Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.75
Liaison Cindy Shea
Submission Date July 24, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.58 / 10.00 Phil Barner
Director
Energy Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Yes

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 Some
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:
The leading methodology was developed in 2004 as a partnership between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The success and usefulness of their Greenhouse Gas Protocol is evidenced by its adaptation to protocols employed by the US Environmental Protection, the International Standards Organization (ISO), and others with minor modifications. In an effort to comply with the industry’s best practices, and to prepare for state or federal regulation, we have adhered to this WRI/WBCSD standard as closely as possible, taking guidance from EPA, ISO, and Climate Registry documentation where appropriate. In some cases, the established protocols did not fit our process or infrastructure. Where possible, we developed emission models to improve upon the recommended methodology.

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?:
No

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
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Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
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Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 274,613 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 280,392 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 5,546 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7,230 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 129,131 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 163,788 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 409,290 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 451,410 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 Jan. 1, 2015 Dec. 31, 2015
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2007 Dec. 31, 2007

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 first comprehensive GHG emissions inventory, including steam and electricity produced for and sold to the hospital and a full range of scope 3 emissions, was completed in calendar year 2007.

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 40,409 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 417 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 511 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 40,826 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 511 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

If total performance year carbon offsets are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
The University's landfill gas (LFG) project captures methane from the Orange County, NC landfill. The methane is then either destroyed by a flare or piped to an electric generating engine on the University's Carolina North campus. The engine creates electricity that is sold to Duke Energy. Carbon offsets are registered with the Climate Action Reserve and verified by a third party. University composted yard waste (1637.2 tons) and food waste (679.4 tons) are equivalent to 297.7 Composted MTCO2e and 122.29 MTCO2e respectively using the EPA's WARM model. This results in a total of 417 MTCO2e that is offset due to composting and would not otherwise have been captured preventing release to the atmosphere.

The reporting fields in the table below are reserved for institutions that have NOT already accounted for renewable energy purchases (including RECs and GOs) in their Scope 2 GHG emissions calculations. Other institutions - including all SIMAP users - should report zero ('0') to avoid double-counting. 

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 368,464 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 450,899 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 8,498 8,541
Number of employees resident on-site 17 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 27,518 25,895.25
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 12,213.24 11,295.23
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,887 1,164.25
Weighted campus users 30,511.93 29,154.92

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 12.08 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 15.47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
21.92

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
1,759,907.79 Gross square meters

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 257,176.04 Square meters
Healthcare space 24,410.26 Square meters
Other energy intensive space 126,417.57 Square meters

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
2,449,497.96 Gross square meters

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0.13 MtCO2e per square meter

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 71,259 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 27,181 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 36,282 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 8,533 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
"Annual energy intensity (Btu/Gross Square Foot) has declined, pointing to the immense success of the Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) Program. Energy Services’ Cogeneration Systems continues to replace aged thermal piping systems in its network. This has led to, and will continue to result in, increased thermal efficiency. Chilled Water Systems continues to lower its emissions factor through an ongoing chiller update program. Aside from curbing energy demand on campus, fuel-switching has also played a notable role in reduced emissions over the last several years. A comprehensive indoor and outdoor recycling and composting program captured 47% of campus discards in FY 2016. Food waste from UNC dining halls, catering, and several high volume Green Events venues is routinely recovered. "

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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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.