Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 69.58
Liaison Derek Nichols
Submission Date Dec. 14, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University at Buffalo
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 7.72 / 10.00 Derek Nichols
Sustainability Engagement Coordinator
UB Sustainability
"---" 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 None
Waste generated in operations Some
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 None
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:

A 2016-2017 greenhouse gas inventory was collected by UB Sustainability from departments across campus and entered into SIMAP.


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?:
Yes

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

An independent firm, Cannon Design, was hired as a consultant to help facilitate this process as well as create a system for data collection and visualization going forward.


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 32,993.92 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 28,978 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 2,214.55 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 5,086 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 175.58 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 79,113 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 7,751.57 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 1,548 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 43,135.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 114,725 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 July 1, 2016 June 30, 2017
Baseline Year July 1, 2008 June 30, 2009

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 2008-2009 academic year was chosen because it was the baseline year for our Climate Action Plan (when it was created).


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 0 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 0 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 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

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

UB purchased green E- certified RECs from Starphire that were 100% wind that are purchased annually.

http://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/keyinitiatives/localizing-buffalo-s-renewable-energy-future.html


Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 43,135.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 114,725 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 7,844 7,450
Number of employees resident on-site 0 30
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 28,125 28,192
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 6,848 6,090
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 219 0
Weighted campus users 28,026.50 27,581.50

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 1.54 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4.16 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
63.00

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
11,811,055 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 830,105 Square feet
Healthcare space 93,866 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 0 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
13,658,997 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 21,813.76 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 31,044.17 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 593.36 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 ---
Waste generated in operations 76.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 2,818.61 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 University has increased it's purchase of Renewable Energy Credits to 100% of its current electrical use. http://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/about/news-and-events/latest-news.host.html/content/shared/www/sustainability/articles/news-articles/ubreceivesepagreenpowerleadershipaward.detail.html

The University has an agreement with Poughkeepsie-based BQ Energy to purchase power from Steel Sun, a 4.5 megawatt solar power plant located on the former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna, NY (less than 10 miles from campus).

The University has also entered in a unique partnership between the City of Buffalo, Erie County, Buffalo State College and SUNY Erie in a commitment to generate 100MW of new clean energy through our Reforming the Energy Vision grant. This initiative goes beyond the university's own footprint. http://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/keyinitiatives/localizing-buffalo-s-renewable-energy-future/rev-campus-challenge.html

All new builds at our campus have been built to LEED gold energy standards as well.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.