| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 77.43 |
| Liaison | Elida Erickson |
| Submission Date | Feb. 28, 2022 |
University of California, Santa Cruz
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.58 / 3.00 |
Ellen
Vaughan Water & Climate Action Manager Sustainability Office |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory within the previous three years that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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:
Calculations were done by the Energy Department based on billing data for purchased fuel and electricity. Calculations and conversion factors are from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for regulatory compliance and The Climate Registry (TCR) guidelines for remaining calculations and definitions.
For Scope 3 air travel emissions, we used Connexus data, a UC wide travel procurement service that populates our air travel emissions.
For Scope 3 mobile, the Transportation and Parking Services team extrapolates commuter data from their bi-annual traffic study based on campus population.
For Scope 3 waste emissions, we calculate based on data from our weight-based billing system that sorts by all waste stream types.
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?:
A brief description of the GHG inventory verification process:
Scope 1 & 2 of this report has been audited by a 3rd party - Cameron-Cole LLC.
Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E),our electric utility company, is in the process of updating their emissions factor so our report has been fully completed and vetted but we are waiting on that updated number before submitting 2019 data to TCR.
Documentation is the same as the report, see attached. Also, the document has the wrong emissions factor for electricity purchased from the University of California's Clean Power Program. Starting in 2019, that emissions factor went from 138.17 down to zero. Significantly reducing Scope 2 "Imported Electricity".
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 28,462 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 2,510 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 141 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 6,995 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 21,580 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | No | 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 | No | --- |
| Other sources | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
Business travel is an estimate of our business related flights (research, athletics, staff, etc).
Waste, is not a full assessment of our emissions related to waste but what is tracked through our UCSBC LEED certifications for new construction and major renovations.
Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 0.51 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.62 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 0.73 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 2.17 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0.18 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0 Tons |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | Yes |
| Area sources | Yes |
| Mobile sources | Yes |
| Commuting | No |
| Off-site electricity production | No |
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
In most cases, equipment specifications, EPA emissions factors and fuel consumption are used to estimate emission potential. In other cases, actual emissions are calculated from emission factors based on use.
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.