Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 49.23
Liaison Maria Dahmus
Submission Date June 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of St. Thomas
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.70 / 10.00 Colin Brownlow
Director of Environmental Health and Safety
Facilities Management
"---" 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 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 Some
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:
2017 version of Carbon Map/SIMAP. Directly purchased air miles were supplied by the university's travel agent. Study abroad air miles were calculated from data supplied by our International Education Office. Commuting data was estimated based on data for employees and student residence locations. Transmission losses were built into e-grid defaults in CarbonMap/SIMAP. Solid waste data was supplied by our waste hauler and recycling contractor. Waste water was based upon purchased municipal water - minus evaporative loss from cooling towers.

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:
---

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):
Yes

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 7,953.47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9,529.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 560.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 142.10 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 20,533.36 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 31,071.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 1,510.68 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 1,981.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 30,557.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 42,725 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, 2006 June 30, 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):
2007 was chosen as baseline for the university's original climate action plan. The university's president signed the Climate Leadership Carbon Commitment in 2008.

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 0 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 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 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 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 30,557.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 42,725 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 2,532 2,566
Number of employees resident on-site 17 40
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 9 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 8,566 8,514
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 1,513 1,531
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 77.20 0
Weighted campus users 8,147.60 8,185.25

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 3.75 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 5.22 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
28.15

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
3,191,084 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 97,754 Square feet
Healthcare space 3,050 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 89,256 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
3,481,948 Gross square feet

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

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 3,885.30 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 661.52 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services ---
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 1,072.07 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 5,047.85 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
The university has made improvements to heating distribution and control systems, and lighting systems and controls. Enhanced recycling of waste. Switched to energy recovery incineration of non-recyclable waste.

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:
Additional information about the university's actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is available in the Carbon Neutrality Plan Progress Report. "Weighted Campus Users" data in this credit differ slighted from the data reported in IC-3: Academics and Demographics. IC-3 contains the most recent data available (Fall 2017 census), whereas this credit uses Fall 2016 census data to align more closely with the timing of the greenhouse gas performance year.

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.