Study on the effects of low-carbon education on the carbon emissions of college students: a case study in Guangdong Province

Abstract College students are the main force in low-carbon society and social governance, and therefore, their awareness of low-carbon is of vital importance. This article indicates a case study about the effects of low-carbon education on the carbon emissions of college students. In 2019, low-carbon education was promoted on the campus of Shunde Polytechnic and questionnaire survey and interview method were used to study the carbon emissions and low-carbon behaviors of college students after 3 years. Based on the results, the carbon emissions of college students in the aspects of food and daily use accounted for 53.8% and 40.8%, respectively, of the total carbon emissions. In the aspect of food, wine and staple foods accounted for a higher proportion. Their per capital carbon emissions were 291.536 kg and 454.651 kg, respectively. The main contributor to daily use was laptops, which emitted 530.351 kg of carbon per capital. The carbon emissions of clothing, housing, and transportation were relatively low. It is found that low-carbon facilities and measures and low-carbon living environments in colleges have a very positive effect on the reduction of carbon emissions of college students. But the disunity between knowing and doing is still common among college students. Therefore, further measures must be taken to improve the situation.