| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.50 |
| Liaison | Chris Bond |
| Submission Date | Nov. 27, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Unity Environmental University
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.84 / 10.00 |
Jonathan
Gibbons Sustainability Engagement and Data Coordinator Sustainability |
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 | Some |
| Capital goods | None |
| Waste generated in operations | All |
| 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:
The actual data on total kWh, oil, wood pellets, propane, and gas purchased in the performance year were entered into the CarbonMap Calculator. Business air travel is captured through total dollars spent on flights and business travel that is used on campus is captured in scope one emissions from gasoline used in the vehicles. Faculty and staff commuting is calculated using data from HR with no personal or identifying information included. Zip codes are provided, if an employee is staff or faculty, and then if they are part time or full time status is all used to calculate our commuting data to the best of our ability. Other goods includes reams of paper purchased. All of these scope 3 categories are plugged into Carbon MAP to get the resulting 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:
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 | 716.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 679.76 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 104.46 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 51.97 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 519.25 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 351.29 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 | 1,340.42 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,083.02 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 | July 1, 2010 | June 30, 2011 |
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):
Baseline emissions were based on the previous performance year from the Unity College 2011 STARS report.
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 |
A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
No offsets are utilized
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 | 362.38 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:
Unity College purchases 1,100 MWh of window power RECs from Renewable Choice Energy, Inc. They are Green-e certified. The college does purchase 1,000 kWh from within the state of Maine to support renewable projects, but there are no Green-e certified RECs offered in the Maine so we do not count them in this total
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions | 978.04 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,083.02 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 503 | 361 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 5 | 2 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds | 3 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 712 | 584 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) | 187 | 121 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 19 | 0 |
| Weighted campus users | 790 | 619.50 |
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 | 1.24 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1.75 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 | 5,000 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 2,500 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 2,321.84 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 | 1.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 220.44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 9.12 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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
In the past three years, the college has brought online 4 new buildings that are all heated by electricity or wood pellets. We also have switched some oil boilers at our campus farm greenhouses to wood pellet boilers. According to CarbonMAP our waste operations result in a reduction of GHGs due to anaerobic digestion, recycling, and our trash being sent to a landfill that recovers methane and uses it for generation.
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:
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.