| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 88.13 |
| Liaison | Tonie Miyamoto |
| Submission Date | Nov. 7, 2022 |
Colorado State University
IN-26: Nitrogen Footprint
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Stacey
Baumgarn Campus Energy Coordinator Facilities |
A copy of the institution's nitrogen footprint:
Website URL where the institution's nitrogen footprint is available:
Are the following included in the institution’s nitrogen footprint?:
| Yes, No, or N/A | |
| Utilities | Yes |
| Food consumption | Yes |
| Food production | Yes |
| Fertilizer use | Yes |
| Transportation | Yes |
| Research animals | Yes |
Year the institution’s nitrogen footprint was completed or last updated:
A brief description of the methodology or tool used to calculate the institution’s nitrogen footprint:
Colorado State University (CSU) has completed five nitrogen footprints. The most recent was completed in the spring of 2022 for the last fiscal year, FY21. Note: The term fiscal year (FY) refers to a period of time used for accounting purposes and preparing financial statements and reports. CSU defines a fiscal year as starting July 1st and ending on June 30th. Therefore, FY21 would include the time period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. The first Nitrogen Footprint was calculated for FY14, then for FY18, FY19, FY20, and FY21. CSU utilizes the SIMAP platform (since it became available in FY19) to calculate the nitrogen footprint.
The nitrogen footprint calculation is a student-led, faculty and staff-supported project. For FY21, the calculation was completed by two ‘SUPER’ students enrolled in ESS 221 (Ecosystem Science and Sustainability). The CSU annual greenhouse gas inventory provides the foundational inputs of the N-print but students gather additional data (not included in the GHG inventory) including food consumption and research lab animals. Each year the calculation has taken a slightly different approach, therefore, consistency of the calculation remains challenging for establishing a baseline, or identifying a trend for nitrogen impacts. In conclusion, there is ‘moderate confidence’ in this annual calculation.
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
A blog post written by a former student who had previously worked on a CSU nitrogen footprint: https://sustainability.colostate.edu/humannature/the-importance-of-nitrogen-footprints/
A blog post written by a former student who had previously worked on a CSU nitrogen footprint: https://sustainability.colostate.edu/humannature/the-importance-of-nitrogen-footprints/
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.