Duke University
IN-3: Innovation 3

Duke Carbon Calculator -- Duke’s Individual Carbon Calculator is an online tool that allows students, faculty and staff to determine their annual contribution to Duke’s carbon footprint. The calculator gathers information about the particular behaviors of participants with regard to energy, diet, transportation and waste. Research for the calculator, as well as creation of the Duke-specific calculations, was performed by staff in Duke’s sustainability office. The calculator provides extensive individualized feedback to participants about strategies for reducing their carbon emissions, as well as helpful Duke-specific resources and information. The calculator is particularly innovative in that it does not assess an individual’s entire carbon footprint, as do many calculators that can be found online. Rather, the Duke Individual Carbon Calculator determines each person’s contribution to Duke’s overall carbon footprint.

Duke’s Individual Carbon Calculator has provided us with extensive data about the average footprint of certain campus populations. For instance, we have gathered data including the average carbon footprint of a faculty member due to air travel and the average diet footprint of a student from food consumed on campus.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to take the carbon calculator, work on adopting some of the recommendations for reducing their carbon footprint, then return to take the calculator again on a regular basis to track and compare the reductions in their footprint. Sustainable Duke is able to review and analyze these reductions in individual emissions, which support our Climate Action Plan and Duke’s commitment to carbon neutrality by 2024.