Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 56.45
Liaison Bambi Ingram
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Alabama at Birmingham
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.36 / 10.00 David Hagan
Director of Environmental Management Programs
OHS
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

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 None
Commuting All
Purchased goods and services None
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations None
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:
UAB EH&S used SIMAP to complete an inventory of all Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Some categories under Scope 3 emissions were inventoried. The only categories under Scope 3 that were evaluated were faculty, staff, and student commuting and T&D losses. Emissions from waste are not included in our Scope 3 Emissions calculation.

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:
The Staff at UAB Sustainability verified the collection process and the calculations used from SIMAP that UAB Environmental Health & Safety employed.

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

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 90,413.37 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 54,762 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 89,190 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 54,021 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 197,310 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 265,525 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 376,913.37 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 374,308 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, 2019 Dec. 31, 2019
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2018 Dec. 31, 2018

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):
2018 was adopted as the baseline year since it was one of the first comprehensive estimates of Greenhouse Gas Emissions on campus; moving forward, 2019 will be used as the baseline year since the university utilized a software (SIMAP) designed for determining greenhouse gas emission data. 2019 is the first year the university has used the software, but in order to properly illustrate any emissions increases or decreases, the university will use SIMAP for all Greenhouse Gas Emission estimates moving forward.

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

If total performance year carbon offsets are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Not applicable.

The reporting fields in the table below are reserved for institutions that have NOT already accounted for renewable energy purchases (including RECs and GOs) in their Scope 2 GHG emissions calculations. Other institutions - including all SIMAP users - should report zero ('0') to avoid double-counting. 

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:
Not applicable.

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 376,913.37 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 374,308 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 3,087 3,000
Number of employees resident on-site 6 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 1,157 1,157
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 19,254 18,333
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 18,691 20,202
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 4,929 0
Weighted campus users 26,692.25 30,808.25

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 14.12 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 12.15 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
0

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
15,430,003 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 1,744,645 Square feet
Healthcare space 4,158,069 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 403,364 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
27,638,795 Gross square feet

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

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 74,675.46 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
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 university has highlighted a goal of a 20% reduction in GHG emissions from Scope 1 and Scope 2 by 2025 in our strategic plan released in 2019. The university has also committed to creating a green revolving fun to improve energy efficiency and decrease resource use. Improvements of efficiency will lower electricity usage and reduce GHG emissions.

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:
UAB completed first GHG inventory in 2015, therefore we cannot pursue Parts 2 and 3 of this credit.

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.