Evaluating School Spaces as Opportunities for Carbon Footprint Reduction.

IV. International Architectural Sciences and Applications Symposium , Girne, Kıbrıs (Kktc), 30 - 31 Mayıs 2024, ss.2017-2027, (Tam Metin Bildiri)

With the increase in the population on a global scale, production and consumption activities have diversified in line

with the changing multifaceted conditions and have caused a rapid increase. The rapid change experienced has been

a major factor in the emergence of concepts such as global warming, climate change, and carbon footprint as a result

of excessive destruction and modification of natural resources. Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse

gas emissions, expressed as carbon dioxide (CO2) in tonnes, associated with all activities of people, institutions,

services, goods produced and consumed, and buildings. Carbon footprint is also an important component of

ecological footprint. The carbon footprint is the carbon dioxide equivalent measure of greenhouse gas emissions

caused directly or indirectly by a product's life cycle or an action. Considering the impact of carbon emissions and

carbon dioxide-related pollutants on the climate, achieving a zero-emission target in efforts to reduce climate change

and carbon footprint is among the top priorities of countries today. In particular, construction and operation energy

use related to buildings accounts for 40% of carbon emissions worldwide. One of the most important action areas in

realizing this target is educational institutions and spaces. In particular, a large proportion of school spaces

(buildings and gardens) are rapidly aging and becoming increasingly inefficient. This can lead to unnecessary carbon

emissions and high electricity bills. New school spaces are not being built by the neutral carbon approach, which will

bring many opportunities for school spaces to be prioritized to minimize resource consumption, carbon emissions,

and usage costs. In addition, educational institutions play an important role in helping students and society develop

a greater understanding and sensitivity to environmental issues, especially carbon footprinting, and act as a catalyst

for community involvement. Through education, students can internalize sustainable practices that can significantly

reduce their carbon footprint at an early age, raising their awareness and providing them with important positive

attitudes and behaviors for the future. The implementation of sustainability initiatives such as school gardens can lead

to an interaction that will promote sustainability and mobilize students and staff to further increase the sustainability

of the campus. In this context, it is important to make appropriate use of the school period, when students' natural

curiosity and desire to learn are intense, for children to recognize the environment they live in, develop positive

attitudes towards the environment, gain awareness of environmental problems and carbon footprint, and to gain

awareness of environmental protection. Educating students about their carbon footprint will enable them to make

conscious choices that will reduce their environmental impact. Educational initiatives ranging from energy saving

and waste reduction to environmentally friendly transport by encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills

will have a cumulative impact on carbon emissions. In this context, the landscape spaces of educational institutions

will provide an important opportunity to realize the above-mentioned goals. In this study, the relationship between

carbon sequestration and storage of educational spaces (buildings and gardens), planning and design strategies to

reduce carbon footprint by taking into account the necessary legal regulations for combating climate change will be

revealed.