| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.85 |
| Liaison | Ruairi O'Mahony |
| Submission Date | May 1, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Massachusetts Lowell
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.81 / 10.00 |
Glenn
MacDonald Executive Director of Environmental & Emergency Management Environmental & Emergency Management |
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions?:
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 3 GHG emissions from any of the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Business travel | Yes |
| Commuting | Yes |
| Purchased goods and services | No |
| Capital goods | No |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | No |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes |
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from other categories?:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:
Clean Air Cool Planet v. 6.9
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:
Under MassDEP air quality regulations, Scope 1 emissions (including stationary and mobile sources) are required to be verified by an external third party every three years by an approved verification body. The verifier generates a verification report. The MassDEP inventory and verification information is publicly available on The Climate Registry Information System (CRIS). The last verification was conducted in 2013 for calendar year 2012 Scope 1 emissions.
The ACUPCC inventory (including Scope 1, 2 & 3 emissions) is prepared by a third party using the CACP tool and validated by UMass Lowell personnel who are independent of the accounting and reporting process.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 14,416.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 17,905.50 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 1,963.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 879.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 15,113.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 14,196 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| 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 |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
NA
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
NA
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
NA
A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
NA
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 3,212 | 2,112 |
| Number of residential employees | 25 | 0 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 12,377 | 8,037 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 1,608 | 1,072 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 1,274 | 1,028 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2012 | June 30, 2013 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
NA
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 386,031 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 0 Square feet |
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 1,649.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 14,786.70 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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories (please specify below) | 1,681.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":
Other categories are quantified by: 186.6 MTCO2e (paper purchases) + 1494.7 MTCO2e (T&D losses)
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
The website URL where the GHG emissions inventory is posted:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
In 2012 UMass Lowell developed a Climate Action Plan (CAP) and created a CAP Steering Committee including leaders from Academia and Staff including subcommittees for Administration and Finance; Energy Project Identification and Conservation; Sustainability; Academic; Residential Life; Transportation and Public Relations. The committee was formally co-chaired by the Assistant Vice Chancellor (AVC) of Facility Management and Dean of Science and is currently co-chaired by the Director of Environmental and Emergency Management and the Dean of Science. Each subcommittee goal is to develop and initiate action plans to further the University’s goal of climate neutrality. The CAP Steering Committee is one of foundations of Climate Change; Sustainability and Energy Conservation at the University. From FY11, when the CAP was developed to FY 13, campus building area has grown by 6.5%; and campus FTE student enrollment has grown by 10.1%. Even with this growth in enrollment and campus buildings, due to the University’s aggressive programs, emissions have reduced by nearly 2%. An aggressive energy project plan has completed projects in the last two years that will reduce GHG by 3700 MTCDe/year. The state’s Accelerated Energy Program will design and execute 130 energy conservation measures to reduce GHG by an est. 6000 MTCDe. The Academic Sub-Committee has increased climate change research and student awareness in UMass Lowell and is reaching out across the region to high school students with the Climate Change Teach-in and the other programs offered across the university. The Sustainability Subcommittee has fostered programs using student volunteers for such educational, outreach and awareness programs on Earth Week and other events.
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Clean Air Cool Planet's emission factor for incinerated waste generated is a negative number, so the actual waste generated in operations is quantified as -37.2 MTCO2e.
Clean Air Cool Planet's emission factor for incinerated waste generated is a negative number, so the actual waste generated in operations is quantified as -37.2 MTCO2e.
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.