Covid-19 lockdowns slashed university's carbon footprint by nearly 50%, offering climate change mitigation insights.
The researchers studied how the Covid-19 pandemic affected carbon emissions at Sakarya University's Esentepe Campus in 2019 and 2020. They calculated carbon footprints by measuring greenhouse gas emissions on campus, focusing on activities like using electricity. In 2019, the campus produced 13,273.38 tons of CO2 equivalent, while in 2020, during remote learning, it decreased to 6,338.72 tons. This reduction shows a 47.7% decrease in total emissions between the two years. The study suggests that taking measures to reduce carbon emissions can significantly impact the environment.