Middlebury College
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.25 / 3.00 |
Jack
Byrne Director of Sustainability Integration Environmental Affair |
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:
Middlebury's GHG inventory was developed by it's Office of Sustainability Integration and student summer interns in 2007. After extensive research about the various options available (e.g., the Clean Air Cool Planet GHG calculator) we concluded that a custom GHG spreadsheet/workbook would be most suitable. It is based primarily on the WRI ghg protocol and the EPA Climate Leaders guidance and emissions factors.
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:
The GHG is prepared annually by the Office of Sustainability Integration using data from various sources within the College, primarily Facilities and the Budget Office as well as data from our utility companies (electric and solid waste). The scope 1 emissions data and results are then reviewed and ok'd (or modified if needed) by the Director of Facilities. The scope 2 data comes directly from the utility accounting office after they produce their annual fuel mix report which is independently audited. Scope 3 data for solid waste comes from our Materials Recovery Facility which tracks recycling and waste on a monthly basis. This data is not verified internally but is externally by the recycling service that receives our recyclables (66% of total waste typically). The amount of landfill waste is derived from the internal data and is not independently verified by the receiving landfills since it is not tracked separately. Scope 3 business travel data is based on expenditures on travel by mode of transport and a set of conversion factors are applied to each category to convert travel dollars to carbon emissions for each mode. During the summer we employ several talented student interns through our Sustainability Solutions Lab and assign them the task of reviewing the previous year's inventory for accuracy and completeness and to flag any discrepancies or anomalies that need to be addressed.
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 4,157.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 235.10 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 | 0 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 | 2,515 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | No | 0 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 | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | 118.60 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:
For travel we start with dollars spent per mode of travel and use a series of conversion factors to estimate the equivalent in carbon emissions for each mode of travel. For landfill waste we use the number of tons sent to the landfill and use GHG protocol conversion factors for a landfill that captures methane and uses it to generate electricity.
Scope 3 FY20: due to the pandemic and campus shutdown, college related travel was significantly curtailed for the last five months of the fiscal year. Final figures are not yet available but a rough estimate would be FY19 travel emissions x 7/12 (year) or about 2,445 metric tonnes
Waste generated in operations is an estimate.
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) | 52.83 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.79 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 81.39 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 1.83 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0 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 | No |
| 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:
Our air emissions from stationary sources are dominated by our central combined heating and power plant which burns natural gas and biomass. We are required by our air quality permit to monitor and report emissions quarterly to the VT Agency of Natural Resources. That monitoring is carried out by a consulting firm and we review and make adjustments if needed.
We not have data available for ozone, lead, HAPs and ODCs.
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:
Note that as of 2020 Middlebury's electricity provider, Green Mountain Power, had a fuel mix for electricity generation that was 100% carbon free and 68% renewable.
Note that as of 2020 Middlebury's electricity provider, Green Mountain Power, had a fuel mix for electricity generation that was 100% carbon free and 68% renewable.
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.