| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 53.92 |
| Liaison | Mat Thijssen |
| Submission Date | Oct. 26, 2021 |
University of Waterloo
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.33 / 8.00 |
Mat
Thijssen Sustainability Manager Sustainability Office |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 38,057 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 33,884 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 497 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 518 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 4,002 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 4,898 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Total | 42,556 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 39,300 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 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 storage from on-site composting | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Net carbon sinks | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 42,556 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 39,300 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Start date | Jan. 1, 2019 | Jan. 1, 2015 |
| End date | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2015 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
This was adopted to be consistent with reporting on the University of Waterloo’s Climate Action Plan – Shift: Neutral. This base year was highly representative in terms of heating degree day weather influences, and mitigated the substantial historical changes in reduction of scope 2 emissions because of provincial coal power phase-out, which was outside the University’s scope of control.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 5,724 | 5,200 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 36,633 | 33,203 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 5,737 | 5,603 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,153 | 979 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 32,343.75 | 29,670.25 |
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 | 1.32 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1.32 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 | 92,782 Square meters |
| Healthcare space | 3,957 Square meters |
| Other energy intensive space | 123,571 Square meters |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
There are discrepancies between the weighted campus users reported here and in PRE-5 due to timing of submission to account for COVID-19 disruption. The PRE credits reflected most recent numbers from Fall 2020, in which the vast majority of students were in online learning, and campus operations were significantly reduced. As this is not at all indicative of normal and expected future operations, Waterloo has submitted 2019 data for both emissions and for headcounts to be more representative.
Similarly, the space discrepancies between PRE-4 and this submission are a result of PRE-4 reporting most recent/accurate (2020), and this credit reporting most representative (2019) given significant changes to campus operations from COVID-19.
There are discrepancies between the weighted campus users reported here and in PRE-5 due to timing of submission to account for COVID-19 disruption. The PRE credits reflected most recent numbers from Fall 2020, in which the vast majority of students were in online learning, and campus operations were significantly reduced. As this is not at all indicative of normal and expected future operations, Waterloo has submitted 2019 data for both emissions and for headcounts to be more representative.
Similarly, the space discrepancies between PRE-4 and this submission are a result of PRE-4 reporting most recent/accurate (2020), and this credit reporting most representative (2019) given significant changes to campus operations from COVID-19.
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.