Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
---|---|
Overall Score | 60.83 |
Liaison | Parker Long |
Submission Date | March 2, 2018 |
Executive Letter | Download |
Virginia Commonwealth University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
3.25 / 10.00 |
Joseph
Costa Sustainability Projects and Program Coordinator Sustainability |
Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
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 | None |
Waste generated in operations | All |
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | None |
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:
Between fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2016, VCU used the University of New Hampshire Campus Carbon Calculator excel tool. The VCU Office of Sustainability coordinates data collection with Facilities Management and various other academic and administrative units to complete an annual GHG inventory. VCU also works with a third party contractor (Sightlines) to verify utility data.
Descriptions of accounting for Scope 3 emission factors reported above are detailed below:
Business Travel - Includes directly financed outsourced travel for air, taxi, ferry, and rental car for university faculty and staff, and air travel associated with the study abroad program.
Commuting - Includes the number of faculty, staff, and student commuters, trips to campus per week, commuter weeks per year, and an estimated percentage of commuters per transportation mode (bike, walk, carpool, bus, drive alone, etc.) and an estimated average commuting distance for each commuter mode. Percent usage per commuter mode is estimated based on an annual transportation survey collected by the VCU Parking and Transportation Department. Commuting data may be viewed in the green Input_Commuter tab in the attached GHG calculator tool.
Purchased Goods and Services - As of fiscal year 2016, VCU only estimated paper use for GHG reporting. Paper usage is calculated based on purchasing reports provided by our office supply contractor.
Waste Generated in Operations - Disposal from solid waste is estimated based on monthly reports provided by our various waste haulers. Wastewater is estimated based on building metering.
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 - ??? I don't think we report on this.
Other categories - ??? I don't think we report on this.
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:
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):
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 28,503 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 21,941 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 2,582 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 2,418 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 89,300 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 67,007 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 | 120,385 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 91,366 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, 2015 | June 30, 2016 |
Baseline Year | July 1, 2007 | June 30, 2008 |
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):
VCU's first Sustainability Director was hired in 2008 and began the GHG inventory process.
The first year VCU inventoried greenhouse gas emissions was 2008, therefore it is the baseline used.
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 |
A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
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 | 120,385 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 91,366 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 5,157 | 4,706 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 12 | 0 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 28,377 | 23,884 |
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 7,931 | 5,210 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,325 | 0 |
Weighted campus users | 27,529.50 | 22,997 |
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 | 4.37 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 3.97 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 | 1,598,004 Square feet |
Healthcare space | 11,379.58 Square feet |
Other energy intensive space | 191,627 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions | |
Business travel | 7,643 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Commuting | 19,212 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Purchased goods and services | 488 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 | 5,184 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Waste generated in operations | 69 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Other categories | 2,552 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
New construction is being done under LEED standards. In 2017 a $20 million dollar performance contract was begun to address mechanical problems with aging facilities.
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:
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.