The impact of environmental research, climate action and information technology on carbon dioxide emissions at top US universities

Purpose To combat global warming, governments worldwide have established policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, major organizations across diverse industries are taking proactive steps to minimize CO2 emissions. As centers of innovation and scientific inquiry, universities in the education sector have established bold CO2 reduction goals. This study employs the Spatial Panel model. This approach treats different geographic regions as a spatial panel, accounting for correlations between regions in the regression analysis. Design/methodology/approach We examined the relationship between environmental research, environmental quality, education quality, eco-friendly behavior, climate change contribution, climate action and information technology (degree awarded by information technology) on carbon dioxide emissions at the top 100 US universities between 2015 and 2024. The effect of each state's condition was examined on neighboring states. Findings The results showed that environmental research and climate action (with a negative sign) have the greatest impact on CO2 emissions. The environmental quality, education quality, eco-friendly behavior, climate change contribution and information technology also have an impact on CO2 emissions. This study suggests that effective environmental policy integration, regulation and enforcement are vital for monitoring environmental changes and advancing research initiatives in universities. Originality/value This study features: A spatial panel model considering neighboring effects in the United States, a large sample of top US universities with recent data (2015–2024) and some additional variables: Environmental research, Environmental quality, Education quality, Eco friendly behavior, Climate change contribution, Climate action and Information Technology, exploring their roles on CO2 emissions.