| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.89 |
| Liaison | Julie Newman |
| Submission Date | Oct. 23, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.06 / 10.00 |
MIT
Office of Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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 | None |
| Commuting | None |
| Purchased goods and services | None |
| Capital goods | None |
| Waste generated in operations | None |
| 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:
MIT's greenhouse gas inventory assesses the quantity of greenhouse gases (GHG) the Institute produces, and identifies the emissions’ sources. The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) uses the Operational Control Approach as defined by the World Resources Institute’s GHG Protocol, the worldwide corporate and campus standard for greenhouse gas emissions measurement. The GHG Protocol defines emissions using three "scopes," which are detailed below along with the specific greenhouse gases measured.
MIT currently measures emissions from owned and leased academic buildings, fugitive gases, and campus vehicles. The emissions from these activities are calculated using the Campus Carbon Calculator - the most commonly used inventory tool for universities - which converts data into a single unit: metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e).
MITOS conducts and manages the annual GHG inventories in collaboration with the Department of Facilities and the Environment, Health and Safety Office. The MIT Office of Treasury and Planning audits the findings for accuracy. MIT plans to expand the scope of its GHG inventory in the future and actively engage the academic and operational community in the use, refinement, and application of the inventory in order to reduce the carbon intensity of the campus.
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 internal and/or external verification process:
Underlying fuel use data audited by the Office of the Treasury and Planning. Regulatory GHG Inventory submitted to state authorities is audited by a certified third party.
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):
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 120,635 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 161,579 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 6,749 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5,150 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 60,249 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 38,765 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 | 187,633 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 205,494 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, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2013 | June 30, 2014 |
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):
Driven by MIT's plan for Climate Action, a GHG reduction goal was set using fiscal year 2014 as the baseline year.
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 | 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 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 | 0 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):
N/A
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 | 19,308 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:
MIT purchases both electricity and RECs from Summit Farms (NC) solar farm via Dominion Energy. MIT retires all RECs. PJM (specifically, PJM-GATS) registers the RECs and serves as the tracking authority. The Summit Farms RECs meet all the Green-E requirements, however, because MIT is the only customer of the RECs and they are immediately retired, we have chosen not to certify them via a third party.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 168,325 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 205,494 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,873 | 6,007 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 45 | 39 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 411 | 411 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 11,053 | 11,301 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 10,430 | 11,380 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 18,002.75 | 18,933.25 |
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 | 9.35 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 10.85 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 1,629,805 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 30,687 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 65,000 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | --- |
| Commuting | --- |
| Purchased goods and services | --- |
| Capital goods | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | 5,895 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | --- |
| Other categories | 4,865 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Campus as a test bed for climate solutions
MIT is mobilizing and integrating intellectual, technical, and cultural forces across campus to create a model community that generates and practices solutions to the realities of climate change, from resiliency planning to greenhouse gas mitigation efforts. MIT President Rafael Reif’s Plan for Action on Climate Change has catalyzed MIT research, teaching, and campus operations to accelerate the Institute’s contributions. Since 2014, campus greenhouse gas emissions decreased sixteen percent, including the impact from MIT's purchase of large-scale solar power, which puts MIT on track towards our goal of reducing emissions at least 32% by 2030. Such actions aim to protect our campus – and the world – from the extraordinary risks associated with rising global temperatures.
Strategies
Here are just a few of the climate strategies we’re advancing:
developing a roadmap to achieve our minimum target of reducing campus greenhouse gas emissions at least 32% below 2014 levels by 2030
reducing the overall energy use on campus
reducing the use of fossil fuels in campus buildings and vehicles
increasing the use of renewable energy sources to meet campus needs
minimizing the release of “fugitive” gases from campus operations such as specialty research gases in laboratory buildings.
implementing the concept of using the campus as a kind of “living laboratory” to explore innovative and scalable ways of tackling the daunting challenges of climate change, and to use that living laboratory to enhance the educational experience of MIT’s students and provide new hands-on teaching opportunities for its faculty.
developing resiliency strategies that integrate mitigation and adaptation and strengthen interconnections among researchers working in human health, biodiversity, water, energy, land use, urban planning, architecture, and other relevant disciplines
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.