Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 81.45
Liaison Lindsey Lyons
Submission Date March 1, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Dickinson College
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 7.61 / 10.00 Neil Leary
Director
Center for Sustainability Education
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
All, Some, or None
Business travel All
Commuting All
Purchased goods and services Some
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations All
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 All
Other categories Some

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, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:
Dickinson used the CleanAir-CoolPlanet calculator V9.0. for our 2016 GHG inventory. Business travel emissions are developed from analyses of Financial Operations general ledger and credit card records for travel related expenses for purchases of airline tickets, rail tickets, bus and rental cars. Commuting emissions are developed from analyses of an extensive survey of employee commuting that was conducted in 2016. Results of the survey were used to calculate average commuting distances by mode per academic year per employee living different distances from campus. The averages were applied to data for numbers of employees living different distances from campus to calculate miles traveled by mode for past years. Emissions associated with transmission and distribution (T&D) losses for purchased electricity are calculated using the CACP calculator.

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
+ Date Revised: May 7, 2018

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
The Stone House Group completed a comprehensive review of Dickinson’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by analyzing data entries on the web-based Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP) created by the UNH Sustainability Institute for campus GHG accounting. Their review found no obvious errors or misrepresentations of Dickinson College’s GHG emissions and a report was filed for this review on April 20, 2018.
+ Date Revised: May 7, 2018

Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 4,297 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4,601.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 705.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 379.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 7,322.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 8,499.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 12,325.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 13,480 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016
Baseline Year July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
The GHG emissions baseline was adopted in 2009 when Dickinson adopted its Climate Action Plan after signing the ACUPCC in 2008. Targets for emission reductions in the Climate Action Plan use 2008 as our base year .

Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) 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 sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon storage from on-site composting 73.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 89.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon offsets 73.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 89.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
All food waste from campus dining hall is composted at the college farm. The compost is used as a soil amendment at the farm.

Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases 7,322.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3,882.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
Baseline year RECs: Purchased 8,000 MWh of RECs in 2008, equivalent to 45% of that year's electricity consumption, from WindCurrent. Performance year RECs: Purchased 18,573 MWh of 'Green-e Certified American Wind' RECs in 2016, equivalent to 100% of our that year's electricity consumption, from Green Mountain Energy.

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 4,929.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9,507.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,987 1,912.50
Number of employees resident on-site 19 26
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 2,357 2,345
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 924 780
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,962.25 2,828.38

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 1.66 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3.36 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
50.50

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
1,958,339 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 220,339 Square feet
Healthcare space 1,663 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 21,738 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
2,424,081 Gross square feet

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

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 1,125.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 915.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 71.30 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 2 739.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations ---
Other categories ---

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Recent GHG reduction projects include replacement of nearly all lighting with LED fixtures and lamps; changes to energy controls in the Rector Science Complex; replacement of windows with more efficient windows as part of deferred maintenance projects. We also laid piping to connect several additional buildings to our central energy plant, which will yield significant savings when the connections are brought into operation. Ground was broken in February 2018 on a 3 MW solar field that will generate an estimated 5.2 million kWh/year beginning in fall 2018. http://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/3036/?utm_source=dickinsontoday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dickinsontoday.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
http://www.dickinson.edu/homepage/599/climate_action http://www.dickinson.edu/news/article/3036/?utm_source=dickinsontoday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dickinsontoday.

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.