Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 66.39
Liaison Michelle Patterson
Submission Date March 4, 2022

STARS v2.2

Washington University in St. Louis
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.88 / 3.00 Phil Valko
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

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:
Washington University contracted with Burns and McDonnell in 2009 to develop the university's first GHG inventory, which included a full inventory of scope 1 and 2 emissions and a partial inventory of scope 3 emissions. The methodology for the inventory, including the approach to Scope 3 emissions is included in the attached 2009 inventory.

University staff updates scope 1 & 2 emissions annually to monitor progress towards our carbon reduction goals.

In 2014, Washington University worked with AEI, McClure, and 8760 Engineering to update the scope 1 & 2 inventory and identify opportunities for accelerating carbon reduction efforts through 2020. This effort resulted in the creation of a report titled "2014 Energy and Emissions Study." Appendix D of the report outlines the GHG protocol that was used.

In 2017, 2019, and 2020 Washington University updated emissions projections through 2021 and refined the list of strategies needed to meet/exceed the emissions reduction target of returning to 1990 emissions levels by 2020, despite more than doubling in square footage.

A chart of Scope 1 & 2 emissions through FY21 is available online: https://sustainability.wustl.edu/vision-progress-2/energy-emissions/

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?:
Yes

A brief description of the GHG inventory verification process:
Washington University convened an energy and emissions working group that guided the development of the 2014 Energy and Emissions Study. Internal stakeholders included the two major facilities departments, the financial planning department, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the EVC for Administration, and the Office of Sustainability. The university has also engaged third party consultants Burns and McDonnell for the 2009 inventory and AEI, McClure Engineering, and 8760 Engineering (now Bernhard TME) for the 2014 inventory update and study.

Annually, we engage McClure Engineering and Bernhard as reviewers of the Scope 1 & 2 inventory.

Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
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Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
Weight in MTCO2e
Stationary combustion 48,965 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) 401.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
49,366.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year (market-based):
Weight in MTCO2e
Imported electricity 182,425 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Imported thermal energy 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
182,425 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Gross GHG emissions from biogenic sources, performance year:
0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Does the GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from the following sources?:
Yes or No Weight in MTCO2e
Business travel No ---
Commuting No ---
Purchased goods and services No ---
Capital goods No ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 No ---
Waste generated in operations No ---
Other sources No ---

Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
---

Has the institution completed an inventory within the previous three years to quantify its air pollutant emissions?:
No

Annual weight of emissions for::
Weight of Emissions
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) ---
Sulfur oxides (SOx) ---
Carbon monoxide (CO) ---
Particulate matter (PM) ---
Ozone (O3) ---
Lead (Pb) ---
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) ---
Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) ---
Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations ---

Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
Yes or No
Major stationary sources ---
Area sources ---
Mobile sources ---
Commuting ---
Off-site electricity production ---

A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
While a complete inventory has not been conducted by the Environmental Health and Safety Department, the Department monitors and reports emissions as required by federal and state regulatory agencies and supports additional measures to ensure high air quality in outdoor spaces on campus. These measures include a no-idling policy, smoke-free campuses, and clean-burning lawn care equipment.

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity (location-based):
---

Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
---

Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories 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.