Northern Arizona University
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.32 / 8.00 |
Dayna
McKay Data Analyst Office of Sustainability |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 20,626.27 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 18,466.58 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 1,675.45 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,655.63 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 23,751.86 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 32,822.72 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 | 46,053.58 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 52,944.93 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 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 storage from on-site composting | 14.18 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 | 14.18 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):
Compost: NAU tracks the weight of compost generated each year. This weight is entered into SIMAP, and the report generates MTCDE. FY 2023, we composted 96,476.00 pounds of organic waste from waste to soil, which is then sold to community members or used around campus.
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 46,039.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 52,944.93 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, 2022 | July 1, 2004 |
| End date | June 30, 2023 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
2005 has been the used baseline year in our last four STARS submissions.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 9,685 | 6,053 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 36 | 15 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 16 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 28,093 | 12,523 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 3,247 | 2,202 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 4,081 | 4,104 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 22,890.50 | 9,482.75 |
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 | 2.01 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5.58 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 | 110,269 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 23,803 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 118,033 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:
The campus achieved a 13.04% reduction in overall emissions, with a significant 27.63% decrease in emissions from imported electricity. Despite a rise in student population by 3,632 and campus size, emissions per person and per square footage decreased. In 2023, NAU made investments in energy reduction, appointing key roles like Chief Sustainability Officer, Sustainability Data Analyst, Energy/Water Manager, and Conservation Program Coordinator. These roles will focus on cutting carbon footprint through behavior change and data-backed improvements. A Green Seed Investment Fund of $500,000 was initiated for greenhouse gas reduction initiatives. Upgrading campus meters in FY 2024 is planned to enhance consumption tracking for effective reduction efforts.
Note: AZNM's emissions factor has dropped due to the closure of coal plants in the past 15 years.
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:
Information in this submission is from the fiscal year 2023. These have been updated in the Second Nature Carbon Commitment emissions inventory.
Information provided by: Dayna.Cook@nau.edu
Information in this submission is from the fiscal year 2023. These have been updated in the Second Nature Carbon Commitment emissions inventory.
Information provided by: Dayna.Cook@nau.edu
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.