ASSESSING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF A CAMPUS CARBON CALCULATOR IN INTERNATIONAL SETTINGS (Invited Presentation)

In the coming decades, as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to increase from already unprecedented levels, a greater understanding of anthropogenic contributions to global climate change needs to be developed. By calculating a carbon footprint, organizations can determine what their contribution is and from where the majority of their carbon contributions are coming. This study used the University of New Hampshire’s Campus Carbon Calculator to calculate the carbon footprint for the University of Akureyri in Akureyri, Iceland, a university with the declared goal of becoming carbon neutral. In addition to calculating the University of Akureyri’s carbon footprint, this study aimed to test the international applicability of the Campus Carbon Calculator. Since the calculator was developed in the United States the international applicability of the calculator has not been evaluated. By applying this method abroad, the intention of this research was to recognize possible oversights in the calculator, so that they may be remedied and the calculator validated as an universally-applicable tool for enhancing our understanding of anthropogenic carbon emissions.