| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.24 |
| Liaison | Justin Mog |
| Submission Date | Feb. 27, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Louisville
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.91 / 10.00 |
Justin
Mog Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives Office of the Provost |
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 | All |
| Commuting | All |
| Purchased goods and services | Some |
| Capital goods | None |
| Waste generated in operations | All |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | All |
| 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:
Estimated emissions are calculated using the UNH (formerly Clean Air-Cool Planet®) Campus Carbon Calculator v8.0 utilizing annual facility data. The calculator has been used annually by UofL for university data collection, storage and conversion into a common greenhouse gas emission unit, metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT eCO2). In the conversion process, the calculator uses scientifically-based factors for specific activities leading to GHG emissions (e.g., commuter miles traveled, tons of waste disposed, gallons of fuel burned, etc.). These conversion factors have been modified as more is learned about the global warming effects of various greenhouse gases.
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:
The data is verified by personnel across the university who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process. The emissions data was peer-reviewed by a large group of staff, faculty, and students as follows:
Project Coordination, Narrative, Data Collection & Analysis: Justin Mog, PhD, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives
Lead Data Manager: Steven Sizemore, AICP, Graduate Research Assistant, Urban & Public Affairs
Mary Alexander-Conte, Director of Disbursement Services, Controller’s Office
Brian Barnes, Director, UofL Community Composting Project
Shari Barrow, Institutional Research Analyst II/Project & Logistics Coordinator, Office of Academic Planning & Accountability
Gary Becker, Assistant Director, Parking & Transportation Services
Aaron Boggs, Assistant Director, Physical Plant Maintenance and Renovations
Maria Brown, Senior Buyer, Business Services - Purchasing
Tracey Coke, Electronic Documentation Coordinator, Design & Printing Services
Terry Cutler, Assistant Director, Purchasing
Robert Goldstein, Vice Provost, Institutional Research
Rick Graycarek, Director of Budget & Financial Planning, Office of Planning and Budget
Virginia Hosono, Director, Office of Study Abroad and International Travel
Chris Hodgkins, Senior Policy & Budget Analyst, Office of Planning and Budget
Lisa Horn, Assistant Director of Operations & Support Services, Institutional Research
Bob Knaster, Executive Director, Business Services
Becky Patterson, Executive Director of Institutional Research & Planning, Institutional Research
Tina Pierce, Director of Finance, Physical Plant – Facilities
Catharine Price, Hazardous Materials & Environmental Manager, Environmental Health & Safety
Greg Schetler, Grounds Superintendent, Physical Plant - Facilities
David Simpson, Chair & Professor of Urban & Public Affairs, Chair of Sustainability Council
Glen Todd, Director, Physical Plant – Health Sciences Center
Peggy (Moore) Trader, Space Coordinator/CAD Technician, University Planning, Design & Construction
Dave Veltman, Foreman, Steam & Chilled Water Plant, Physical Plant - Facilities
Frances Woodson, Lead ERP Systems Analyst, Performance Improvement & Business Analytics
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 | 38,938.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 42,267 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 2,508.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 2,495 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 89,542.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 114,784 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 | 130,990.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 159,546 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, 2007 | June 30, 2008 |
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 baseline was created during our first GHG emissions inventory conducted in 2009-2010. It involved three years of prior data and was as far back as we had reliable data.
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 | 738.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 641 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from on-site composting | 583 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 | 1,321.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 641 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):
Estimate of carbon sequestration from UofL's 200-acre Horner Conservation Property (also referred to as the Moore Observatory) and our Belknap campus trees.
On site composting base-line year is unavailable.
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:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 129,668.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 158,905 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,557 | 3,161 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 21,449 | 16,483 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 6,653 | 5,949 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,282 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 20,254.25 | 17,614.25 |
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 | 6.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 9.02 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 | 496,406.70 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 355,393.51 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 275,315.07 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 | 16,912.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 30,650.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 503.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | 5,408.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 559.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories | 3,308.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Our plan for making progress toward climate neutrality is dynamic and multifaceted. We recognize that sustainability demands progress on multiple fronts and that lasting change cannot be achieved without coordinated efforts campus-wide. As such, we propose taking a variety of steps to lead the University of Louisville down a path toward climate neutrality with a focus on the following initiatives: green purchasing; energy conservation and efficiency; renewable energy; carbon sequestration; master planning; green building design; composting and horticultural practices; behavior change; recycling; transportation; food; and carbon offsets. Our full Climate Action Plan details over 175 individual steps we plan to take across all of these areas over the next four decades. We have prioritized these actions into short-term (by 2020), mid-term (by 2030) and long-term (by 2050) steps on the way to climate neutrality. The university intends to continually monitor progress and revisit and reevaluate these plans as the years pass in a spirit of adaptive management. Our Climate Action Plan is available at http://reporting.secondnature.org/cap/cap-public!700
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:
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.