Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
---|---|
Overall Score | 46.82 |
Liaison | Ashley Woolman |
Submission Date | May 16, 2019 |
Executive Letter | Download |
Western Colorado University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
6.20 / 10.00 |
Ashley
Woolman Sustainability Coordinator Facilities Services |
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 | Some |
Commuting | Some |
Purchased goods and services | None |
Capital goods | None |
Waste generated in operations | Some |
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Some |
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:
1. Billing records from energy purchases, 2. electricity fuels mix provided by utility, 3. travel records, 4. online voluntary commuter survey, and 5. waste and recycling volume records. Using a spreadsheet tool, we convert these measures to GHG 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?:
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):
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 3,918 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 4,951 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 236 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 117 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 2,427 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5,924 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 | 6,581 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 10,992 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, 2016 | June 30, 2017 |
Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2006 | Dec. 31, 2006 |
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):
Students lobbied the President to become an ACUPCC signatory, at which time he signed, created the Sustainability Action Committee, which has cross-campus membership, and charged us with conducting a baseline survey. Now we have a director of sustainability who leads the Sustainable Action Committee in performing the GHG inventory.
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 | 1 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 | 1 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):
We compost food waste from our dining hall in an industrial composter.
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:
Purchased 3 years of RECs from 3Degrees Group, Inc in 2017 and Colorado Adjacent Wind PPA from our City utility provider (MEAN). These are all Green-e Certified.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 6,580 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 10,992 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 947 | 906 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 4 | 24 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 3 | 3 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 2,344 | 1,914 |
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 331 | 303 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 132 | 0 |
Weighted campus users | 2,148 | 1,898.25 |
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 | 3.06 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5.79 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 | 14,477 Square feet |
Healthcare space | 1,250 Square feet |
Other energy intensive space | 42,500 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 | 192 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Commuting | 571 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Purchased goods and services | --- |
Capital goods | --- |
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | --- |
Waste generated in operations | 1,066 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Other categories | --- |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Increased building performance (e.g., insulation, LEED renovations), increased purchase of wind power, purchase of RECs, campus engagement and zero waste initiative .
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:
We were not tracking full-time equivalent of distance education students for our baseline year (2006) in BANNER.
We were not tracking full-time equivalent of distance education students for our baseline year (2006) in BANNER.
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.