Inventário de emissão de gases de efeito estufa estratégias de mitigação em instituições de ensino superior: o caso da Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Abstract

Within the context of coping with climate changes and global warming, attention is drawn to the leadership role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) on the global scenario, so that they account for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arising from their activities through inventories elaboration. This research aims to propose the application of a GHG inventory elaboration method adapted to HEIs context in order to facilitate the elaboration, understanding, dissemination and update among the institutions and the general public, as well as to propose emission mitigation strategies provoked in the exercise of its institutional activities. Therefore, a case study was carried out at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS) with GHG inventory elaboration, for the base year 2017, using the GHG Protocol methodology widely recognized by the scientific community, based on the identification of its main sources (CO2, N2O, CH4, HFCs, SF6 and PFCs), segmented by categories and scopes (1, 2 and 3) and their results compared with those of national and international scientific literature among HEIs, in order to extract similar points and possible divergences. The results demonstrate that, among UFS GHG emissions for the inventoried year, the highest emissions correspond to scope 3 (indirect caused by non-belonging or not controlled by the institution sources), with 24,293 tCO2e. Then, there are scope 2 emissions (indirect from the purchased energy), with 1,633 tCO2e and lastly, scope 1 emissions (direct from owned or controlled by the institution sources), with 755.42 tCO2e. To reduce GHG, some mitigation measures have been suggested, with a special emphasis on expanding the photovoltaic system to allow the generation of sufficient electricity to meet the demand of all the campuses of the institution, with the exception of the São Cristóvão Campus, and whose economic viability was also elaborated. The comparative analysis with studies in other HEIs highlighted that scope 3 emissions account is particularly important because it identifies the performance of activities related to the various categories covered in it, in particular, business trips, displacement of employees and students (home-work), purchased goods and services, waste disposal and that some categories provided for in the Brazilian GHG Protocol Program (PBGHGP) may be overlooked, given the inapplicability to IES. From these findings, an application of a customized method for IES inventories was structured, which in a practical and didactic way explains a step by step how to account for GHG emissions. Thus, it is concluded that the accounting of emissions through inventories can contribute to the fulfillment of the national goal of GHG reduction by assisting in the planning of goals and objectives at the internal level and enable the adoption of mitigating measures by the HEIs. However, it is recommended to improve this study with regard to the analysis of the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of the GHG reduction measures suggested in comparison with the reality presented by each HEI aiming at creating a standardization under this aspect as well.