Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 65.41
Liaison Ian Johnson
Submission Date April 19, 2024

STARS v2.2

Colorado College
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.29 / 3.00 Emissions Team
OOS Team
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Yes

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:

Colorado College uses the University of New Hampshire’s SIMAP (Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform) carbon and nitrogen accounting platform. Based in partnerships with the University of Virginia and the EPA, this tool provides a comprehensive and accessible platform to maintain the GHG inventory. It is targeted specifically at colleges and universities, allowing for easy comparison with other institutions. This year, three paid student interns and a team of three student volunteers at the Colorado College Office of Sustainability collected campus greenhouse gas emissions data from the previous fiscal year. Data collected includes all direct and indirect campus emissions, or Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon and nitrogen emissions. Students compile these data into the GHG emissions inventory which is submitted to SIMAP, analyzed using its algorithms, and returned in a report that includes year-to-year comparisons.


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?:
Yes

A brief description of the GHG inventory verification process:

The Greenhouse Gas Inventory Team comprised of three student interns and three student volunteers collect the data for the GHG inventory from Facilities Services. The director of the Colorado College Office of Sustainability reviews and validates the information collected and submitted by the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Team.


Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
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Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Weight in MTCO2e
Stationary combustion 7,531.43 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) 306.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
7,838.23 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
Weight in MTCO2e
Imported electricity 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Imported thermal energy 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
Yes or No Weight in MTCO2e
Business travel Yes 6,133.25 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting Yes 480.01 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 No 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations Yes 133.67 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other sources Yes 5,501.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
12,248.03 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:

Scope 3 employee commuting and student travel emissions are calculated through two annual surveys, one for faculty and staff commuting and one for student travel to/from home. Business travel, study abroad, paper purchasing, and wastewater data are collected from office administrators and staff across campus.


Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
No

Annual weight of emissions for::
Weight of Emissions
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 0 Tons
Sulfur oxides (SOx) 0 Tons
Carbon monoxide (CO) 0 Tons
Particulate matter (PM) 0 Tons
Ozone (O3) 0 Tons
Lead (Pb) 0 Tons
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) 0 Tons
Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) 0 Tons
Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations 0 Tons

Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
Yes or No
Major stationary sources Yes
Area sources Yes
Mobile sources Yes
Commuting Yes
Off-site electricity production Yes

A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:

Calculations used to determine the heating plant’s air emissions are based upon State of Colorado adopted emission factors noted in the permit to operate conditions required by the State. The other standard categories of air emissions that we used were VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)


Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
10,408.65 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

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