The urgent need to combat climate change is increasingly being recognized. The Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming, requires carbon neutrality to be achieved by the mid-21st century. Further, the energy crisis in Europe that started in 2021 highlights the importance of energy security. Universities play a crucial role in promoting the transition to neutrality. This study aims to increase universities' electricity independence to further facilitate their transition to carbon neutrality. To this end, a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method was adopted to select scenarios for increasing a campus building complex's electricity independence, considering various stakeholders' interests together with the scenarios' performances on technical, environmental, economic, and social criteria. The findings show that photovoltaic technology, despite its perceived environmental benefits, performs poorly in reducing carbon emissions when considering lifecycle emissions, particularly in countries with low-carbon electricity like Sweden. Conversely, energy conservation through behavioral changes emerges as the optimal scenario for Campus Gotland due to its economic and environmental advantages. These results challenge the common reliance on energy production technology for carbon neutrality, highlighting the greater effectiveness of demand-side measures. This work suggests that universities need a more human-centric approach to transitioning to carbon neutrality. In a broader context, this study provides universities with insights to make informed decisions to achieve carbon neutrality, emphasizing the need to consider all stakeholders. By offering a comprehensive assessment and analysis of various scenarios, this work enhances the understanding of best practices for universities aiming to lead in the global effort against climate change.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-531216 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Shi, Zhirong |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för geovetenskaper |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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