Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.50
Liaison Kelsey Beal
Submission Date Feb. 26, 2020

STARS v2.2

Indiana University Bloomington
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.30 / 8.00 Makayla Bonney
Assistant Director
Sustain IU
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions

Gross GHG emissions

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 76,159.49 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 166,485.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
+ Date Revised: April 25, 2024
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 12,182.58 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4,079.23 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
+ Date Revised: April 25, 2024
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 225,489.74 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 193,387.01 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
+ Date Revised: April 25, 2024
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 313,831.81 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 363,952.14 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Carbon sinks

Figures needed to determine net 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 ---
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:

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

Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Adjusted net GHG emissions 313,831.81 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 363,952.14 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Performance and baseline periods

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Performance year Baseline year
Start date July 1, 2018 July 1, 2009
End date June 30, 2019 June 30, 2010

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
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Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person

Weighted campus users

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance year Baseline year
Number of students resident on-site 14,128 12,355
Number of employees resident on-site 19 10
Number of other individuals resident on-site 190 190
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 41,336 40,527
Full-time equivalent of employees 9,069 8,139
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 3,375 676
Weighted Campus Users 38,999.25 39,273.75

Metrics used in scoring for Part 1

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 8.05 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9.27 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
13.16

Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area

Performance year floor area

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
17,626,267 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 514,780 Square feet
Healthcare space 26,438 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 742,645 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
19,451,348 Gross square feet

Metric used in scoring for Part 2

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0.02 MtCO2e per square foot

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
Between 2010 and 2012, IU began phasing out the use of coal and increasing the use of natural gas in the Central Heating Plant (CHP).
In FY 2010, 92% of the fuel use in the CHP was coal, and 8% natural gas.
In FY 2017, 13% of the fuel used in the CHP was coal, and 86% natural gas.
Metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent associated with coal burned at IU decreased 89% from 2010 to 2017, while GMTCDE associated with natural gas increased slightly. Overall, the CHP emissions during this timeframe resulted in a 51% decrease. This dip is more modestly reflected in IU's overall emissions reduction because the CHP only accounts for 24% to 36% of IU's total emissions footprint in a given year.

Excluding the dramatic jump in reductions since 2009-2010, when the Office of Sustainability was formed and began tracking emissions at IU, we still see a downward trend in emissions. Between 2013 and fiscal year 2017, for example, emissions decreased~7%, which we attribute to a decrease in campus electricity use due to increased efficiency measures like LED lighting, installation of light sensors, installation of window film, the IU Energy Challenge, repairs to district heating steam tunnels, and a standard for all new construction to be LEED Gold certified.

Other emission reduction activities include heat exchanger upgrades in summer and fall 2018 at the IU Data Center, our most energy intensive building.
https://itconnections.iu.edu/2018-march/data-center-feature.php

Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The 190 "other individuals resident onsite" includes average nightly occupants in the Biddle Hotel, part of the Indiana Memorial Union. This hotel is onsite and part of IU's energy, waste, water, and food footprint.

IU uses a custom fuel-mix provided yearly by Duke Energy to calculate Scope 2 emissions.

All purchased utility data excludes REMC Electricity purchases at properties such as Bradford Woods (owned by IU but located 27 miles off campus), and other field stations. This electricity accounts for <1% of total electricity use, and this property is not reflected in total campus acreage or footprint (also excluded from vegetated grounds entry in OP9 and OP22 categories).

Questions associated with IU's fuel datasets or associated emissions reductions may be directed to Makayla Bonney, Assistant Director of Sustain IU - mjbonney@indiana.edu

Yearly information on IU Energy Challenge Savings, a behavior-change initiative which runs for 3-4 weeks each spring and fall, can be found here, under the History tab: https://energychallenge.indiana.edu/index.cfm

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.