Zerofootprint Universities is an online application that can help mobilize and empower your university community to take action on climate change. The web-based calculator and social networking application gives students, faculty, staff, alumni and offsite learners the ability to measure, track and manage their individual carbon footprint, and to collaborate with other members of the university to achieve environmental goals.
You can aggregate the carbon footprints of your community by segment or across the entire university population. The application will measure carbon reductions that result from changes your community makes, and you can attribute these reductions to your university, and publish and celebrate them. Your university can also use the data gathered by the application to inform and support other climate change initiatives on the campus. In addition, Zerofootprint Universities supports competitions and challenges between individuals, departments or other groups, as well as with other universities who are using the application. The application also links to a marketplace of green products and services, as well as events and news.
Universities, especially when acting together, are like countries without borders, and the aggregated actions of their communities can make a significant contribution to a greener world. Knowing they are part of a larger effort gives university members a sense of empowerment to bring about positive change.
• University members can each calculate their own carbon footprint and track it through time.
• University members can see their footprint relative to others.
• Your university can link the “Tips” in the calculator to other current environmental initiatives.
• Your university and/or its members can set footprint reduction goals.
• University members can see the impact of achieving goals on their footprint.
• University members can pledge and commit to taking certain actions to meet goals.
• University members can see and link to others who are also using the calculator, and create or join groups around goals.
• University members can also use Zerofootprint’s One Minute Calculator for a quick measure of their footprint.
• The application links to a marketplace of green products services, events and news
You can customize Zerofootprint Universities to your requirements. We co-brand the application, and link it to your website, with your university’s logo appearing on all pages. You can tailor the questions in the carbon footprint calculator to suit your community, and we program in the appropriate emissions factors for your location which will be used for all the calculations. You can adapt the “Community” section of the application to allow challenges between your departments, classes or other groups.
Because Zerofootprint Universities provides a marketplace of green products and services, as well as news and events, you can use it to foster local green commerce and other initiatives. This can be particularly helpful to non-local students looking for sustainable products or wanting to take part in green activities.
• You establish a small working group – Team Zero – to implement the application.
• Team Zero works with Zerofootprint to customize the tool, including reviewing all the questions, tips, carbon emissions factors and other content to ensure they are relevant to your university.
• Zerofootprint develops a prototype based on your requirements and the content you provide.
• Team Zero reviews the prototype and undertakes a pilot project.
• Zerofootprint consolidates feedback, and makes the necessary changes.
• Zerofootprint helps Team Zero to identify opportunities to market the tool throughout your university.
• The Calculator is rolled out across the university.
• The Calculator collects and aggregates data, and monitors progress
• Zerofootprint provides reports detailing and summarizing participants’ responses to all the questions and employee goals.
Zerofootprint has a special pricing structure for charities and not-for-profits, making the software accessible to all organizations. If a university does not have funds available to pay for Zerofootprint Universities, Zerofootprint will donate it and work with the university to raise the necessary funds. We provide a corporate sponsorship kit, which includes donor recognition that can be integrated into the design of your application.
University of Guelph University of Waterloo University of Toronto, Rotman School of Business University of Toronto, Hart House Ontario College of Art
Read about Zerofootprint Universities in the press:
Financial Times Business – Rotman cuts carbon footprint
Business Week – Carbon Neutrality Makes the Grade