| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 63.61 |
| Liaison | Greg Kozak |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Northwestern University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.77 / 10.00 |
Travis
Hawks Temp sustainNU |
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions?:
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include all Scope 3 GHG emissions from any of the following categories?:
| Yes or No | |
| Business travel | Yes |
| Commuting | Yes |
| Purchased goods and services | No |
| Capital goods | Yes |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Yes |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes |
Does the institution's GHG emissions inventory include Scope 3 emissions from other categories?:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory:
We've hired Sightlines, a data analytics benchmarking company to calculate our greenhouse gas emissions. They use the Clean Air, Cool Planet calculator developed at the University of New Hampshire to complete our inventory.
In our GHG emissions inventory, we include all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and a majority of scope 3. We include business travel emissions, by using estimates for reimbursed flights. The only purchased goods included is purchased paper, IT equipment, and food.
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:
We've gone through a cross-checking review at every point of Sightlines reporting to make sure the data they're pulling is accurate and in line with our calculations.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 99,529 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 94,609 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 1,550 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,551 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 156,164 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 155,024 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| 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 |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 77,227 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 58,570 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
Northwestern has been composting food since 2012. Every Evanston campus dining and food service operation participates in the program. Compostable items in the dining halls, Allen Center, and Norris University Center are collected and delivered to a local composting facility. The compost is then used in landscape and farming operations, where it is added to the soil, reducing the need for fertilizers.
A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
The University supports green power by matching 122,000 megawatt hours of its annual energy use with Green-e Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This green power commitment represents 50 percent of the University's total annual electricity use and places NU in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Leadership Club. Northwestern is a top purchaser in the Big Ten, contributing to the conference being recognized by EPA as 2013-2014 Collective Conference Champions for using green power.
Our current REC contract is dated 2/1/2016 – 1/31/2017.
Northwestern purchases renewable energy certificates from 3Degrees, which helps to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the University’s electricity use through generating and delivering wind energy into the power grid.
http://www.northwestern.edu/sustainability/strategic-initiatives/energy/renewable-energy.html
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 5,173 | 4,660 |
| Number of residential employees | 15 | 22 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 18,675 | 18,530.30 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 9,655 | 9,220.70 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 2,559 | 312 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Sept. 1, 2015 | Aug. 31, 2016 |
| Baseline Year | Sept. 1, 2012 | Aug. 31, 2013 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The 2012 baseline was established because of our access to data and because of the amount of major energy efficiency projects completed either during or after 2012.
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 957,988 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 25,179 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 0 Square feet |
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 57,924 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 14,066 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 69 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | 15,767 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 87.49 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories (please specify below) | --- |
A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":
A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
The website URL where the GHG emissions inventory is posted:
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
Northwestern is committed to using alternative renewable source of energy such as geothermal and solar on site. We're committed to installing a solar panel once a year. Northwestern plans on utilizing a geothermal field for its New Kellogg School of Management Building - the Global Hub and currently uses one for it Segal Visitor Centers to provide heat and cooling. The university also has two solar arrays on campus, one 72 solar panel array generating 16.8-kW display on Northwestern’s Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center and a 254 solar panel array producing 81-kW that sits atop of Kresge Centennial Hall.
Geothermal facilities allow us to efficiently heat and cool the New Kellogg School of Management Building, Segal Visitor's Center and the new Sailing Center on campus.
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.