Inventário de emissões de gases de efeito estufa da construção da moradia universitária da Universidade Federal de Catalão

Abstract

As climate change intensifies, the risks and future consequences become more significant. The impacts caused by climate change result in irreversible damage to the environment and society as a whole. The greenhouse effect is essential for regulating the Earth's temperature; however, human activities contribute to the imbalance of this system by emitting large amounts of greenhouse gases (GHG). In excess, GHGs contribute to the rise in global temperatures and are therefore relevant to understanding the current climate crisis. Construction-related activities are responsible for a significant portion of GHG emissions, in addition to causing various environmental impacts related to the high consumption of natural resources and energy. The construction industry plays a critical role in the development of any country, making it essential to adopt practices that help reduce climate change. The development of a GHG inventory enables emission management and allows for the detailed recording and analysis of all emission sources associated with an organization's or sector's activities. The construction site is a strategic location for conducting emission inventories, as it is the epicenter of various activities related to building execution, enabling the analysis of factors and impacts in this environment. The Cerrado University Housing (MUC) and the Federal University of Catalão (UFCAT) are the results of social mobilizations, highlighting the university's role in the community as an influential factor in the regional context. In this context, the objective of this research was to develop a GHG inventory from the activities carried out during the construction of the MUC, affiliated with UFCAT. The Brazilian GHG Protocol Program (PBGHG) tool was used for the inventory, being the most coherent with the national context, and its methodology aligns with ABNT NBR ISO 14064, which provides guidelines for preparing inventories. By applying the PBGHG, total emissions amounted to 2,272.40 tCO2e, of which 1.17 tCO2e (0.05%) corresponded to Scope 1; 0.71 tCO2e (0.03%) to Scope 2; and 2,270.52 tCO2e (99.91%) to Scope 3. Regarding emissions per built area, the amount was 0.91 tCO2e/m2 for the MUC construction. Thus, the prominence of Scope 3 is evident, underscoring the importance of its inclusion in the calculations.