Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 71.07
Liaison Julien-Pierre Lacombe
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

École de Technologie Supérieure
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 8.00 / 8.00 Julien-Pierre Lacombe
Mr
Sustainable office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 54 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 54 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 289 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 289 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy 1,600 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 1,600 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 1,999 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 1,999 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
Performance year Baseline year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased 2,000 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2,000 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 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon sold or transferred 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon sinks 2,000 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2,000 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):

To achieve carbon neutrality annually, ÉTS purchases Gold Standard certified offsets. In 2021, ÉTS purchased 2000 MTCO2e of offset credits from Planetair NPO through the Planetair+ÉTS product (applied research).

https://planetair.ca/en/portfolio/planetairets/


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

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Performance year Baseline year
Start date May 1, 2018 May 1, 2018
End date April 30, 2019 April 30, 2019

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:

In 2019, ÉTS committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. By 2021, this was achieved! ÉTS became the first carbon-neutral university in Montreal and the second in Quebec. However, it is the only one to do so by purchasing Gold Standard credits. ÉTS has achieved carbon neutrality (for Scopes 1 & 2) by adopting the approach: measure, reduce, offset. It has developed a unique and innovative system that allows it not only to offset its footprint by purchasing Gold Standard certified carbon credits but also to invest in research projects aimed at reducing GHG emissions (see FRECC in credit AC10). In addition, ÉTS is committed to maintaining its leadership in energy efficiency by continuing to develop major energy efficiency projects on its campus. Finally, ÉTS wishes to design future developments on its campus in a carbon-neutral manner. In addition, ÉTS is currently developing its scope 3 emissions reduction strategy.

The baseline year was chosen as follows. In March 2019, ÉTS has committed to producing an initial carbon footprint. In order to have complete actual data, ÉTS chose the 2018-2019 fiscal year. In doing so, the 2018-2019 year became the baseline year. ÉTS has not yet conducted a second GHG inventory as it believes the data would not have been representative of a typical year given the decrease in emissions caused by the reduction in pandemic activities.


Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance year Baseline year
Number of students resident on-site 1,100 1,100
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site 24 24
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 8,098 8,098
Full-time equivalent of employees 1,233 1,233
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted Campus Users 7,297.25 7,297.25

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 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
2,659,202 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 260,734 Square feet
Healthcare space 196 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 23,132 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
3,204,194 Gross square feet

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:

Energy efficiency and the reduction of energy consumption are at the heart of ÉTS's values. For decades, ÉTS has been the most energy-efficient university in Quebec and is among the world leaders. The design, construction and operation of energy-efficient buildings are concepts that are taught to students, explored in research and applied on our campus. The ÉTS campus is used as a living laboratory; many heat recovery and energy efficiency projects are ongoing through collaborations between professors, students and ÉTS employees. Among the projects underway, ÉTS is working on a major project to recover heat from the Calcul Québec supercomputer. This project will allow ÉTS to significantly increase its energy performance and thus reduce its carbon footprint. In addition, the university is committed to designing future real estate developments with carbon neutrality in mind.


Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
https://www.etsmtl.ca/docs/ets/documents/inventaire-emissions-ges-ets

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Carbon neutrality announcement: https://www.etsmtl.ca/nouvelles/2021/carboneutralite-ets/

Carbon neutrality announcement video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf4ate5Ldnc

Additional information on ÉTS's engagement towards carbon neutrality:
https://www.etsmtl.ca/Nouvelles/2019/Signature-declaration
https://www.etsmtl.ca/nouvelles/2019/dix-universites-unies/


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.