Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 67.84
Liaison Noah Upchurch
Submission Date March 1, 2024

STARS v2.2

Catawba College
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 8.00 / 8.00 Noah Upchurch
Senior Sustainability Specialist
Center for the Environment
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions

Gross GHG emissions

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 1,068.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 1,018.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 168.15 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 179.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 5,803.90 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 1,236.84 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7,002.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Carbon sinks

Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
Performance year Baseline year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased 3,213 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 47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon sold or transferred 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon sinks 3,213 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

If total performance year carbon sinks are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
The College has purchased 2963 Metric tons CO2e of Climate Action Reserve methane gas destruction offsets from the Buncombe County Landfill and 250 Metric tons CO2e of methane gas destruction offsets from the South Wake Landfill, certified through ACR.

Adjusted net GHG emissions

Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Adjusted net GHG emissions 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7,002.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Performance and baseline periods

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Performance year Baseline year
Start date June 1, 2022 June 1, 2009
End date May 31, 2023 May 31, 2010

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The Greenhouse Gas emissions baseline was adopted for Fiscal Year 2010 because that was the earliest that the College began accurately reporting through the Second Nature Reporting Platform. Fiscal Year 2010 also aligns with the best baseline year data for campus waste.

Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person

Weighted campus users

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance year Baseline year
Number of students resident on-site 688 679
Number of employees resident on-site 16 16
Number of other individuals resident on-site 8 8
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,201 1,305
Full-time equivalent of employees 297.70 314.33
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 88 0
Weighted Campus Users 1,242.03 1,396.25

Metrics used in scoring for Part 1

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 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 5.02 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
100

Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area

Performance year floor area

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
697,724 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 1,176 Square feet
Healthcare space 2,570 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 112,040 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
817,256 Gross square feet

Metric used in scoring for Part 2

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0 MtCO2e per square foot

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
Since the baseline period, Catawba College has implemented a number of upgrades to reduce campus emissions.

170 kilowatts of behind-the-meter photovoltaic solar panels have been installed on campus rooftops, which reduce the College's demand for power generated off campus using more carbon-intensive generation methods. Solar water heating systems have been installed in numerous buildings, including Abernathy Gymnasium, the Hayes Field House, and Woodson, Stanback, and Barger-Zartman residence halls. These solar water heating systems reduce on-site natural gas usage. The College also benefits from the 16 geothermal wells that assist in heating and cooling many campus buildings. Geothermal wells eliminate the need for natural-gas-fired water heaters and HVAC units powered by electricity generated off campus. The College's dining hall has also upgraded its facilities to reduce energy use and has implemented diversion of food waste to Gallins Family Farm, a third-party composting contractor.

Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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