Skidmore College
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.60 / 8.00 |
Levi
Rogers Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment Sustainability Office |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 5,618.51 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 8,877.25 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 226.96 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 221.61 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 2,320.82 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 8,138.11 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 8,166.29 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 17,236.97 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 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 storage from on-site composting | 2.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | --- |
| Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon sinks | 2.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Skidmore operates two distinct compost programs, including a student-run compost program that collects and composts food scraps from over 200 campus apartments, as well as a larger-scale compost site that composts coffee grounds from our dining facilities, lands and grounds debris, and horse manure and bedding from our campus stables.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 8,164.01 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 17,236.97 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | June 1, 2018 | June 1, 1999 |
| End date | May 31, 2019 | May 31, 2000 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
Skidmore's 2015-2025 Campus Sustainability Plan uses the year 2000 as its baseline for tracking progress toward our institutional sustainability goals. Many of the College's early sustainability efforts, particularly large-scale energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, began in the early 2000s. Our 2000 baseline year ensures the College captures our earliest efforts to reduce GHG emissions. We recently updated our 2000 baseline by recalculating emissions suing present-day methodology and emissions factors to ensure we are using a more honest and accurate baseline. This process did indeed lower our 2000 baseline emissions, but we believe this was an important step to take as we track our emissions and aim to meet our 2025 GHG reduction goals.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,250 | 1,782 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 5 | 4 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 4 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,526 | 2,221 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 980 | 732 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 3,197.25 | 2,661.25 |
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 | 2.55 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 6.48 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 | 41,567 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 9,870 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:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
The College has pursued several major renewable energy projects in the last three years, including the construction of a 2-megawatt solar array, a small-hydro power purchase agreement, two district geothermal projects, and six rooftop solar thermal arrays. Additionally, the College has implemented several energy-efficiency initiatives, including lighting retrofits, energy monitoring programs, and building renovations.
http://www.skidmore.edu/sustainability/initiatives/energy.php
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
We acknowledge the inconsistency in weighted campus users and gross floor area of building space reported between this section and PRE-3. As already noted, every other section in this assessment references institutional characteristics and data from our 2019 fiscal year because it was the most recent and complete dataset available when we started completing the STARS report. Our most recent GHG inventory was published in July 2019 and is based on data from our 2016 fiscal year, hence the inconsistency in data. We expect to publish our next GHG inventory, based on fiscal year 2019, within the next year.
We acknowledge the inconsistency in weighted campus users and gross floor area of building space reported between this section and PRE-3. As already noted, every other section in this assessment references institutional characteristics and data from our 2019 fiscal year because it was the most recent and complete dataset available when we started completing the STARS report. Our most recent GHG inventory was published in July 2019 and is based on data from our 2016 fiscal year, hence the inconsistency in data. We expect to publish our next GHG inventory, based on fiscal year 2019, within the next year.
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.