| Overall Rating | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 85.74 |
| Liaison | Mike Wilson |
| Submission Date | Dec. 13, 2023 |
University of Victoria
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
8.00 / 8.00 |
David
Adams Energy Manager Facilities Management |
Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 10,882 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 13,139.21 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 292 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 274.29 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 693 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 1,719.36 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 | 11,867 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 15,132.86 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 11,932 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 15,334.06 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 | 11,932 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 15,334.06 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Offset projects are procured through the Provincial Government of British Columbia's Climate Action Secretariat (CAS). In fact, the entire BC Public Sector purchases offsets in the same way, with CAS sourcing verified emission reduction (VER) units and retiring them on the public sectors behalf. For the 2022 year the VERs for 14 offset projects were purchased and retired. The projects fit into 4 categories, Fuel Switching, Energy Efficiency, and Sequestration, and GHG Destruction. Approximately 648,933 tonnes of CO2e was retired in association with these projects.
More Info for the projects can be found here (Table 3, p. 9):
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/climate-change/cng/yir/2022_cng_year_in_review_summary.pdf
Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Adjusted net GHG emissions | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 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 | Jan. 1, 2022 | Jan. 1, 2010 |
| End date | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2010 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
2010 was chosen as our baseline year since this was the first year that UVic completed a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory as per the standardized methodology legislated by the Provincial Government of British Columbia for all public sector organizations. It is also the first year the university purchased third-party verified offsets.
Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
| Performance year | Baseline year | |
| Number of students resident on-site | 3,095 | 2,240 |
| Number of employees resident on-site | 0 | 0 |
| Number of other individuals resident on-site | 84 | 0 |
| Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 19,148 | 16,975 |
| Full-time equivalent of employees | 4,019 | 4,982 |
| Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 2,530 | 1,800 |
| Weighted Campus Users | 16,335.50 | 15,677.75 |
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 | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 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 | 189,276.97 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 9,466.64 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space | 78,216 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 University of Victoria (UVic) is actively working to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through a variety of initiatives:
1. Emission Levels: In 2022, UVic reported GHG emissions that were below 2010 levels. However, offsetable emissions increased by 6%, primarily due to a return to pre-pandemic campus operations and the opening of new student housing and a dining hall (Cheko’nien House).
2. Climate and Sustainability Action Plan: UVic launched a new Climate and Sustainability Action Plan (2030) in Fall 2022, which covers various domains, including Academics, Research, Indigenous, External Relations, and Operations.
3. Building Emissions: Building operations remain the largest contributor to UVic's GHG emissions. UVic is actively exploring ways to reduce emissions, such as adopting Energy Star Portfolio Manager for benchmarking and monitoring, engaging with UVic Properties for building emission reductions, and implementing low-carbon energy sources.
4. Passive House Standards: UVic's commitment to sustainability is demonstrated through projects like the new student housing and dining facilities designed to meet Passive House and LEED V4 Gold standards, resulting in lower carbon emissions and energy efficiency.
5. Climate Resilience: UVic is addressing climate resilience by incorporating electrified HVAC equipment, stormwater management features, low-flow plumbing, native tree planting, and designing buildings for thermal comfort in future climate scenarios.
6. Future Initiatives: UVic plans to conduct a climate risk assessment for the campus, develop buildings and infrastructure that consider climate change impacts, and explore decarbonization strategies for energy-efficient upgrades.
7. Sustainability Initiatives: UVic promotes behavior change and staff engagement through programs like the Staff Sustainability Network, supports the ECO Box Program to reduce landfill waste, and focuses on GHG reporting process improvements and systematic change to embed energy conservation principles.
UVic's overall goal is to achieve a 50% reduction in campus operations emissions below the 2010 baseline and reach Net Zero for campus operations by 2040, while addressing the challenges posed by climate change and sustainability across various aspects of the institution.
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:
UVic keeps record of ever CCAR report annually, located here: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/resources/reports/index.php
2022 Climate Change Accountability Report (online PDF): https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/reports/ccar2022.pdf
UVic keeps record of ever CCAR report annually, located here: https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/resources/reports/index.php
2022 Climate Change Accountability Report (online PDF): https://www.uvic.ca/sustainability/assets/docs/reports/ccar2022.pdf
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.