Amherst College
OP-6: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

6.1 Greenhouse gas emissions inventory and disclosure

An institution earns 4 points when it has completed one or more inventories within the previous three years to quantify its emissions from at least nine of the 10 sources listed below. Partial points are available and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report the most recent annual GHG emissions data available from within the previous three years. An institution may choose the annual start and end dates that work best with the data available (e.g., fiscal or calendar year), as long as data are reported from a consecutive 12-month period. 

To conduct a GHG emissions inventory, an institution may use any methodology or calculator that is consistent with the standards and guidance provided by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WRI/WBCSD). Examples include the GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, The Climate Registry’s General Reporting Protocol (GRP), and the Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform (SIMAP).

For scope 2 GHG emissions, an institution may use a market-based method, a location-based method, or both (dual reporting). 

For scope 3 GHG emissions, indicate to what extent all of the institution’s relevant scope 3 activities in the category have been accounted for within the previous three years. To qualify as “full accounting”, an institution must have accounted for all relevant scope 3 activities in the category. To qualify as “partial accounting”, an institution must have accounted for at least one relevant scope 3 activity in the category. For example, an institution that has quantified its scope 3 GHG emissions for purchased food and paper, but has excluded other relevant purchased goods and services would report “partial accounting”.

6.2 Greenhouse gas emissions per square meter

An institution earns 4 points when it has achieved zero scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. Incremental points are available based on the institution’s performance, normalized by gross floor area of building space, between a maximum threshold and the zero emissions target and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report floor area from the same time period as that from which GHG emissions data are drawn, e.g., an average from throughout the performance period or a snapshot at a single representative point.

6.3 Greenhouse gas emissions per person

An institution earns 4 points when it has achieved zero scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. Incremental points are available based on the institution’s performance, normalized by full-time equivalent students and employees, between a maximum threshold and the zero emissions target and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report population figures from the same time period as that from which GHG emissions data are drawn, e.g., an average from throughout the performance period or a snapshot at a single representative point.

6.4 Adjusted net greenhouse gas emissions

An institution earns 4 points when it has achieved zero adjusted net scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. Incremental points are available based on the institution’s performance between a baseline and the net zero emissions target and earned as outlined in the Technical Manual.

Measurement

For carbon sinks, report on the same performance period used in indicator 6.1.

For baseline emissions, an institution may choose annual start and end dates that work best with the historic data available (e.g., fiscal or calendar year), as long as data are reported from a consecutive 12-month period. This may be, for example, a baseline year that the institution has adopted as part of its sustainability plans or policies or in the context of other reporting obligations.

Applicable to all institutions.