Analysis of Ecological Footprint of the Employees of a University: A Case Study of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Abstract

This study has analyzed the ecological footprint of employees' behaviour for a sustainable university campus in Pakistan. The study's main objective is to estimate the carbon and ecological footprint of the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB). The primary data for this research is collected by a physical and online survey during 2021-2022, using a proportionate stratified sampling method. The Global Footprint Network's ecological footprint calculator technique is used to estimate. The results have shown that the ecological footprint of the employees of the IUB is 3.47 gha. According to the world's biocapacity, the IUB's employees' biocapacity deficit is -1.87 gha, whereas Pakistan's biocapacity deficit was -3.17 gha in 2021. The main drivers of this high ecological footprint are shelter, food, and transportation. The portion of renewable energy is meagre in domestic use, and energy appliances are not energy efficient. Moreover, the faculty at IUB mostly uses processed food and has deficient use of public transport and zero-emission vehicles. The study recommends a complete transformation in lifestyle to deal with ongoing sustainability crises.