Carbon neutrality has become a major buzzword is society today. From global conferences called for by the United Nations, to local meetings of business houses and civic bodies, carbon neutrality has become the trendy topic of discussion. But what exactly is carbon neutrality? Is it really achievable? Could our schools become carbon neutral? These are not just questions that need answers, these are decisions that we need to make in order to ensure a safe and sustainable future for ourselves.
Carbon neutrality is defined as reaching a balance between emitting carbon and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Or again, carbon neutrality is described as arriving at net zero emissions, as a result of the balance between carbon emitted and carbon absorbed.
Returning to the question I posed earlier, would it be possible for us to have carbon neutral schools? Well, while this would definitely be challenging, it is certainly not impossible. With the right mix of policies and practices, it would be possible to achieve this grand ideal.
The first step in working towards carbon neutral schools would be carrying out a ‘Carbon Audit’ of the entire school. A term that we need to comprehend in this context is ‘Carbon Footprint’. A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an individual, event, organisation, service or product. Hence, with regard to a school, it would be the total greenhouse gases emitted by the daily running of the school, through all its activities and events.
Calculating the Carbon Footprint of the school will not only tell you the amount of GHG the institution emits annually, it will also help you understand the sources of these emissions. Typically, the largest source would be the energy consumed for the running of the school – electricity for lighting and other needs of the school, and fuel used for travel connected to the school. There are several online Carbon Footprint Calculators that are now available, which could be effectively used to get a good picture of the amount of carbon that the school is putting into the atmosphere. There are also professional agencies that can be hired to do a comprehensive and scientific carbon (energy) audit of the school.
Once you have carried out a carbon audit and have a clear understanding of the school’s Carbon Footprint, the obvious next step would be to reduce this footprint. The audit process itself will throw up areas of concern and their corresponding solutions. However, let me suggest a few general practices that will help to reduce the school’s carbon emissions.
Energy Efficient Products: Lighting of classrooms, offices and other spaces in the school is a major consumer of energy, and consequently a major source of carbon emissions. Hence, using energy efficient products is critical. An energy efficient product consumes less energy without affecting its final output or user comfort levels. Energy efficient lighting implies getting the required illumination level while consuming the least amount of energy. This can be achieved by replacing traditional incandescent lamps with CFL or LED lamps. The same principle needs to be applied to other products used in the school, such as computers, air conditioners, etc.
Renewable Energy: Coal burning is one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide emissions. It is considered the most environmentally harmful fuel to burn for power generation. Hence, given the fact that 65 percent of India's electricity still comes from coal-fired thermal power plants, moving to cleaner sources of energy is absolutely important. Fortunately, we are witnessing a steady shift towards renewable energy. Many schools in Mumbai have now installed solar power systems to meet their energy needs. This is easily one of the biggest steps towards becoming carbon neutral.
Reduce and Reuse: It’s good to remember that every product we use has its own carbon footprint, i.e., the amount of carbon emitted to produce that item. The carbon footprint of each of these products adds up to the carbon footprint of the school. Hence, reducing the amount of stuff used in the school, or reusing items, obviously helps reduce the carbon footprint of the school. Cutting down on waste is an effective way of cutting down carbon emissions.
Eliminate Single-use Plastic: Single-use plastic items, such as disposable cups, spoons and drinking straws have sadly become very common today. While there is a government ban on these items, they continue to be sold and widely used. These single-use plastic items require energy to produce and to recycle. When these items are used in school, they all contribute to its carbon footprint. A complete ban on the use of all such disposable plastic items is a major step in reducing your carbon footprint.
Walking and Cycling: It’s not just what happens in school, but how we get to school, that also adds to its carbon footprint. Walking and cycling are two of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel. And, not only are they good for the planet, but they are also good for your health. If walking or cycling to school is just not possible, then use the school bus or public transport. And talking about travel, the school should also be sensitive about its carbon footprint when planning picnics and other school trips. Unnecessary long travel implies huge unnecessary carbon emissions.
Well, after having taken all the above steps, and also implementing other eco-friendly practices, it is quite unlikely that you would have brought down the school’s carbon emissions to zero. Hence, after carrying out a carbon audit and working on carbon reduction strategies, the final area to work on, in order to become carbon neutral, is carbon absorption.
Carbon absorption happens through a ‘carbon sink’. A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases – for example, plants, the ocean and soil. Creating a robust carbon sink, which absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, is a good way of compensating for the carbon emissions of the school.
An effective carbon sink that a school can create and sustain is a ‘scattered forest’ – a substantial plantation of trees in the school campus and in its neighbourhood. Besides the trees planted in the school campus itself, it is pertinent to get students, ex-students, and other supporters to plant as many trees as possible, so that a robust carbon sink is created, that absorbs significant amount of carbon from the atmosphere. If schools in the city cannot find sufficient space for plantation, it is also possible to find partners in rural areas, who could provide possibilities to carry out plantations.
Becoming a carbon neutral school is certainly an attainable objective. The political will of the management, supported by the active participation of the staff, students and parents, will definitely ensure the achievement of this goal.
And so, it’s time to get going! Get down to a Carbon Audit, work on Carbon Reduction strategies, start creating a Carbon Sink… and voilà… you are well on the road to becoming a Carbon Neutral School!
Fr. Savio Silveira SDB is a passionate environmentalist and an expert in environmental education. A staunch supporter of Laudato Si’, he firmly believes that “caring for our common home” should be a key global priority. In the typical Salesian manner, he focuses on getting young people involved in environmental action. Fr. Savio holds a Master’s in International Cooperation and Development from the University of Pavia, Italy, which has helped him gain a global perspective on various environmental issues. He is currently Provincial, Province of St. Francis Xavier, Mumbai.