Measuring the Carbon Footprint of Selected Schools at The University of Jordan

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions play a critical role in addressing climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This pioneering study offers the first comprehensive carbon footprint assessment of a Jordanian university, establishing a benchmark for the Levant and North Africa, where carbon footprint studies are still relatively new and less familiar. Using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology with openLCA software, the study models direct, indirect, and other indirect emissions across various sources. The objective is to allocate greenhouse gas emission sources and explore differences in carbon footprint structures between scientific and humanities schools, represented by the School of Engineering and the School of Business, respectively. The results show that the School of Engineering has a significantly higher carbon footprint (346 Teratonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, Tt CO₂-eq) compared to the School of Business (236 Tt CO₂-eq), with other indirect emissions accounting for 98% of the total. These findings emphasize the need for targeted mitigation strategies, particularly related to transportation and energy use, to support sustainability efforts in universities. This study not only enhances the understanding of emissions within universities but also provides practical insights, such as improving energy efficiency and promoting sustainable transportation, to reduce the environmental impact of institutions in the region.

Keywords: Carbon footprint, Greenhouse gas emissions, life cycle assessment, Sustainability, Higher education institutions, Transportation emissions, Middle East