UniMarconi launched its Sustainability Project as early as 2014, carrying out multidisciplinary scientific research on the specific features of online teaching from the perspective of its socio-economic and environmental sustainability benefits, and pursuing continuous improvement objectives in this area.
In 2015, Prof. Fabio Orecchini, Full Professor of Energy and Environmental Systems and current Head of UniMarconi’s University Sustainability Project, presented the work “Smart University – The Sustainable Vector of Knowledge” as a keynote speaker at the international GUIDE conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The presentation highlighted the sustainability advantages achievable in various areas thanks to online university education.
Dynamic counter of avoided emissions
Within the framework of the University Sustainability Project, the idea emerged to calculate accurately and dynamically—by continuously updating the value over time—the amount of CO₂ emissions avoided through online delivery compared to traditional face-to-face teaching, which has historically been dominant in university education.
From the beginning of 2022 to today, we have saved:
42.664.782,8 Kg of CO2
Within the University Sustainability Project, the idea was developed to calculate precisely and dynamically—updating the value over time—the quantity of CO₂ emissions avoided through online delivery compared to traditional in-person teaching.
Based on calculations relating to the 2020–21 academic year, a calculation software was developed that is capable of updating over time the parameters influencing avoided emissions, thus creating an “avoided emissions counter.”
The counter is able to provide, in real time on the University website, the cumulative and dynamic count of CO₂ emissions avoided thanks to UniMarconi’s online mode of operation and course delivery.
The counter can be set in several ways; the most representative option chosen is the one that tracks the equivalent CO₂ emissions avoided from the beginning of the year up to the moment the website visitor views the data.
The counter is continuously active and, during each individual user’s visit to the website, displays the progressive accumulation of CO₂ savings from the beginning of the year, providing a clear and constant quantitative perception of the positive environmental impact generated by online teaching.
Calculation of avoided emissions
To calculate avoided emissions, different types of consumption were analyzed in order to identify those most affected by the mode of course delivery—online or face-to-face.
The most significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are due to:
- reduced mobility
- reduced consumption of facilities, particularly classrooms used for face-to-face teaching
Based on these considerations, avoided emissions were calculated thanks to reduced mobility of students and lecturers and the non-use of classrooms dedicated to traditional face-to-face teaching.
The largest contribution comes from the drastic reduction in student mobility; overall, the annual emissions avoided in this way amount to 6,988 t/year of CO₂.
The number of classrooms that would be required for face-to-face teaching was calculated based on the courses offered by the University and the number of students enrolled in each course. For the calculation of energy consumption and emissions related to lighting, reference was made to the UNI EN 15193 standard.
With regard to heating and air conditioning, reference was made to UNI/TS 11300-1 for thermal characteristics, UNI 10339 for required air exchange rates, and the climatic data of Rome were adopted.
The emissions avoided from lighting and heating the classrooms that would be necessary for face-to-face teaching amount overall to 4,551 t/year of CO₂.
In total, the avoided emissions (based on data from the 2020–21 academic year) amount to 11,539 t/year of CO₂.
To understand the significance of this emissions reduction, consider that a car with average emissions of 100 g/km of CO₂ and annual mileage of 10,000 kilometers (values aligned with current market and usage standards) emits one ton of CO₂ per year.
The emissions avoided thanks to UniMarconi’s mode of operation and service delivery to students therefore correspond to the emissions of more than 11,500 cars.
The largest contribution (60%) to CO₂ emission reduction comes from the reduction in student mobility, while the contribution from teaching staff and technical-administrative personnel is essentially negligible. A significant contribution (40%) is due to the non-use of classrooms for face-to-face teaching: lighting (13%) and heating/air conditioning (27%).