A Novel Individual Carbon Emission Evaluation and Carbon Trading Model for Low-Carbon University Campuses

Abstract

Individual carbon accounting and trading is significant for building and achieving low-/zero-carbon university campuses. This manuscript examines various aspects of individual carbon trading on campus, such as assessing personal carbon emissions, students’ willingness to participate in individual carbon trading on campus, and its influencing factors, policy setting, and emission reduction benefits. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this manuscript uses the conditional process analysis method and conducts a questionnaire survey on a university campus in Beijing to evaluate individuals’ carbon emissions on campus and explore their willingness to trade personal carbon. Moreover, a system dynamics approach is adopted to propose a simulation model of individual carbon trading on the campus and assess its feasibility and emission reduction benefits. The results indicate an average annual emission reduction of 8.18% per person, providing a theoretical foundation to implement and promote the individual carbon trading pilot on campus. These findings highlight the potential benefits of individual carbon trading policies that may effectively reduce carbon emissions on university campuses.