| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74.46 |
| Liaison | Ciannat Howett |
| Submission Date | Oct. 9, 2024 |
Emory University
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.56 / 3.00 |
Cyrus
Bhedwar Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
Part 1. Greenhouse gas emissions inventory
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 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. 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 as 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 sulfur 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:
The Office of Sustainability Initiatives contracted with E. Rowe Consulting to produce the inventory, and all inputs, outputs, and assumptions were validated by this external partner.
All data inputs, outputs, and assumptions were reviewed and approved by Emory's Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support in July 2023.
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Scope 1 GHG emissions
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 49,128.42 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 4,572.42 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Scope 2 GHG emissions
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 97,121.44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
GHG emissions from biomass combustion
Scope 3 GHG emissions
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 21,947.35 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 24,354.53 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 | 19,925.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | 1,381.34 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources | Yes | 5,435.52 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
Emory conducts an annual 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.
Part 2. Air pollutant emissions inventory
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 0.09 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.77 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 31.70 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 2.88 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0.00 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0.72 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0.91 Tons |
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 |
Emory operates under a federal Title V air operating permit (issued by the state of Georgia) that establishes emissions limits as well as required testing, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting for Emory’s emissions sources. Emory is required to submit a triennial emissions inventory detailing criteria pollutant emissions including nitrogen oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) on an emission point-by-emission point basis. The emissions inventory is reported on a calendar year basis. Emory uses primarily natural gas to power its boilers but occasionally must switch over to diesel (No. 2 fuel oil). Emory uses only the lowest sulfur-containing diesel that is available.
In addition, Emory is required under 40 CFR Part 98 to submit an annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory to U.S. EPA. This report includes greenhouse gas emissions from stationary combustion sources but excludes emissions from portable and emergency equipment. The greenhouse gas emissions inventory is reported on a calendar year basis. This regulatory-driven GHG inventory is conducted independently from the inventory described in the previous section (conducted using SIMAP), but results are compared and any discrepancies are resolved.
Optional Fields
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:
All data reported in this section are from September 2021-August 2022.
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.