| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.01 |
| Liaison | Cindy Shea |
| Submission Date | July 18, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.46 / 10.00 |
Phil
Barner Director Energy Services |
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 | Yes |
| 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:
The leading methodology was developed in 2004 as a partnership between the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The success and usefulness of their Greenhouse Gas Protocol is evidenced by its adaptation to protocols employed by the US Environmental Protection, the International Standards Organization (ISO), and others with minor modifications.
In an effort to comply with the industry’s best practices, and to prepare for state or federal regulation, we have adhered to this WRI/WBCSD standard as closely as possible,
taking guidance from EPA, ISO, and Climate Registry documentation where appropriate. In some cases, the established protocols did not fit our process or infrastructure. Where possible, we developed emission models to improve upon the recommended methodology.
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:
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions::
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 233,490 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 289,285 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 8,004.44 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity | 138,710 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 163,808 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:
The installation of a methane gas collection and flaring system was completed in July 2011. In the second phase, a one megawatt generator became operational in 2013. It converts gas from the Orange County landfill into electricity for the grid. The University plans to use the waste heat for heating proximate buildings at the future Carolina North development. During the first five months of operation, the generator used 42 million cubic feet of landfill gas, which contains about 50% methane. The same amount of landfill gas was flared. Together, these activities kept 30 thousand tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. UNC will gain carbon credits for capturing this methane, which is many times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
Waste haulers transport UNC's waste to a landfill in Sampson County, where the methane gas is captured to produce 6.4 megawatts of electricity.
A brief description of the carbon sequestration program and reporting protocol used:
A brief description of the composting and carbon storage program:
A comprehensive indoor and outdoor recycling and composting program captured 42% of campus discards in FY 2013. Food waste from UNC dining halls, catering, and several high volume Green Events venues is picked up regularly by the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling and Brooks Contractors. The pre- and post-consumer food waste is turned into a nutrient-rich soil amendment at Brooks Contractors' Goldston processing facility. Since 2012, front-of-house composting has been available in front of Freshens, a retail food outlet located on the first floor of the Lenoir Dining Hall. The Carolina Compost program is currently operational in select residence halls. The University's composting program was ranked 1st in the ACC Conference, 2nd in NC, 8th by campus population, and 37th overall in the annual RecycleMania competition.
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 | 8,952 | 8,541 |
| Number of residential employees | 18 | 0 |
| Number of in-patient hospital beds | 0 | 0 |
| Full-time equivalent enrollment | 27,069 | 25,895.25 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 11,696.97 | 11,295.23 |
| Full-time equivalent of distance education students | 954.25 | 1,164.25 |
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, 2007 | Dec. 31, 2007 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The first comprehensive GHG emissions inventory, including steam and electricity produced for and sold to the hospital and a full range of scope 3 emissions, was completed in calendar year 2007.
Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 2,414,764 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 275,809 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 577,896 Square feet |
Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year::
| Emissions | |
| Business travel | 62,814.93 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | 37,333 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | 1,125 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 | 9,562.59 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other categories (please specify below) | 6,677.75 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the sources included in Scope 3 GHG emissions from "other categories":
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2= Upstream natural gas.
Waste generated in operations = (-5839.00) Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent.
Waste management emissions have dropped significantly over the past five years. The reduction in
emissions is due to a mix of factors. First, the amount of landfilled waste has decreased. Second, the
proportion of recycled material has increased. Third, the waste management facility utilized by the University practices active landfill gas management including collection and combustion of landfill gas. As of late 2008, the University began to use an alternate waste management facility that combusted the generated landfill gas in a flaring system until early 2011, when the gas began to be used to produce electricity. The combustion process effectively destroys the methane and, by way of methane destruction, results in a significant reduction in GHG emissions from waste management.
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:
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.