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HEIRS

Sustainability Reporting Toolkits: Carbon Footprint and Education for Sustainable Development

Welcome to the HEIRS (Higher Education Institutions Reporting Sustainability) project webpage. This project, funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) through the MaREI Centre, addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in reporting sustainable development activities.

Our research focuses on two critical areas:

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
Carbon Footprint Analysis

Through innovative tools and methodologies, this project aims to assist HEIs in enhancing sustainability practices and aligning with global standards.

Carbon Footprint Toolkit

The Carbon Footprint Toolkit supports institutions in assessing and managing scope 3 emissions, particularly in the category of purchased goods and services.

Resources Available:

Informative YouTube Videos:

Carbon Footprint of an Organisation - Part 1 What & Why of a Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint of an Organisation - Part 2 How to carry out a Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint of an Organisation - Part 3 Case Study Example

Learn how to calculate emissions accurately and collaborate with suppliers to minimise environmental impact.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Toolkit

The ESD Toolkit empowers HEIs to measure and improve the integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their curricula.

Resources Available:

SDG Keyword Scanner & User Guide (PDF) - SDG Keyword Scanner - Code & Guide (R2)
Curriculum Metadata (Excel)
SDG Keyword Database (Excel)
SDG Keyword Collection (Excel)

Explore tools to scan curriculum materials for SDG-related content and benchmark progress against global standards - UCC ESD Toolkit

Research Highlights

Carbon Footprint: Comparison of broad sector and lifecycle assessment methodologies revealed significant differences, emphasizing the need for accurate data and supplier engagement.
ESD: Development and implementation of an SDG keyword scanning tool validated through lecturer surveys, establishing a reliable method to assess SDG integration in academic programs.