| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.81 |
| Liaison | Austin Eriksson |
| Submission Date | Nov. 29, 2021 |
California State University, Northridge
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.36 / 8.00 |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 5,761 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 13,720 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 1,224 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 16,993 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 24,609 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 23,978 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 38,329 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 0 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 storage from on-site composting | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | --- |
| Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon sinks | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 23,978 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 38,329 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | Jan. 1, 2019 | Jan. 1, 1990 |
| End date | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 1990 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
California implemented the legally binding Global Warming Solutions Act
3 (AB32) in 2006, which commits the state to reducing its emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, and by an additional 80 percent by 2050.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,081 | 1,360 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 24 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 82 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 32,470.81 | 24,968.50 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 3,260 | 2,475 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 178 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 27,522.86 | 20,922.63 |
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 | 0.87 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1.83 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 | 100,344 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 107,114 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:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
CSUN has worked extensively to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all three scopes across all sectors of university operations. The Job Order Contract program, which performs minor-capital construction projects through outside contractors, has partnered with sustainability staff to include new LED fixtures with smart controls into all remodel projects. Facilities sustainability staff have worked closely with the CSUN electric shop to retrofit the last 168 exterior walkway light fixtures to LED’s from the older metal halide lamps, which used more than four times the wattage. CSUN has also partnered with a local contractor on a campus-wide LED retrofit project, which will replace over 43,000 fluorescent and other energy-intensive lamps with more efficient LED's by its completion. At current electrical grid emission intensity levels, this project will save over 2,200 metric tons of CO2e each year.
Other equipment beyond lighting has also been a focus of campus efficiency efforts. Electric options are prioritized when purchasing new landscaping equipment and light-duty vehicles. A major upgrade to CSUN's cooling infrastructure replaced eight older cooling towers with two new, more efficient units with variable speed drives. This also included the installation of variable speed chilled water pumps to save energy when less than maximum capacity is required. Over a mile of heating hot water piping has been replaced with newer, better-insulated piping, allowing CSUN's heating systems to operate more efficiently and reduce natural gas usage.
Over half of CSUN's greenhouse gas emissions are a result of commuting activities. As a result, CSUN has robust programs in place to support alternative transportation. Subsidized Metro passes allow students to travel more cheaply on mass transit, and campus shuttle buses provide first and last-mile connectivity between the campus and local transit stops. There is also a transit station directly on campus served by two city bus lines and a longer-distance bus route. Employees that bike to campus and don't own a parking pass are eligible for a temporary parking pass on rainy days, eliminating any financial penalty for having to drive when necessary. CSUN's Transportation working group also developed a no-idling policy to reduce vehicle emissions on campus and educate users about GHG reduction efforts. Lastly, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSU has revised its telecommuting policy. At CSUN, new telecommuting agreements have been put in place to allow employees additional flexibility and the ability to maintain a hybrid work schedule for the foreseeable future. This transition has opened peoples' eyes to the value of hybrid work schedules, and will continue to demonstrate its benefits through reduced GHG emissions, improved work-life balance among employees, and other benefits.
While CSUN's utility provider does have goals to reduce the emission intensity of the grid, they also have numerous policies in place that serve as roadblocks to greater utilization of on-campus solar arrays. CSUN has pursued many different funding options, financing models, and technological solutions to overcome these barriers and has made recent progress on plans to increase the campus' solar generation capacity. CSUN plans to add 760 kilowatts of solar generation to one of its parking structures in 2022, with another 4 megawatts coming online in the next 2-3 years.
Finally, despite having the goal of climate neutrality, CSUN continues to grow to meet increasing enrollment numbers. New campus buildings are required to achieve LEED Gold certification, with a more aggressive EUI target.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The small difference between gross floor area of building space (performance year) and the gross floor area of building space reported in PRE-4 is because these numbers refer to different years. 2019 was selected as the performance year for the GHG inventory because it was the most recent calendar year representative of normal operations (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Figures in PRE-4 reflect the 2020 year, and include some additionally-constructed building space.
The small difference between gross floor area of building space (performance year) and the gross floor area of building space reported in PRE-4 is because these numbers refer to different years. 2019 was selected as the performance year for the GHG inventory because it was the most recent calendar year representative of normal operations (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Figures in PRE-4 reflect the 2020 year, and include some additionally-constructed building space.
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.