Digital carbon footprint assessment of Universitas Indonesia data center based on the GHG protocol

Implementing digitalization has several benefits to educational institutions but presents an environmental challenge relating to the digital carbon footprint. It has increased energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As promoters and future leaders in a sustainable system, higher education institutions (HEIs) must evaluate greenhouse gas emissions as a step toward a commitment to sustainability, including an assessment of emissions from the digital ecosystem. This study aims to quantify the digital carbon footprint of Universitas Indonesia (UI), an HEI that has adopted digitalization to support academic, research, and administrative services. The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is applied to identify and quantify emissions within the digital ecosystem, covering Scopes 1, 2, and 3. The total digital carbon footprint was calculated at approximately 404.7 tons CO₂-eq per year, primarily generated by electrical energy consumption (348 tons CO₂-eq) as the dominant source, reflecting Indonesia’s fossil-based energy mix. IT and non-IT operations contributed around 48% and 38% of the total emissions, respectively. These results emphasize the need to enhance energy efficiency in data center and increase the use of renewable energy to reduce digital-related emissions. This study serves as a reference for universities seeking to evaluate the environmental impacts of their digital infrastructure and foster sustainable digital transformation.