| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 70.13 |
| Liaison | John Alejandro |
| Submission Date | March 24, 2021 |
University of San Diego
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
5.17 / 8.00 |
Trey
McDonald Director of Sustainability and Energy Manager Sustainability |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 3,402 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 5,926 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 588 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 532 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 6,554 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 9,906 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 | 10,544 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 16,364 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 | 0 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 | 0 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):
N/A
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 10,544 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 16,364 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, 2018 | July 1, 2009 |
| End date | June 30, 2019 | June 30, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The University of San Diego GHG emissions baseline was adopted and approved in the university's Fall 2016 Climate Action Plan. Using 2010 as a baseline, the original goal was to reduce the university’s emissions and environmental footprint with target years of 2020, 2030, and 2035. The targets to reduce emissions levels were informed by and consistent with the City of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan, including baselines and target years. However, in October 2019, USD President Dr. James Harris committed to climate neutrality by 2035, so the USD Climate Action Plan will be revised to reflect this new goal. The original 2010 baseline will be retained to track progress.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 2,641 | 2,543 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 20 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 8,328 | 6,897 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 2,116.40 | 1,737 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 377.70 | 122.30 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 8,215.28 | 7,019.53 |
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 | 1.28 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 2.33 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 | 23,769 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 4,528 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 5,218 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 primary focus of GHG emissions reductions has been energy efficiency. Since 2010, USD has reduced its energy consumption 35.5% despite increasing building square footage and enrollment. The Climate Action Plan completed in 2016 set out goals for further reductions, but those will be revised in 2020 after Dr. Harris signed the Climate Commitment and pledged that USD will achieve climate neutrality by 2035.
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:
Demographic data were received from the Dept. of Institutional Research.
Demographic data were received from the Dept. of Institutional Research.
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.