| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.69 |
| Liaison | John Pumilio |
| Submission Date | July 23, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Colgate University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
9.29 / 10.00 |
John
Pumilio Director of Sustainability Sustainability Office |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
None
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions?:
Yes
None
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 3 GHG emissions from any of the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Business travel | Yes |
| Commuting | Yes |
| Purchased goods and services | Yes |
| Capital goods | No |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | No |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes |
None
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from other categories?:
Yes
None
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:
Colgate's Office of Sustainability created a spreadsheet specific to our data collection process for the purposes of simplifying the reporting process. We modeled it off of Clean Air-Cool Planet's Campus Carbon Calculator and use their imbedded emission factors.
None
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?:
No
None
A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
---
None
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 4,861 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 7,479 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 593 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 439 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 1,814 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,885 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
None
Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| 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 | 1,535 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 |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 5,114 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
None
A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
Colgate University does not currently invest in local offsets. This is a priority for our next Sustainability and Climate Action Plan update.
None
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
At Colgate University, we recognize that carbon storage and annual sequestration is among the many assets provided by Colgate's forested lands. In 2013, we determined that our 1,059 acres of forests contain 165,491 tons of stored carbon while sequestering an additional 1,578 tons of carbon annually.
During the fall and winter of 2013 we surveyed 9 different units of Colgate's 1,058.7 acres
of land. This resulted in 174 sample points each measuring 1/10 acre in size. We measured every tree with a 3.0 inch dbh or greater. We then used U.S. Forest Service protocols to estimate carbon storage and annual sequestration rates. Our full report can be viewed at http://webedit.colgate.edu/distinctly-colgate/sustainability/climate-action-planning/forest-management-land-use/Action/Preview.
None
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
We compost over 3,000 lbs of food scraps every week, but we do not count the carbon sequestered.
None
A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
In FY 2012, Colgate entered into an agreement with Patagonia Sur for the purchase of 5,000 tons of offsets per year for 15 years. The project is a reforestation project in The Patagonia Sur Nature Reserve in the Palena province of southern Chile. Over the course of 15 years, approximately 225,000 native trees will be planted on roughly 428 acres of land which will become the Colgate University Forest. The Patagonia Sur reforestation project is acquiring Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) certification. Importantly, the agreement creates academic opportunities for students and faculty to conduct research within the Colgate Forest and The Patagonia Sur Nature Reserve in general.
None
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 2,334 | 2,184 |
| Number of residential employees | 6 | 6 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 2,934 | 2,784 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 956 | 968 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 350 | 350 |
None
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | June 1, 2009 | May 30, 2010 |
None
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
Our baseline was established with the hiring of our Director of Sustainability and with our first greenhouse gas inventory after signing the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment in 2009. Before this, Colgate did not measure our greenhouse gas footprint (comprehensively).
None
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
204,702.75
Square meters
None
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 11,242.38 Square meters |
| Healthcare space | 204.57 Square meters |
| Other energy intensive space | 5,457.31 Square meters |
None
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 1,727 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 1,409 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 145 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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 23 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories (please specify below) | 3,826 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
None
A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":
Airline travel paid by or through the university.
None
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
---
None
The website URL where the GHG emissions inventory is posted:
None
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Please visit out webpage: http://www.colgate.edu/distinctly-colgate/sustainability.
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---
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.