Abstract
The looming climate crisis requires an immediate response, in which organizations, as major contributors, should play a central role. However, these organizations need appropriate tools to measure and mitigate their climate impacts. One commonly applied method is carbon footprint analysis. Carbon footprint analyses have been conducted for various types of organizations, but knowledge organizations, such as universities and research institutes, have received far less attention, because their carbon footprint is often less visible and can be easily underestimated. This study is based on the carbon footprint analysis of one multinational knowledge organization. This analysis then helped identify the major sources of climate impacts in other such knowledge organizations. These are mainly indirect emissions (Scope 3) and to a large extent (79%) travel-related emissions. Based on these findings, three scenarios for a post-COVID-19 world were developed and analyzed. The results from the first two scenarios showed that despite a reduction in business travel and employees working from home, Scope 3 and travel-related emissions would remain the largest contributor. Only in the unlikely case of the third, non-recovery scenario did the share of travel-related emissions drop, turning heating into the largest contributor. In addition to measuring the carbon footprint, the study discusses potential mitigation strategies knowledge organizations could apply to reduce their carbon footprint. The focus is on how to avoid and reduce emissions, but new forms of carbon offsetting are also addressed. Based on the findings, a mitigation policy framework and recommendations for further research are proposed.
Highlights
Climate change is the defining issue of our time
Because travelrelated emissions make up the largest share of a knowledge organiza tion's carbon footprint and represent the greatest potential for emissions reductions through changes in travel behavior, the second part of our study focused on travel-related emissions and potential mitigation strategies
By assessing the carbon footprint of a knowledge organization, we found that indirect emissions (Scope 3) and travel-related emissions dominate
Summary
Climate change is the defining issue of our time. The steadily increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Earth's atmosphere will have unprecedented global and local impacts on the environment, societies, and economies in the near and long-term future (IPCC, 2014, p. 8). The steadily increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Earth's atmosphere will have unprecedented global and local impacts on the environment, societies, and economies in the near and long-term future The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2018) states that fast, wide-ranging and unprecedented changes in society are essential if we are to limit global warming to 1.5 ◦C. GHG emissions increased by about 1.5% per year, with the 20 largest economies of the world accounting for 78% of global GHG emissions (UNEP, 2019a). Wright and Nyberg (2017) see a central role for organizations, in particular. They argue that because organizations have a role in the production of GHGs, they have great potential to mitigate them with innovative solu tions.
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