| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 67.77 |
| Liaison | Andrew Porter |
| Submission Date | March 6, 2020 |
University of Cincinnati
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.20 / 8.00 |
Daniel
Hart Sustainability Coordinator Planning + Design + Construction |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 162,863.85 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 114,001.85 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 2,905.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,276.73 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 35,844 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 193,713.77 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 | 201,613.05 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 308,992.35 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 | 261.60 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):
In FY2019, UC purchased wind REC credits to offset electricity usage for all satellite buildings included in this scope of work, this has already been factored out of Scope 2 electricity. UC did not claim or purchase carbon offsets.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 201,613.05 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 308,992.35 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, 2018 | July 1, 2008 |
| End date | June 30, 2019 | June 30, 2009 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
This year represented the year UC started tracking it energy usage and making changes on its campus based on sustainability.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 6,285 | 5,200 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 33,419 | 26,055 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 7,108 | 7,403 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,582 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 30,030 | 26,393.50 |
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 | 6.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 11.71 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 | 1,418,968 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 2,982,412 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 142,094 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 emissions from Scope 1 and 2 combined are the ones most directly under the university’s control. There is an interplay between Scope 1 and 2 at UC because the University generates and buys energy dynamically—so in many ways it makes sense to group them. Together they account for 76% of UC’s footprint. UC has adopted a 45% reduction goal for its Scope 1 and 2 combined, which it is on track to meet and even exceed. This is not only a positive reduction against the FY 2009/ 2011 baseline, but when the projected business-as-usual scenario is considered – if UC administration has done nothing in the last 10 years to reduce its emissions – the results are astonishing. UC will continue to strive to minimize Scope 3 emission through the cultural changes suggested in Chapter 2 and transportation, purchasing, waste and dining strategies suggested in Chapter 3. The University has established a Scope 3 reduction target of 45% from the baseline, by 2030.
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:
Note that the figures reported for GSF do not match with PRE4. That's because the energy figures reported above include energy supplied to local area hospitals that are powered by the trigen plant operated by UC. Consequently the GSF of those hospitals (2,876,712 GSF) is also included in the numbers above. Since the hospitals are not included in any other credits in the STARS assessment (other than OP2 and OP5), their GSF is not included in PRE4. Note also that the figures for '19 haven't been submitted to the Second Nature reporting system as of the date of this STARS submission, as the analysis was just completed and the reporting period for Second Nature is still open. See uploaded footprint file for the data.
Note that the figures reported for GSF do not match with PRE4. That's because the energy figures reported above include energy supplied to local area hospitals that are powered by the trigen plant operated by UC. Consequently the GSF of those hospitals (2,876,712 GSF) is also included in the numbers above. Since the hospitals are not included in any other credits in the STARS assessment (other than OP2 and OP5), their GSF is not included in PRE4. Note also that the figures for '19 haven't been submitted to the Second Nature reporting system as of the date of this STARS submission, as the analysis was just completed and the reporting period for Second Nature is still open. See uploaded footprint file for the data.
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.