In recent years, as global awareness of climate change and environmental protection continues to deepen, the concept of low-carbon green development has gradually evolved into a core guiding principle for advancing the sustainable development of society.  As a vital component of the social system, campuses bear significant responsibility for addressing their own carbon emissions.  From the perspective of carbon footprint, educational institutions must proactively shoulder their obligations and implement a suite of targeted, effective measures to construct low-carbon campuses. This endeavor not only enables a substantial reduction in campus carbon emissions but also plays a pivotal role in enhancing students’ low-carbon awareness and fostering their environmental responsibility. Furthermore, through its demonstration effect, the construction of low-carbon campuses can drive the broader low-carbon transformation of society, thereby providing robust support for safeguarding long-term social sustainability. Against this backdrop, this paper first systematically elaborates on the multifaceted significance of building low-carbon campuses from the carbon footprint perspective, and subsequently proposes a set of actionable, context-adapted construction strategies. It is intended to offer valuable references and insights for researchers and practitioners engaged in related fields.