Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 67.33
Liaison Scott Doyle
Submission Date Nov. 25, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Ithaca College
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 7.72 / 10.00 Greg Lischke
Director EM&S
OEMS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Yes

Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
All, Some, or None
Business travel All
Commuting All
Purchased goods and services None
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations All
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 Some
Other categories None

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, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:
We used the University of New Hampshire's SIMAP carbon accounting platform.

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
University of New Hampshire review

Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
---

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 11,176 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 11,804 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 1,203 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 1,036 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 14,882 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 12,379 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 27,722 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year June 1, 2018 May 31, 2019
Baseline Year June 1, 2004 May 31, 2005

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
We have historically used 2004-05 as our baseline for AASHE STARS though use 2007 for Second Nature.

Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 17 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration 2,002 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 680 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon storage from on-site composting 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon offsets 2,002 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 697 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

If total performance year carbon offsets are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
The Ithaca College Natural Lands consists of approximately 600 acres. The carbon sequestration approximation is consistent with Colgate's recent study, which we are working to replicate.

The reporting fields in the table below are reserved for institutions that have NOT already accounted for renewable energy purchases (including RECs and GOs) in their Scope 2 GHG emissions calculations. Other institutions - including all SIMAP users - should report zero ('0') to avoid double-counting. 

Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases 831 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
NYGATS traceable RECS are from the Geneva solar farm. Significant drop was a result of transition to Green-e certified electricity in Feb 2018.

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 10,377 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 27,025 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 4,323 4,173
Number of employees resident on-site 10 8
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 6,446.90 6,973
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,442 1,475
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 3.20 0
Weighted campus users 6,997.53 7,381.25

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 1.48 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3.66 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
59.50

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
248,700.59 Gross square meters

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 12,255.02 Square meters
Healthcare space 270.16 Square meters
Other energy intensive space 10,434.77 Square meters

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
284,185.72 Gross square meters

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

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 2,939 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 4,016 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services ---
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 ---
Waste generated in operations ---
Other categories ---

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
2 MW AC solar farm in Geneva, NY commenced operation in Nov, 2016 and are now used to help offset some of our scope 3 emissions. Transition to all Green-e certified electricity supply apgreement in Feb , 2018 which offsets all our scope 2 emissions. Number of lighting upgrade and boiler efficiency projects, and new air handlers with demand control ventillation.

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives 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.