Assessment of the carbon footprint of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University campus

The majority of energy needs are obtained from fossil fuels. For this reason, it causes rapid consumption of fossil fuels and an increase in greenhouse gases released from fossil fuels. Excessive emission of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the greenhouse gases, brings about various climate changes. For this reason, studies to control and reduce carbon emissions are of great importance. In this study, the carbon footprint of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University was determined. Within the scope of the study, carbon emissions between 2020-2022 were examined. Carbon emissions were calculated separately with the help of The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier-1 approach and analytical method methodology. Indirect and direct emissions resulting from human activities were taken into account and the calculation criteria were examined under 3 scopes. In addition, the buildings on the campus were compared and analyzed according to their total natural gas emission amounts. When natural gas consumption values are examined, the highest natural gas consumption and the maximum emission associated with it occur in 2020. When the consumption values of vehicles registered at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University are examined, the highest fuel consumption and the maximum emission associated with it occur in 2022. When the total electricity consumption values are examined, the highest consumption When the consumption values of vehicles not registered with Van Yüzüncü Yıl University were examined, it was determined that the highest fuel consumption and the highest emission value occurred in 2022. As a result of the calculations, it was concluded that according to IPCC and analytical method methodologies, the highest emissions were from Scope-1, that when all scopes were taken into consideration, the highest emissions in total occurred in 2022 and that the rate of increase was highest in the emissions of vehicles that did not belong to the university. It has been determined that the highest emissions among emission types come from vehicles that use diesel as the fuel type. As a result of the comparison of the methodologies, it was determined that the emission values related to consumption in all headings examined were calculated at different numerical values according to the methods, but when the annual increase rates of emissions of all headings examined were evaluated, it was determined that they had the same or close increase rates. At the end of the study, both calculation methods were compared and analyzed and suggestions were made to reduce carbon emissions.