| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74.46 |
| Liaison | Ciannat Howett |
| Submission Date | Oct. 9, 2024 |
Emory University
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.93 / 8.00 |
Cyrus
Bhedwar Director Office of Sustainability Initiatives |
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions
Gross GHG emissions
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 49,128.42 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 59,357.96 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 4,572.42 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 11,795.39 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 97,121.44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 180,931.56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 150,822.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 252,084.91 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Carbon sinks
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 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 storage from on-site composting | 93.89 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 209.16 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 | 93.89 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 209.16 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
If total performance year carbon sinks are greater than zero, provide:
Emory University does not utilize offsets as part of its GHG emissions reduction strategy. The carbon accounting industry does not require onsite composting to be a verified offset, therefore information on “vendor, project source, verification program, and contract timeframes” as requested is not best practice nor required for onsite compost programs in GHG emissions inventories. Onsite composting meets the accounting best practices for offsets because baseline scenarios are known, composting programs are additional, there are no negative secondary effects, there is no risk of reversibility, and it is not double-counted. Emory composts onsite a small amount of landscaping materials.
Adjusted net GHG emissions
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 150,728.39 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 251,875.75 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Performance and baseline periods
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | Sept. 1, 2022 | Sept. 1, 2009 |
| End date | Aug. 31, 2023 | Aug. 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
GHG emissions reporting began in the year FY2010, with 2005 as the original baseline year, and subsequent inventories were conducted in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2022. In 2021, President Fenves signed two climate commitments, updating Emory’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals to mirror the latest scientific evidence and recommendations of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The scientific evidence shows that to mitigate global warming to a 1.5 degree Celsius increase or below, net anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases must decrease 50% from 2010 levels by 2030, and reach net zero emissions by 2050. In light of this evidence, Emory's leadership approved an update to Emory’s baseline inventory year to 2010 and its GHG reduction targets to match.
Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person
Weighted campus users
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 4,413 | 4,190 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 19 | 27 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 896 | 671 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 14,342 | 12,724 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 17,864 | 10,183 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 483 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 25,796.25 | 18,905.50 |
Metrics used in scoring for Part 1
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user | 5.84 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 13.32 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area
Performance year floor area
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor area | |
| Laboratory space | 2,708,667.76 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 2,226,328.55 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 918,032.26 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Metric used in scoring for Part 2
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
In 2021, President Fenves signed both the UN's Race to Zero pledge and Second Nature's President's Climate Leadership Commitment, updating our previous GHG reduction goal to 50% by 2030 and net zero by 2050 (from a 2010 baseline). Even as Emory University and Emory Healthcare continue to grow, the enterprise continues to achieve GHG reductions that are cataloged in annual emissions inventories. While its publication was not in the reporting period for this STARS report, Emory spent 12 months engaging its community and expert climate action task force to inform its third Climate Action Plan, which integrates the President's climate commitments.
Emory also continues to expand the scope of its GHG emissions inventory, and includes several Scope 3 categories as described in OP 1: Emissions Inventory.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions 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.