An overview of ecological footprinting and other tools and their application to the development of sustainability process

Abstract

A sustainability audit of Holme Lacy College is described. The approach adopted a “triple bottom line” assessment, comprising a number of key steps: a scoping review utilising a revised Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors project appraisal tool; an environmental impact assessment based on ecological footprinting and a social and economic impact assessment. The college has a number of unsustainable features. Its ecological footprint is equivalent to 296 ha and some 866 tonnes of CO2 were emitted from the site over a one‐year period. The social impact of the college and its staff is significant over a wide range of stakeholders and the region. The economic impact indicates that the college contributes up to £5.3 million to the local and regional economy.