| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.09 |
| Liaison | Elizabeth Drake |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2023 |
Swarthmore College
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
6.34 / 8.00 |
Hannah
Ulloa Climate Action Manager Office of Sustainability |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 4,530.66 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5,212.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 857.58 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 305.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 6,689.20 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 | 5,388.24 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 12,207.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 1,067 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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 70.40 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 | 1,067 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 70.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Swarthmore currently purchases offsets through Climate Vault, which helps institutions and individuals to reduce and eliminate their carbon footprint. To do this, Climate Vault uses regulated compliance markets to purchase and “vault” CO2 allowances, thereby preventing major emitters in those markets from utilizing them to emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This method provides an immediately measurable impact (1 permit = 1 metric ton of CO2), so individuals and organizations can be certain their contributions are truly reducing carbon emissions now. For Swarthmore, Climate Vault purchases permits through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) market, which includes Pennsylvania, ensuring that positive impact is even more local to our institution. Offsets are purchased on an annual basis, based on the GHG inventory from the previous year.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 4,321.24 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 12,137.20 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 | July 1, 2020 | Jan. 1, 2010 |
| End date | June 30, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The baseline greenhouse gas emissions report was published in March 2012 and was used in the College's last STARS report; for consistency, we have opted to keep 2010 as the baseline year.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 1,548 | 1,433 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 13 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 9 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 1,696 | 1,524 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 908 | 708 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 2,352.25 | 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 | 1.84 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5.97 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 | 92,331 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 4,291 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 9,159 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:
Swarthmore College has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. In pursuit of this goal, the College is in the process of implementing "To Zero by Thirty-Five" (the energy master plan previously known as Roadmap to Zero Carbon) which charts the path for decarbonizing campus energy systems and eliminating nearly all Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The College is also developing strategies to reduce Scope 3 emissions, through initiatives such as the implementing a zero-waste plan, launching the Air Travel Carbon fee program, and expanding sustainable transportation policy.
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:
The data for this credit was assembled by Hannah Ulloa, the Climate Program Manager from the Office of Sustainability.
Email: hulloa1@swarthmore.edu
The data for this credit was assembled by Hannah Ulloa, the Climate Program Manager from the Office of Sustainability.
Email: hulloa1@swarthmore.edu
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.