| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.71 |
| Liaison | Christie-Joy Hartman |
| Submission Date | Sept. 13, 2024 |
James Madison University
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 3.00 |
Nate
Brown Sustainability Analyst Facilities Engineering & Construction |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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:
JMU utilized SIMAP, an online carbon and nitrogen-accounting platform developed by the University of New Hampshire. Facilities Management (FM) personnel conducted the accounting and reporting.
https://unhsimap.org/home
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:
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 31,375.09 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 2,379.44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 21,989.26 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 1,194.81 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 2,202.85 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 | 14,460.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | 1,109.33 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources | No | 0 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:
- Business Travel: Calculated miles from flight records from the official air travel contractor for JMU in 2005. Data is extrapolated for future years based on employee FTE growth.
- Commuting: Student sources based on campus population and mode split data from Continuing Student Survey conducted in Fall 2022. Faculty/Staff data sourced from Alternative Transportation Manager Survey conducted in Spring of 2023 for employees.
- Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2: Includes FERA & T&D Losses which are all calculated automatically by SIMAP.
- Waste generated in operations: Data is tracked by the Facilities Recycling Department which manages all waste activities on campus.
Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 13.88 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.24 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 21.23 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 1.92 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0.00 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0.00 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0 Tons |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | Yes |
| Area sources | Yes |
| Mobile sources | No |
| Commuting | No |
| Off-site electricity production | No |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
To meet reporting standards set forth by the EPA for the Clean Air Act, an air emissions inventory is completed annually by JMU using AP-42 standards and is based on actual fuel throughput. Sources tracked as part of this inventory include boilers, generators, and kilns. See this link for info on AP-42: https://www.epa.gov/air-emissions-factors-and-quantification/ap-42-compilation-air-emission-factors
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
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:
In FY 2019, JMU switched from an Excel-based tool to an online tool, SIMAP, to complete the greenhouse gas inventory. SIMAP was used again this year to complete the FY22-23 Inventory.
Major Changes:
- In 2023, SIMAP added FERA calculations for Scope 3 emissions. Previously, only transmission and distribution losses were calculated. This was a significant jump compared to previous years as SIMAP is building out its Scope 3 accounting.
- Scope 2 Imported Electricity emissions reduced significantly due to the purchase of 36,000 MWh of Green-e National Wind/Solar RECs in Fall of 2022.
- Scope 3 Faculty/Staff + Student Commuting: The miles per trip number was updated from 6 miles to 3 miles for faculty/staff and 1.5 miles for student commuting, respectively. These numbers were derived from a GIS analysis conducted by the previous Sustainability Analyst, Avery Smith. This reduced our emissions from commuting significantly but better reflects the reality of commuting behavior.
- Emissions Factors were updated from the 2020 EF to 2022 EF. SIMAP is constantly being updated as new information is available.
Part 2: Air pollutants inventory data is from the 2023 Emissions Statement Report sent to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. This is based on the 2023 calendar year and provided by Dennis Hart, Power Plant Manager.
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.