| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 45.93 |
| Liaison | Gabrielle Jette |
| Submission Date | April 13, 2022 |
The Catholic University of America
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.10 / 8.00 |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 5,028.84 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 6,492.71 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 960.48 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 2,336.49 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 384.55 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 | 5,989.32 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 9,213.76 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 | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 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 | 0 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):
N/A
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 5,989.32 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 9,213.76 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 | May 1, 2019 | May 1, 2016 |
| End date | April 30, 2020 | April 30, 2019 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The most recent data available for GHG emissions is FY 20 which covers the time period of 5/1/2019 to 4/30/2020. For an appropriate baseline based on STARS best practices, a baseline was used averaging the fiscal years 2017, 2018, and 2019 together. This covers the time period of 5/1/2016 to 4/30/2019.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,857 | 3,812 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 30 | 18 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 20 | 10 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 4,222 | 4,212 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,518 | 1,472 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 315 | 497 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 5,060.50 | 4,857.75 |
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 | 1.18 Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent | 1.90 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 | 245,457 Square Feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square Feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 417,391 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 latest available data on GHG tracks the period May 2019 through April 2020. At Catholic U, 60% of emissions come from the hard-to-control Scope 3 emissions. 40% of emissions come from Scope 1. The University offsets 100% of its electricity use annually; therefore, Scope 2 emissions have been eliminated.
Since the University first started tracking emissions, it has reduced emissions significantly by 56% from FY 2007 to FY 2020. This due to greater efficiency in energy, the purchase of renewable energy credits, and the phase-out of harmful ozone-depleting refrigerants. Since 2007, notably, the University square footage decreased by 4% and the student population decreased by 3%.
Commuting and company travel is 68% of the total scope 3 emissions. Waste comprises another 20%. Commuting and travel emissions have held steady since 2018, while waste emissions have increased slightly since FY 2019.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Performance year data is FY2020 (May 2019 - April 2020). Baseline year data is the average of FY 2017-2019 (May 2016 - April 2019). Campus population data is provided for each of these time periods. Note that this data is different from that in PRE-5 due to the different performance and baseline years.
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.