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Designing low carbon higher education systems: Environmental impacts of campus and distance learning systems

To achieve sustainability, radical reductions in energy use and carbon emissions are required. The research in this paper forms part of the 'Factor 10 Visions' project led by Profs Roy and Potter to examine potential 90% reductions in energy and carbon emissions from several product-service system designs. The paper, published in the leading international (US) journal on sustainable higher education, reports on the world's first study to examine potential reductions in the impacts of the higher education service system. The paper an analysis of the energy use and emissions from conventional campus based versus distance learning (both print-based and e-learning) systems. The findings of this research were based on detailed empirical data gathered from 20 Higher Education Institutions, including surveying students and staff. It also utilised the latest available information on the energy use and emissions from different transport modes, production and use of computer equipment, paper and print production and from campus and student housing energy consumption to produce comparative data on total and component energy use and emissions from the different HE systems. The research shows distance learning systems require 87% less energy and produce 85% fewer carbon emissions than campus based systems, due to reduced student travel and housing, plus better campus site utilisation. Interestingly, e-learning provided little advantage over print based distance learning systems because of the greater use of online computing and paper for printing. These findings were submitted by to several HEFCE enquiries on Sustainability in Higher Education and Prof Roy was a consultant for a similar study conducted by the Dutch Open University. The research has continued in the JISC SusTEACH project to help design new blended e-learning systems.