Abstract
The building sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and higher education
institutions, with their diverse operational activities, represent a significant but underexplored subsector for carbon accounting.
This study quantifies the carbon footprint of the Alpine Institute of Management and Technology, Dehradun (Uttarakhand,
India), over four calendar years (2022-2025) using a bottom-up Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach aligned with ISO 14064-
1 and the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard. Emission sources were classified into Scope 1 (static and mobile combustion),
Scope 2 (purchased electricity), and Scope 3 (employee commuting, waste disposal, water consumption, and paper/stationery
use), with human respiration quantified separately as a supplementary source. Total institutional emissions under Scopes 1-3
were found to be 56,351.77 kg CO2-eq (2022), 60,131.82 kg CO2-eq (2023), 62,168.00 kg CO2-eq (2024) and 59,604.84 kg CO2-eq
(2025), with purchased electricity (Scope 2) the dominant contributor at 41-44% of the total in every year studied, followed by
Scope 1 combustion sources (38-40%) and Scope 3 activities (18-20%). Inclusion of human respiration more than doubled the
reported footprint to a range of 126,536.77-134,468.84 kg CO2-eq, accounting for 55-58% of total emissions across the study
period. A tree census conducted within the institutional boundary and evaluated using allometric biomass equations yielded an
existing carbon sequestration potential of 73,332.00 kg CO2-eq, which exceeds the Scope 1-3 emissions for every year studied,
indicating that the campus already functions as a carbon-neutral facility when respiration is excluded from the accounting
boundary. When respiration is included, the sequestration deficit indicates a need for additional carbon sinks and offsets, for
which rooftop solar photovoltaic potential (2,625 m2
of available roof area), rainwater harvesting, and afforestation initiatives
are identified and quantitatively assessed. These results provide a replicable, data-driven template for carbon accounting and
neutrality planning in resource-constrained educational institutions and contribute empirical evidence toward Sustainable
Development Goal 13 (Climate Action).