CALCULATING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT OF ECO-SCHOOLS

MiSA – Environmental Systems Analysis has developed a model to effectively calculate the carbon footprint (CF) of individual public entities using EEIO modeling. In a project commissioned by FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) Norway, we apply the model to individual schools in Trondheim. The aim is to identify important contributors to the CF, and to communicate results in a manner that generates curiosity and user involvement. For the latter, the development of an online interactive CF calculator has been identified as an important part of the project. Results indicate the CF of schools consists of a mix of contributions; although the public education sector is fairly building and energy intensive, a wide range of consumable categories also contribute significantly.