Definition
Carbon neutral education may be defined as:
The provision of education services in a manner that results in no net increase of greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere
Education of an organization or an individual around how they can ensure that their activities result in no net increase of greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere
This entry deals with both of these dimensions of the term carbon neutral education.
Introduction
This entry explores the topic of carbon neutral education (CNE) within the broader framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education (UN 2019). More specifically, Target 7 envisages progress as follows:
4.7 By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
AFR (2017) Education exports are worth $28 billion a year, nearly 20pc more than we thought, Australian Financial Review. https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/management/education-exports-are-worth-28-billion-a-year-nearly-20pc-more-than-we-thought-20171005-gyvc8v. Accessed 16 Aug 2019
Arabella (2018) The global fossil fuel divestment and clean energy investment movement. 2018 report. Author. https://www.arabellaadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Global-Divestment-Report-2018.pdf. Accessed 2 Oct 2018
Australian National University (ANU) (2016) Update on ANU socially responsible investment policy. https://cecs.anu.edu.au/news/update-anu-socially-responsible-investment-policy. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
CEC – Clean Energy Council (2017) Guide to installing solar PV for business and industry. https://www.solaraccreditation.com.au/dam/cec-solar-accreditation-shared/guides/guide-to-installing-solar-pv-for-business-and-industry-october-2017.pdf. Accessed 12 Oct 2018
Chatterton J, Parsons D, Nicholls J, Longhurst P, Bernon M, Palmer A et al (2015) Carbon brainprint – an estimate of the intellectual contribution of research institutions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Process Safety Environ Protect: Trans Inst Chem Eng B 96:74–81
Commonwealth of Australia (2017) National carbon offset standard for organisations. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra
CSU (2019) CSU = Carbon Neutral, Charles Sturt University. https://www.csu.edu.au/csugreen/about-us/carbon-neutral-university. Accessed 16 Aug 2019
Department of Environment and Energy (2017) Carbon neutral stories. Charles Sturt University case study. Author. http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-change/government/carbon-neutral. Accessed 11 Oct 2018
Fossil Free (2019) 1000+ divestment commitments. https://gofossilfree.org/divestment/commitments/. Accessed 16 Aug 2019
Green Left (2016, Apr 8) Monash University to divest from coal. Melbourne 1090. https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/Monash-University-divest-coal. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
Hart G, Louey P, Fairall A, Turner J (2018) Divest your uni from coal, oil and gas and build a clean, safe and fair future for everyone: a starters guide. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1269Ob8OUEeBsv8g_yL3ixJ4GYFCsoWatJnLXvg8NgI4/edit#heading=h.w6mym7xsxins. Accessed 26 Sept 2018
Horne R, Grant T, Verghese K (2009) Life cycle assessment: principles, practice and prospects. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood
International Organization for Standardization (2006) Environmental management – life cycle assessment: principles and framework, ISO 14040:2006. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva
International Organization for Standardization (2013) Greenhouse gases – requirements for greenhouse gas validation and verification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognition, ISO 14065:2013. International Organization for Standardization, Geneva
Lovell H, Liverman D (2010) Understanding carbon offset technologies. New Polit Econ 15:255–273
Luetz JM, Beaumont S (2019) Community gardening: integrating social responsibility and sustainability in a higher education setting – a case study from Australia. In: Leal Filho W (ed) Social responsibility and sustainability – how businesses and organizations can operate in a sustainable and socially responsible way, World sustainability series. Springer, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03562-4_26
Mortimer D (2017) Investment policy 2017, University of Sydney. http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2012/258&RendNum=0. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
NGERA – National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 (2016) National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (Measurement) Determination 2008. Compilation 8. Amendments up to 1 July 2016
Robertson J (2016, Sep 5) Queensland University of Technology to dump fossil fuel investments. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/05/queensland-university-of-technology-to-dump-fossil-fuel-investments. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
Slezak M (2016, May 25) La Trobe becomes Australia’s first university to commit to fossil-fuel divestment. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/25/la-trobe-becomes-australias-first-university-to-commit-to-fossil-fuel-divestment. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
Stephens JC (2018, Sep 7) Fossil fuel divestment debates on campus spotlight the societal role of colleges and universities. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/fossil-fuel-divestment-debates-on-campus-spotlight-the-societal-role-of-colleges-and-universities-102689. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
Stephens JC, Frumhoff PC, Yona L (2018) The role of college and university faculty in the fossil fuel divestment movement. Elem Sci Anth 6(1):41. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.297
Swinburne University of Technology (SUT) (2015) Responsible investment charter. Approved by Council 1 Dec 15. Author. http://www.swinburne.edu.au/media/swinburneeduau/about-swinburne/docs/pdfs/Swinburne-University-Responsible-Investment-Charter.pdf. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
Swithenby E, Lane A, Caird S, Roy R, Potter S (2015) Design of higher education teaching models and carbon impacts. Int J Sustain High Educ 16:96–111
Udas E, Wölk M, Wilmking M (2017) The “carbon-neutral university” – a study from Germany. Int J Sustain High Educ 19:130–145
UMel (2017) Sustainability plan 2017–2020, University of Melbourne. https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/hdp.au.prod.app.um-ourcampus.files/2914/8480/0942/UoM_Sustainability_Plan_2017-2020_40pp.pdf. Accessed 27 Sept 2018
UN (2019) Sustainable development goals: 4 quality education. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/. Accessed 16 Aug 2019
UNSW Sydney (2019) Environmental sustainability plan 2019–21, UNSW Sydney, 23p
WBCSD & WRI (2015) The greenhouse gas protocol: a corporate accounting and reporting standard. World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute, Geneva
Wu Y-CJ, Shen J-P (2016) Higher education for sustainable development: a systematic review. Int J Sustain High Educ 17:633–651
Yan C, Huang J, Sun K, Johnston S, Zhang Y, Sun H, Pu A…, Hao X (2018) Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cells with over 10% power conversion efficiency enabled by heterojunction heat treatment. Nat Energy 3:764–772
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the following individuals for their constructive comments, input, and support: Kirsty Andersen, Richard Holmes, Adele Turnbull, Jordan Geizer, Jackson Turner, Sion Pickering, and William Syddall.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Baumber, A., Luetz, J.M., Metternicht, G. (2019). Carbon Neutral Education: Reducing Carbon Footprint and Expanding Carbon Brainprint. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A., Brandli, L., Özuyar, P., Wall, T. (eds) Quality Education. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69902-8_13-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69902-8_13-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-69902-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-69902-8
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences