Luiss is actively committed to combating climate change, which is why in 2021 it began quantifying its carbon footprint in accordance with the ISO 14064-1 standard. For the sake of comparability, 2019 – the year before the pandemic crisis erupted – was used as the baseline. This process, renewed annually, has allowed us to precisely analyze the University’s most significant emission categories and to outline a mitigation and offsetting roadmap that aligns with the objectives of the 2025–2028 Integrated Sustainability Plan.

The University’s carbon footprint for 2024 stands at 12,479 tons of CO2 equivalent. The increase from the previous year is due to a larger student body, as well as more staff and faculty, increased international mobility, a return to 100% in-person classes, and the new residence. Our ongoing focus on policies to reduce our environmental impact and use resources more efficiently is reflected in the decrease in emission categories directly controlled by the University. Scope 1 emissions are down 45.2% compared to the baseline year and 33.7% compared to the previous reporting year. Furthermore, Scope 2 emissions were eliminated due to the University’s decision to purchase electricity exclusively from certified renewable sources.

Below is a summary of direct and indirect emissions:

In addition to efforts to reduce consumption, in 2022 the University purchased carbon credits equal to twice its direct emissions in 2021, offsetting its projected emissions for 2023 and 2024. The credits are registered with the VERRA voluntary market registry and have contributed to the construction of a hydroelectric plant in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.