| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 73.93 |
| Liaison | Jim Dees |
| Submission Date | April 19, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Appalachian State University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.00 / 10.00 |
Jim
Dees Data and Assessment Specialist Office of Sustailability |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
| All, Some, or None | |
| Business travel | All |
| Commuting | All |
| Purchased goods and services | Some |
| Capital goods | None |
| Waste generated in operations | Some |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | All |
| Other categories | Some |
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:
Appalachian State uses the University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute's SIMAP tool for GHG inventory data. The inventory, which is managed by the Office of Sustainability, is comprised of an annual data set organized by fiscal year. Appalachian is signatory school of the Second Nature Climate Commitment and thus follows their GHG management guidelines.
Has the GHG emissions inventory been validated internally by personnel who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process and/or verified by an independent, external third party?:
A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
All (currently collected) data were compared to previous fiscal year data for anomalies and consistency. Records of previous data are kept in an ongoing log tracking correspondents, conversations, and calculations.
Below are details of how this data was obtained and measured.
o Institutional Data: Population numbers were primarily taken directly from the Office of Institutional Research and
Planning (IRAP) website.
o Steam and Backup Generators: Steam production and on-campus fuel combustion data was taken from the USI
report.
o Fleet Vehicles: Mileage related to travel in university-owned vehicles was reported by Motor Pool Services.
o Refrigerants/Chemicals: Records of refrigerant and chemical usage were reported by Motor Pool Services, HVAC
Maintenance Services, and Food Services.
o Agriculture: Agricultural operations records were obtained from Landscape Services and the Sustainable
Development Research & Teaching Farm
o Purchased Electricity: On-campus electricity consumption data was obtained from the ASU USI report.
o Faculty/Staff and Student Commuting data is from direct survey.
o Directly Financed Outsourced Travel: The Controller’s Office organized and provided records of universityfinanced
air and ground travel.
o Study Abroad: The Office of International Education and Development reported the number of passengers and flight
destinations for study abroad trips. This information was then used to estimate mileage using an online air travel
calculator.
o Solid Waste: The Office of Sustainability tracks on-campus solid waste generation, composting, and recycling
information.
o Wastewater: Wastewater data was taken directly from the USI report.
o Paper: Central Warehouse provided purchasing records of standard white copy paper used throughout the
university. The Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology (GAIT) department reported records of the specialty paper
used in their department.
o Offsets: Offset calculations are based on tons of compost, acres of preserved (by deed) forest and thrid party purchases.
o Scope 2 T&D Losses: This number is an automatic calculation that SIMAP creates based on purchased electricity.
Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 14,470 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 21,916 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 2,672 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,261 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 27,654 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 31,090 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 44,796 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 54,267 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2008 | June 30, 2009 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
Appalachian's baseline year for GHG emissions is 2009. This year was officially introduced with the issuance of our first Climate Action Plan, Toward Climate Neutrality, on September 15, 2010. It was chosen mainly because if was the first year that offered a complete and soundly recorded data set.
Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) | 1,734 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration | 986 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 67 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from on-site composting | 53 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon offsets | 2,773 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 111 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
1734 MTeCO2 were purchased from Wilkes County Germantown Landfill gas project in the form of offsets steaming from the destruction of landfill gas. The verification program is The Small-Scale Landfill Gas Offset Protocol and is handled by Appalachian State University. The purchased offsets were atributed to the 2016-17 fiscal year by contract.
Appalachian State hold 986 acres of deed protected forested land in several plots around Watauga and neighboring counties. Based on the condition and age of these lands, we claim a sequestration rate of one ton of CO2 per acre per year.
Appalachain composted 180 tons of material from the dinning hall and other on campus sources which has been been converted by the SIMAP online tool to 53 MTeCO2.
Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 42,023 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 54,156 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,727 | 4,996 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 11 | 8 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 17,097 | 16,153 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 4,148 | 5,686 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,003 | 1,103 |
| Weighted campus users | 16,616 | 16,803 |
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user | 2.53 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 3.22 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 258,954 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 43,869 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 290,466 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 8,146 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 12,379 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 218 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | 1,446 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 574 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories | 3,056 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Appalachian’s basic philosophy as we continue our pursuit of carbon neutrality will be a pragmatic one that generally follows, in order, these three steps:
Increase Efficiency
First and foremost, the aim of Appalachian’s carbon reduction strategy is to work to increase efficiency in all emission areas. A philosophy of efficiency first must become our “standard operational behavior” in every area of campus operations and our routine behavior.
Fuel Sourcing
Efficiency alone will likely not deliver carbon neutrality. While Appalachian will conceivably, always need to consume some amount to energy to continue its endeavors, we will want to consider the source of the energy that we do use. A voice in public policy around energy and energy infrastructure, and action in rapidly evolving world of renewable energy resources will help further reduce Appalachian’s carbon impact.
Offsets Acquisition
Should Appalachian not be able to completely eliminate carbon emissions through the two previously described methods, certified third party offsets will need to be employed to achieve climate neutrality. We will, to the best of our ability, purchase offsets that benefit our local region, from projects that are relevant to the emission source for which they offset.
The majority of App State’s GHG reduction has come from efficiency work involving installation, maintenance and operation of building automation systems by the university personnel in conjunction with an energy savings performance contract. Reductions to both Scope I, Steam and Scope II, Purchased Electricity can be attributed to this strategy.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The copy from IC 2 buttons do not work on this page.
The copy from IC 2 buttons do not work on this page.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.