Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 77.18
Liaison Daimon Eklund
Submission Date Oct. 12, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of Washington, Seattle
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 6.09 / 10.00 David Ogrodnik
Project Engineer -- Enviromental
Campus Engineering
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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 Some
Purchased goods and services None
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations None
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 UW uses a custom GHG emission estimating tool that follows the GHG Protocol (2015 update). The GHG Protocol was developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute.


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:

N/A


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

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 95,615 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 86,820 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 9,265 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 15,650 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 4,250 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3,074 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 109,130 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 105,544 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, 2017 Dec. 31, 2017
Baseline Year Jan. 1, 2005 Dec. 31, 2005

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 2005 baseline calendar year was adopted at the time the original emissions inventory was conducted in 2007. Adoption of the 2005 baseline calendar year is also consistent with Washington State RCW 70.235.050 and RCW 70.235.060 which set GHG reduction goals relative to 2005 calendar year emission levels. .


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 11,479 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 11,479 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 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):

On-site composting data source: UW Recycling Annual Report 2017


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 97,651 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 105,544 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 8,250 4,894
Number of employees resident on-site 15 10
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 731 380
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 52,466 32,403
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 33,666 23,205
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 1,464 269
Weighted campus users 66,298.25 43,110.25

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 1.47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
39.84

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
21,028,221 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 1,093,558 Square feet
Healthcare space 1,267,012 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 293,891 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
26,043,252 Gross square feet

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

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 15,367 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 44,350 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 0 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 0 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:

The UW has developed and implemented numerous steam energy-saving projects to reduce Power Plant natural gas and fuel oil consumption and associated carbon emissions. The UW intends on reducing carbon emissions to 15% below the 2005 baseline year by implementing additional projects.


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:

Reported calendar year 2017 GHG emission are associated with the contiguous UW campuses, including Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma. Floor area figures do not include the Metropolitan Tract and Northwest Hospital.

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources reported as zero because for the purposes of STARS reporting, we only include contiguous properties that UW owns and manages. Facilities such has Harborview Medical Center and others located throughout the city and may use steam are not owned by UW and thus their GHG emissions are tracked and reported through other agencies or the property owners.

In 2017, the UW joined the “We are Still In” statement in 2017 to demonstrate our continued report of the Paris Climate Agreement.
https://www.wearestillin.com/

In 2018, the UW joined the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3).
https://secondnature.org/uc3-coalition/


Reported calendar year 2017 GHG emission are associated with the contiguous UW campuses, including Seattle, Bothell and Tacoma. Floor area figures do not include the Metropolitan Tract and Northwest Hospital.

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources reported as zero because for the purposes of STARS reporting, we only include contiguous properties that UW owns and manages. Facilities such has Harborview Medical Center and others located throughout the city and may use steam are not owned by UW and thus their GHG emissions are tracked and reported through other agencies or the property owners.

In 2017, the UW joined the “We are Still In” statement in 2017 to demonstrate our continued report of the Paris Climate Agreement.
https://www.wearestillin.com/

In 2018, the UW joined the University Climate Change Coalition (UC3).
https://secondnature.org/uc3-coalition/

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.