Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 58.11
Liaison Elizabeth Drake
Submission Date April 19, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Swarthmore College
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 6.49 / 10.00 Ralph Thayer
Director of Maintenance
Facilities Management
"---" 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 Some
Commuting Some
Purchased goods and services Some
Capital goods Some
Waste generated in operations Some
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 All
Other categories None

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:

The inventory was completed using the University of New Hampshire Campus Carbon Calculator. Commuting estimates were made based on a 2014 survey and home zip codes. Air travel was a partial record of the the air travel that could be tracked on a purchasing card, while student air travel was a complete record of study-abroad travel. We were unable to track other subsidized transit. Total incinerated waste was from a 2016 campus waste audit. Water entering sewer system was from our water bill minus a Facilities document tracking all water used that doesn't enter the sewer system. Paper was tracked by admissions and purchasing.


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?:
No

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
---

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 4,755.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 5,212.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 1,306 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 305.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 6,749.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 6,689.20 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 12,811.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 12,207.60 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 Jan. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2010 Dec. 31, 2010

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):

The baseline GHG emissions report was published in March 2012 and was used in the College's last STARS report, using data gathered between 2005-2010. This is the last time that the College has conducted a complete GHG inventory.


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 70.40 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 70.40 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 7,117.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3,101.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

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

Vendor is Renewable Choice Energy, Renewable Certificate Lable, Green-e certified. 100% wind.


Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 6,061.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9,035.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,571 1,433
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,571 1,524
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 956 708
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,288 2,032.25

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 2.65 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
40.41

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
1,316,203 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 80,195 Square feet
Healthcare space 0 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 0 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
1,476,593 Gross square feet

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

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 282.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 2,000 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services ---
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

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

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:

For Scope 3 GHG emissions from business travel, performance year (MtCO2e), the 282.7 tons is a minimum, not an estimate. We suspect that the minimum is substantially greater than the amount entered.

For "Waste generated in operations", the NH calculator calculated -27.4 MtCO2e. This is by the NH calculator because its burned for electricity. We entered "0" because we think it is technically wrong, since it is still putting carbon in the air and since the STARS program doesn't calculate negatives. We burn 685 tons of waste.

In Part 2, weighted campus users, specifically full time equivalent student enrollment and full time equivalent of employees, and number of students resident on site was reported for the 2015 school year when the GHG emissions report was conducted. These numbers do not match with the numbers in the same fields in IC-3, since those were from the 2016 school year.

In Part 3, gross floor area of building space, performance year was calculated for the GHG report that was reported in 2015. This does not match up with the total gross floor space reported in IC-2, since those numbers were from 2016.


For Scope 3 GHG emissions from business travel, performance year (MtCO2e), the 282.7 tons is a minimum, not an estimate. We suspect that the minimum is substantially greater than the amount entered.

For "Waste generated in operations", the NH calculator calculated -27.4 MtCO2e. This is by the NH calculator because its burned for electricity. We entered "0" because we think it is technically wrong, since it is still putting carbon in the air and since the STARS program doesn't calculate negatives. We burn 685 tons of waste.

In Part 2, weighted campus users, specifically full time equivalent student enrollment and full time equivalent of employees, and number of students resident on site was reported for the 2015 school year when the GHG emissions report was conducted. These numbers do not match with the numbers in the same fields in IC-3, since those were from the 2016 school year.

In Part 3, gross floor area of building space, performance year was calculated for the GHG report that was reported in 2015. This does not match up with the total gross floor space reported in IC-2, since those numbers were from 2016.

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.