Carbon Break Even Analysis: Environmental Impact of Tablets in Higher Education

Abstract

With the growing pace of tablets use and the large focus it is attracting especially in higher education, this paper looks at an important aspect of tablets; their carbon footprint. Studies have suggested that tablets have positive impact on the environment; especially since tablets use less energy than laptops or desktops. Recent manufacturers’ reports on the carbon footprint of tablets have revealed that a significant portion, as much as 80%, of the carbon footprint of tablets comes from production and delivery as opposed to the operational life-cycle of these devices. Thus rending some of previous assumptions about the environmental impact of tablets questionable. This study sets to answer a key question: What is the break-even analysis point when saving on printed paper offsets the carbon footprint of producing and running the tablet in higher education. A review of the literature indicated several examples of tablet models and their carbon emission impact; this is compared to the environmental savings on paper that green courses could produce. The analysis of the carbon break-even point shows that even when considering some of the most efficient and least carbon impact tablets available on the market with a carbon-footprint production of 153Kg CO2e, the break-even point is 81.5 months; referring to 6 years, 9 months and 15 days of use. This exceeds the life-cycle of an average tablet of five years and average degree duration of four years. While tablets still have the least carbon-footprint impact compared to laptops and desktops, to achieve the break-even point of carbon neutral operations this study concludes that manufacturers need to find more environmentally efficient ways of production that would reduce the carbon-footprint product to a level that does not exceed 112.8kg CO2e.