| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76.00 |
| Liaison | Ciannat Howett |
| Submission Date | March 5, 2021 |
Emory University
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.46 / 3.00 |
Kelly
Weisinger Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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:
All base figures for calculations, graphs, charts, and tables in Emory’s emissions inventory report come from SIMAP (Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform). SIMAP was chosen for the purposes of this report because it is an emissions calculator specifically purposed for higher education, and because it is excellent at producing detailed graphs and tables that show trends in emissions over time. OSI uses SIMAP to benchmark each fiscal year’s CO2 and N2O emissions data and compare its emissions year by year. Again, this report draws on the University’s CO2 data in SIMAP, since N2O (the other emission SIMAP analyzes) represents a much smaller percentage of Emory’s total emissions.
SIMAP estimates the greenhouse gas emissions specified by the Kyoto Protocol, a global compact negotiated by the United Nations in 1997 that was not ratified by the United States. The monitored emissions include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). The calculator then converts emitted gases into units (in this case, metric tons) of carbon dioxide equivalents (MtCO2e). This conversion depends on the global warming potential (GWP) of each gas. Emory’s emissions are largely from CO2 because there are no PFC or SF6 gases emitted on Emory’s campus, and emissions of CH4, N2O, and HFCs represent only a very small percentage of Emory’s total emissions.
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?:
A brief description of the GHG inventory verification process:
Emory's GHG emissions data were collected by an external consultant, who calculated each component using SIMAP.
The final greenhouse gas inventory was analyzed by a short-term internal GHG Emissions Inventory Task Force, none of whom were responsible for any component of the inventory as it was calculated. The task force met 4 times over 3 months and reviewed the inventory results, graphs, and executive summary; compared the new data to previous years for consistency; questioned results and rationale that led to some data corrections and graphical improvements; and made recommendations for further emissions reductions.
•Eva Stotz, Staff Sustainability Representative and Academic Degree Coordinator, Anthropology Department, Emory College
•Jack Miklaucic, Student and member of the student group ECAST (Emory Climate Analysis and Solutions Team), Emory College ‘23
•Claire Pomykala, Major in Human Health, Concentration in Business, Minor in Sustainability, Emory College ‘21
•Aaron Klingensmith, OSI student intern, Environmental Science and Economics majors, Emory College ‘22
•Adele Clements, Senior Director, Transportation, Parking, and Fleet Services
•Debjani Sihi, Assistant Professor, Dept of Environmental Sciences
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 50,338.74 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 4,540.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 137,124.08 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 21,706.88 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 23,085.95 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 | Yes | 7,026.67 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | -39.96 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources | No | --- |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
Emory conducts a survey of staff, faculty, and students to understand commuting emissions and compares the survey with parking permits to verify the data.
Emory gathers air travel data from its air travel provider, as all air travel funded by the institutions is required to be booked through this provider.
Waste generated in operations data is collected from landfill disposal data and wastewater.
Fuel and energy for scope 3 are T&D losses calculated using energy data from our utility provider.
Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 30.96 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | --- |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | --- |
| Particulate matter (PM) | --- |
| Ozone (O3) | --- |
| Lead (Pb) | --- |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | --- |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | --- |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | --- |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | Yes |
| Area sources | No |
| Mobile sources | No |
| Commuting | No |
| Off-site electricity production | No |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
Emory has a federal Title V air permit (issued by the state of Georgia) that requires Emory to have a complete inventory of and monitor all sources of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), primarily NOx and VOCs. Emory uses primarily natural gas to power its boilers but occasionally must switch over to diesel. Emory uses only the lowest sulfur-containing diesel that is available.
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data reported for FY2019
Data reported for FY2019
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.