RT Journal Article
T1 Framework for the inter-comparison of ecological footprint of universities
A1 Nunes, L. M.
A1 Catarino, A.
A1 Ribau Teixeira, M.
A1 Moreno Cuesta, Eduardo
K1 Environmental assessment
AB The ecological footprint (EF) method represents the suitability of a given population on the carryingcapacity of the total system. It was developed in order to measure the relationship between nature andhumans, being supported on the premise that each individual requires a surface area that provides goodsand services essential to life. In this article only in EF for universities is studied, but most of the underlyingconcepts and methods are valid for any other human activity for which EF may be applied.In this study an uncertainty analysis of EF of universities is made. This is, to the authors’ knowledge,the first time such a study is published on the subject. The intention is to demonstrate the usefulnessof uncertainty analysis in the evaluation of results, inter-comparability, and on communication of EFoutcomes.Results showed that EF model uncertainties have large impact on EF estimates, in particular in whatregards the decision about accounting or not the contribution of key parameters. Inclusion or not of verysensitive parameters, for which there is also high uncertainty, in the estimation of EF may have a strongimpact on the estimated values and also in the inter-comparability of EF estimates. This is the case ofmobility.Uncertainty analysis, by studying model uncertainty, parameter uncertainty and variability, canprovide a robust framework for the inter-comparison of ecological footprints of universities. In fact,the method may prove useful for the assessment of ecological footprints of any kind.
PB Elsevier
SN 1470-160X
YR 2013
FD 2013-04-07
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10272/24914
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10272/24914
LA eng
NO L.M. Nunes, A. Catarino, M. Ribau Teixeira, E.M. Cuesta, Framework for the inter-comparison of ecological footprint of universities, Ecological Indicators, Volume 32, 2013, Pages 276-284, ISSN 1470-160X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.04.007. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X1300157X)
NO This work was financed by project INTERREG – I2TEP:Portugal–Spain, POCTEP/FEDER 2007–2013.
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 31 may 2026