| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.78 |
| Liaison | Kathleen Crawford |
| Submission Date | May 31, 2024 |
Florida Gulf Coast University
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.35 / 8.00 |
Kathleen
Crawford Sustainability Coordinator Environmental Health & Safety |
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions
Gross GHG emissions
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 123.56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 79 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 675.61 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 226 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 21,131.63 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 17,918 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 | 21,930.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 18,223 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 | 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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
If total performance year carbon sinks are greater than zero, provide:
Adjusted net GHG emissions
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 21,930.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 18,223 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Performance and baseline periods
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | July 1, 2021 | July 1, 2009 |
| End date | June 30, 2022 | June 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
It was established when we signed the ACUPCC commitment.
Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person
Weighted campus users
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 4,768 | 1,945 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 11 | 8 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 10,479 | 5,754 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,600 | 311 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,257 | 288 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 8,562.25 | 4,821 |
Metrics used in scoring for Part 1
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user | 2.56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 3.78 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 | 31,451.76 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 8,807.27 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 154,863.69 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:
Florida Gulf Coast University has employed solar voltaic energy with both a solar field and a roof solar array on its newest academic building. FGCU also uses solar thermal energy to heat water for some student dorms and uses geothermal to maintain the optimal temperatures for the aquatic center and recreational pools on campus. Buildings are designed to use natural light and to be highly efficient. Thermal ice storage units are used for cooling cooling academic and administrative buildings on campus. Progress toward Carbon Neutrality to Date Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) signed the American Colleges & Universities Presidents’ Carbon Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007, renamed to the Presidents’ Carbon Commitment in 2017. In doing so, we pledged to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible. Second Nature, the Presidents’ Carbon Commitment’s direct support organization, defines carbon neutrality as, “having no net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, to be achieved by eliminating net GHG emissions, or by minimizing GHG emissions as much as possible, and using carbon offsets or other measures to mitigate the remaining emissions.” Upon signing the Commitment, FGCU set a climate neutrality date of 2050 and agreed to immediately take the following tangible actions: *Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED Silver standard or higher *Adopt an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy *Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors at our institution The tangible actions established by FGCU upon signing the agreement were our first step to taking more carbon out of the earth’s atmosphere than we put into it on an annual basis. We established 2010 as our baseline year and set interim goals to decrease our net emissions by 5% by 2015 and 10% by 2020. Since then, our overall net change in emissions has increased by 11%, missing our 2015 interim goal and not making adequate progress toward our 2020 goal. The following graph illustrates net change in net emissions by scope. FGCU has successfully integrated sustainability into many of our ongoing educational and operational efforts. Since our founding, we have been leaders in energy efficiency and ecosystems enhancement efforts. We are also known for our curricular integration of sustainability through core requirements such as the University Colloquium and Service Learning as well as our transformative relationships with community partners. We continue to build to LEED certified or higher, and focus on embedded sustainability and energy saving technologies. Additionally, FGCU adopted a liquid ozone cleaning system for all residence halls, which reduces the amount of cleaning chemicals used and increases worker safety. We also continue to reduce the amount of energy and water used per FTE and manage our grounds to enhance native ecosystems. Academically, a significant number of faculty members are engaged in sustainability research, sustainability content has been successfully integrated into a high percentage of courses, and most programs have formally adopted sustainability learning outcomes.
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:
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.