Analysis of Carbon Footprint in Terms of Electricity Consumption Practices in Primary Schools: A Case Study of Batang Padang District, Perak, Malaysia

Energy resource consumption, and particularly consumption of electrical energy, influences the increase of greenhouse gas – that is, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – which results in global warming. One of the strategies to overcome this issue is to implement energy saving sustainability practices. Thus, the purpose of this article is to identify the level of carbon foot print from electricity consumption as well as the relationship and effects of sustainability knowledge, green knowledge, and sustainability practices towards electricity consumption (carbon footprint analysis) in primary schools. This study involved 423 students from ten primary schools within the district of Batang Padang, Perak, Malaysia. A cluster sampling method was used during the first stage of selecting the schools and groups of students. Then, the respondents were chosen by a simple random method from among students between the ages of 10 to 12 years old who were able to read. Results show that the carbon footprint emissions in the studied school areas are still at a low level. The relationship analysis shows a weak significant correlation between (i) sustainability practices and sustainability knowledge, (ii) sustainability practices and carbon footprint, and (iii) green environment and carbon footprint analysis. Similarly, the study shows a moderate relationship between 3R practice variables and carbon footprint analysis in schools. Regression analysis shows that sustainability practices contribute to carbon footprint when compared with sustainability knowledge and green environment. Thus, this shows that sustainability knowledge has a direct relationship with sustainability practices and electricity consumption. The results clearly prove that primary school students show positive elements of sustainability practices. These findings can help schools to identify weak variables, such as green practices knowledge, that need to be improved in order to reduce carbon emissions in schools.