendations were developed to reduce the campus’s carbon footprint. These recommendations include increasing energy efficiency, adopting more sustainable transportation methods, and reducing water consumption. The results of this study provide valuable insights that universities can consider when developing their sustainability policies.