| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.84 |
| Liaison | Troy Goodnough |
| Submission Date | June 2, 2015 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Minnesota, Morris
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.59 / 10.00 |
Troy
Goodnough Sustainability Director Office of Sustainability |
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 | No |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | No |
| 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:
The Office of Sustainability solicits information from campus stakeholders about energy use, etc. This data is entered into an in-house spreadsheet and GHG emissions are calculated accordingly.
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:
There are two main verification paths we have for our SCOPE I and II data. Scope I greenhouse gas emissions are mostly generated from the central heating/cooling plant on-campus. Data from the central plant are used to provide the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency with criteria pollutant information. So, this data is verified by MPCA. Scope II GHG emissions are mostly from purchased electricity. This electricity is carefully metered by the local utility -- therefore, total electricity usage for the campus is well-known and is billed accordingly. These are the main data sources to compose our SCOPE I and II GHG footprint. Additionally, we worked with a 3rd party to develop a carbon master plan. During this process, we were able to confirm similar conclusions about our carbon footprint and steps to reduce it.
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 5,112 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5,233 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 314 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 314 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 3,024 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 8,239 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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the institution-catalyzed carbon offsets program:
Morris has invested significantly in renewable energy projects to offset its greenhouse gas emissions. We do not typically buy offsets, but instead, have preferred to invest in infrastructure improvements: biomass gasification plant, wind turbines, solar thermal, solar PV, energy conservation retrofitting. Morris has been implementing projects locally, they are not through an offset program, though. We have been recognized as a top onsite energy producer by the EPA for several years.
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
We currently compost over 30 tons of food waste each year, which becomes campus compost. We are currently not taking credit for these efforts in reducing our campus carbon footprint.
A brief description of the purchased carbon offsets, including third party verifier(s) and contract timeframes:
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Number of residential students | 872 | 758 |
| Number of residential employees | 0 | 0 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 1,876 | 1,673 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 380 | 395 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 0 | 0 |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | Jan. 1, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2012 |
| Baseline Year | Jan. 1, 2005 | Dec. 31, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 18,052 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 7,553 Square feet |
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 261 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 1,721 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 | 0 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:
1) Instituted a windrow-based on-campus composting system (2013)
2) The Green Prairie Community residence hall was awarded LEED Gold (2014)
3) A 20kW solar PV array began generating power (2015)
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
40% reduction of carbon footprint between 2005 and 2012 (Scope I and II).
Over 60% of campus electricity is from on-site wind turbines.
We are continue to be recognized as one of the EPA's Top On-Site power producers
Morris was listed at the 27th Top Onsite producer (of 30 producers) in the United States in 2015.
http://www.morris.umn.edu/newsevents/view.php?itemID=13186
40% reduction of carbon footprint between 2005 and 2012 (Scope I and II).
Over 60% of campus electricity is from on-site wind turbines.
We are continue to be recognized as one of the EPA's Top On-Site power producers
Morris was listed at the 27th Top Onsite producer (of 30 producers) in the United States in 2015.
http://www.morris.umn.edu/newsevents/view.php?itemID=13186
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.