| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 65.69 |
| Liaison | Jennifer Kleindienst |
| Submission Date | April 5, 2023 |
Wesleyan University
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.66 / 8.00 |
Jeff
Murphy Facilities Business Manager Facilities/Physical Plant |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 16,833 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 14,251 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 254 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 393 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 10,653 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 | 17,087 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 25,297 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 1,494 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 | 1,494 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):
1,494 carbon allowance contributions from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) 2022 market via Climate Vault. Contract is annual with notification from Wesleyan to CV on or before March 15th of each year.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 15,593 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 25,297 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 | July 1, 2021 | July 1, 2007 |
| End date | June 30, 2022 | June 30, 2008 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
We established FY 2008 as our baseline for our original climate action plan and signing of the 2007 ACUPCC.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,394 | 2,900 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 38 | 59 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 1 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 3,564.30 | 2,917 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 982.10 | 999 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 0 | 0 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 4,018.80 | 3,676.75 |
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 | 3.88 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 6.88 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 | 116,421 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 17,843 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:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
Wesleyan's primary GHG reduction initiatives include annual comprehensive energy programs that focus on energy efficiency and conservation. In 2020, Wesleyan began purchasing 100% wind RECs to cover the entirety of its purchased and generated electricity. We also began in FY 22 purchasing carbon offsets for 100% of air travel emissions, financed by a 5% internal surcharge on all employee air travel). Lastly, Wesleyan is midway through a utilities carbon neutrality master plan (link to plan in URL below) that (in addition to the items mentioned above) converts the heating infrastructure from steam to hot water (phase 5 of 8 is underway in 2023) and then installation of ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, and PV with the target of net zero carbon emissions from heating, cooling, and electricity by 2035.
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:
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.