Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 62.54
Liaison Lisa Noriega
Submission Date Sept. 21, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Yale University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.88 / 10.00 Lindsay Toland
Metrics & Program Manager
Yale Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

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

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 Some
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations None
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:
Yale began reporting on its GHG emissions in 2005, when it set a goal to reduce emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2020. These emissiosn were defined as purchased electricity that passes through Yale's Central Power Plant, Sterling Power Plant, and Central Campus Chiller Plant, along with all gas and oil that is consumed by Yale's Central Power Plant and Sterling Power Plant. Yale also recently began reporting its GHG emissions to The Climate Registry (TCR), using TCR's General Reporting Protocol. Emissions are quantified using standardized methodologies, and is consistent with the World Resources Institute's Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard, which is recognized as an international best practice. We will be transitioning solely to TCR in 2020, which is the end date for our current GHG emissions reduction goal.

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?:
No

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
The inventory conducted for The Climate Registry has been verified by an external third party (please see attached for the review of our calendar year 2015 inventory). The inventory included here (which is using the methodology consistent with our 2005 baseline) has not been externally verified.

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):
Yes

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 203,308 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 212,751 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 25,429 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 47,203 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 228,737 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 259,954 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, 2014 June 30, 2015
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

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):
---

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

If total performance year carbon offsets are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
---

The reporting fields in the table below are reserved for institutions that have NOT already accounted for renewable energy purchases (including RECs and GOs) in their Scope 2 GHG emissions calculations. Other institutions - including all SIMAP users - should report zero ('0') to avoid double-counting. 

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 228,737 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 259,954 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 5,448 5,546
Number of employees resident on-site 0 0
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 168 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 12,317.50 11,359
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 15,018 11,241
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 22,031.63 18,336.50

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 10.38 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 14.18 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
26.77

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
15,646,357 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 696,637 Square feet
Healthcare space 229,292 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 1,236,125 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
18,734,340 Gross square feet

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0.01 MtCO2e per square foot

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel ---
Commuting ---
Purchased goods and services ---
Capital goods ---
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 ---
Waste generated in operations ---
Other categories ---

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
---

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:
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or in-patient hospital beds was not available for FY05, so we entered 0.

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.