| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.29 |
| Liaison | Kevin Kirsche |
| Submission Date | Dec. 22, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Georgia
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.72 / 10.00 |
Jason
Perry Sustainability Specialist Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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 | All |
| Purchased goods and services | None |
| Capital goods | None |
| Waste generated in operations | All |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | None |
| Other categories | Some |
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:
The Fall 2015 Sustainability Plan GHG inventory was based on the Clean Air Cool Planet Carbon Calculator v7.0 Excel spreadsheet tool, and it includes data from FY10-FY14.
Since then we have developed our own inventory tool and updated earlier emission factors for purchased electricity based on eGRID updates that were released by EPA in the years since the Clean Air tool was developed. The numbers reported here for OP-1 are based on this more recent but yet unpublished inventory and include up to FY17 data. Caveat: FY15-17 emissions for everything other than stationary combustion, purchased electricity, and landfill are estimates based on data collected for previous years. We will update these figures in the near future but not in time to submit this STARS update.
Business Travel and Study Abroad Air Travel: used CACP conversion method from dollars spent on air travel to miles.
Commuting (students and employees): Used a commuter survey and data from Parking Services to estimate miles traveled per day and type of vehicle used.
Waste: used landfill tipping data from Facilities Management Division records.
Refrigerants: Used recharge records for each refrigerant type used by Facilities Managment Division.
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 internal and/or external verification process:
UGA Climate Action Planning Committee comprised of students, faculty, staff and community members and technical advisory committee comprised of members of the Georgia Initiative for Climate and Society.
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):
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 53,184 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 70,468 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 15,714 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 12,280 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 159,534 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 193,071 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 | 228,432 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 275,819 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, 2009 | June 30, 2010 |
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):
2010 was adopted as the baseline year because it marks the baseline for UGA's 2020 Strategic Plan.
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 | 1,326 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,078 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 | 1,326 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,078 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):
Carbon storage from on-site composting: UGA operates an EPA-compliant, industrial-scale compost facility on its property using in-house staff. Initially established to process leaf and limb debris, it now also handles all pre- and post-consumer dining hall scraps as well as departmental food scraps from our opt-in compost program. Finished compost is used entirely on campus grounds. In FY17 UGA sent an estimated 861 tons of organic material to the compost facility. Using a factor of 1.54 MTCO2e per short ton of compost from the Clean Air Cool Planet calculator, which in turn was derived from EPA WARM documentation, this results in 1,326 MTCO2e as reported here.
UGA has 70,773 MTCO2e offsets from forest holdings throughout Georgia but these are not kept specifically for sequestration and thus not reported as an offset with additionality.
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:
N/A
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 227,106 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 274,741 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 9,678 | 8,502 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 14 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 329 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 35,165 | 31,008 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 10,384 | 10,053 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 362 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 36,642.25 | 32,921.25 |
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 | 6.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 8.35 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 | 1,425,648 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 231,986 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 192,374 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:
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 4,663.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 18,988 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | --- |
| Capital goods | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | --- |
| Waste generated in operations | 639 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
See Sustainability Plan document attached above or linked below.
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:
2010 is used for the baseline year, as it was the first year where full emissions were tracked.
2010 is used for the baseline year, as it was the first year where full emissions were tracked.
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.