Carbon footprint and decarbonization of university buildings: Operational and embodied emissions at Istanbul technical university

This study presents a life cycle-based carbon footprint assessment of Istanbul Technical University (ITU)’s Common Study Center-A (CSC-A), integrating both operational and embodied domains in alignment with the ITUs Climate Action Plan. While previous research has extensively addressed building carbon assessments, two key gaps remain: (i) the limited consideration of long-term decarbonization pathways and (ii) the absence of harmonized, building-level life cycle assessment methodologies within university campuses. Addressing these gaps, the study extends conventional system boundaries by incorporating energy use, water consumption, food systems, commuting, and municipal waste within a single-building framework. Using institutional activity data and emission factors, total emissions in 2023 were quantified at 1557 tCO₂-eq, of which 1400 tCO₂-eq were operational and 157 tCO₂-eq embodied. Two prospective mitigation scenarios were developed to evaluate long-term reduction potential. Results indicate that emissions could be reduced by up to 62 % by 2048 under a high-ambition pathway combining behavioral interventions, efficiency upgrades, and grid decarbonization, while a conservative pathway projects a 41 % reduction. The findings point to the significant contribution of commuting and food systems within operational emissions, alongside the growing prominence of embodied emissions linked to future retrofitting and infrastructure expansion. The study's novelty lies in developing a harmonized and replicable life cycle framework that integrates long-term decarbonization into building-level carbon accounting. The approach contributes to the broader discourse on climate-neutral buildings and resilient campus systems, while offering transferable insights for urban-scale low-carbon transitions.