A Methodology for Carbon Footprint Estimations of Research Project Activities—A Scenarios Analysis for Reducing Carbon Footprint

Abstract

The main objective of the present study is the development of a comprehensive methodology for the estimation of the Carbon Footprint (CF) of research project activities and the identification of the best practices that can be followed by project partners within the project implementation to reduce its carbon footprint. The CF methodology is based on the GHG Protocol Guidance and the emissions factors of the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The emissions sources related to project activities are the following: heating (from fuels combustion), electricity, water, work-commuting, materials, printable deliverables, IT equipment and events. An application study is performed for a research project focusing on the Mediterranean area and it is found that on-site events represent a 41% share of the total CF of the project. The use of public transport and soft mobility by employees can result in a −37% reduction in the CF of work-commuting. The most significant best practices for more sustainable organization of project events, leading to a reduction of −62% and −50% in the CF of the events, are (1) public transportation and soft mobility of the events’ participants to reach the event location within the host city, and (2) the promotion of the use of buses and railway for the international/national travels of participants to/from the event’s host city, respectively. Τhe organization of hybrid events may also reduce the project event’s CF by −50%. The cumulative reduction in the total CF of the project examined from all the CF mitigation scenarios studied, relevant to the energy-efficient target of the EU, the origin of materials used, work-commuting and events (materials used, transportation, hybrid events), is estimated to be −45%.