Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 70.14
Liaison Aaron Durnbaugh
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Loyola University Chicago
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.62 / 10.00 Aaron Durnbaugh
Director of Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Some
Capital goods Some
Waste generated in operations All
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 Some
Other categories Some

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 utilized a modified version of the Clean Air/ Cool Planet excel calculator. We added tracking for solid waste transportation, waste water treatment, potable water treatment and transport.


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:

A small group of faculty have agreed to be annual reviewers of the university's greenhouse gas inventory conducted by the Director of Sustainability (and students). These faculty review and provide feedback on the results of the inventory each year. The attached memo is their feedback related to this year's inventory.


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

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 9,838.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 16,931 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 433 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 211 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 47,175.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 44,224 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 57,447 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 61,366 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 July 1, 2015 June 30, 2016
Baseline Year July 1, 2007 June 30, 2008

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):

It is the first year that we have reasonable Scope 3 numbers.


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 0 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 10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon storage from on-site composting 2 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 12 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):

We inventory and report the carbon sequestration from the on-campus trees through annual student-led inventories. We track organic waste diversion through aerobic composting.


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 7,842 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 830 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:

Constellation NewMix Wind, Green-e Certified.


Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 49,593 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 60,536 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 4,409 3,280
Number of employees resident on-site 26 26
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 14,802 13,923
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 2,810 3,308
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 436 0
Weighted campus users 13,990.75 13,749.75

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 3.54 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
19.49

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
4,294,970 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 153,128 Square feet
Healthcare space 1,500 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 1,500 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
4,605,726 Gross square feet

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

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 1,718 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 6,414 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 95 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 211 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 205 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 1,011 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:

Significant energy efficiency investments. Programs to address study abroad and business air travel. Comprehensive commuting options programs.


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:

Please note the difference in square footage for this credit compared to all other credits normalized by area. We use 2008 as our baseline. In the meantime Loyola has acquired two academic centers and just recently got financial control of our medical campus. In order to make comparisons from the baseline consistent, we track greenhouse gases for the new area and publicly report it; however we only do our comparisons from baseline for the two main campuses (4,294,970 sf) in order to maintain consistency and change over time.

We may revisit this in the future once we have a history of tracking but this would reset our baseline to 2016 or sometime in which we have comparable area and use.

Attached tree care plan addresses trees managed for carbon sequestration.


Please note the difference in square footage for this credit compared to all other credits normalized by area. We use 2008 as our baseline. In the meantime Loyola has acquired two academic centers and just recently got financial control of our medical campus. In order to make comparisons from the baseline consistent, we track greenhouse gases for the new area and publicly report it; however we only do our comparisons from baseline for the two main campuses (4,294,970 sf) in order to maintain consistency and change over time.

We may revisit this in the future once we have a history of tracking but this would reset our baseline to 2016 or sometime in which we have comparable area and use.

Attached tree care plan addresses trees managed for carbon sequestration.

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.