GHG Report for Chatham University
Submitted on January 14, 2011; last updated on December 16, 2011
Summary Statistics
Making fair comparisons between higher education institutions is always challenging due to the rich diversity of higher education. The unverified nature of the information in this database and unavailability of unbiased normalization metrics means such comparisons are even more difficult. Users should therefore approach direct institution to institution comparisons with caution and recognize that all comparisons between institutions are inherently biased.| Total | Per Full-Time Enrollment | Per 1000 Square Feet | % Offset | |
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| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2) | 13,574 metric tons of CO2e | 8.1 metric tons of CO2e | 13.8 metric tons of CO2e | 21% |
| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) | 15,222 metric tons of CO2e | 9.1 metric tons of CO2e | 15.5 metric tons of CO2e | 19% |
| Net emissions | 12,339 metric tons of CO2e | 7.4 metric tons of CO2e | 12.5 metric tons of CO2e | N/A |
Emissions Inventory Methodology and Boundaries
| Start date of the 12-month period covered in this report | January 1, 2009 |
| Consolidation methodology used to determine organizational boundaries | Financial control approach |
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If any institution-owned, leased, or operated buildings or other holdings that should fall within the organizational boundaries are omitted, briefly explain why.
NA |
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| Emissions calculation tool used | Clean Air-Cool Planet |
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Please describe why this tool was selected.
Recommended by ACUPCC |
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Please describe the source(s) of the emissions coefficients used.
CA-CP Campus Carbon Calculator's default emissions co-efficients. |
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| Which version of IPCC's list of global warming potentials did you use? | Third Assessment Report |
| Who primarily conducted this emissions inventory? | Sustainability office staff |
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Please describe the process of conducting the inventory.
Data collected from head of facilities, utility records, vendors, etc. Most data were readily available from facilities and financial records. |
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Please describe any emissions sources that were classified as de minimis and explain how a determination of the significance of these emissions was made.
NA |
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Please describe any data limitations related to this submission and any major assumptions made in response to these limitations.
We are still tightening up our commuting data collection. Commuting distance calculated from center of resident zip code to Chatham, with full-time students calculated at 5 days per week and part-time students calculated at 3 days per week. Faculty and staff commuting miles were combined this year, with data taken from parking permit records.
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Emissions Data
Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)
| Scope 1 Emissions | |
|---|---|
| Stationary Combustion | 3,321.2 metric tons of CO2e |
| Mobile Combustion | 132.1 metric tons of CO2e |
| Process Emissions | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Fugitive Emissions | 732.6 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 1 emissions | 4,185.9 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 2 Emissions | |
| Purchased Electricity | 9,387.7 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Heating | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Cooling | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Steam | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 2 emissions | 9,387.7 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 3 Emissions | |
| Commuting | 1,249.1 metric tons of CO2e |
| Air Travel | 366.4 metric tons of CO2e |
| Solid Waste | 32.7 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 3 emissions | 1,648.2 metric tons of CO2e |
| Biogenic Emissions | |
| Biogenic Emissions from Stationary Combustion | 3.1 metric tons of CO2e |
| Biogenic Emissions from Mobile Combustion | No information provided |
Mitigation Data
| Carbon Offsets | |
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| Carbon offsets purchased | No information provided |
| Offset verification program(s) | No information provided |
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Description of offsets purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
No information provided |
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| Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) | |
| Total RECs purchased | 3380000 kWh |
| Percent of total electricity consumption mitigated through the purchase of RECs | 28.0 % |
| Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs | 2,367.3 metric tons of CO2e |
| REC verification program(s) | Green-e |
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Description of RECs purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
Vendor: Renewable Choice Energy
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| Sequestration and Carbon Storage | |
| Sequestration due to land owned by the institution | 272.0 metric tons of CO2e |
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Description of how sequestration was calculated
Tree cover at Eden Hall Farm calculated using GIS: 4 large stands of trees (7,656,562, 3,023,340, 527,352, and 35,708 sq ft) individual trees added up to an additional 65,312 sq feet. This is a total of 11,308,274 square feet of tree cover. Divided by 43,560 (sq ft in an acre), this is 259.6 acres.
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| Carbon storage due to composting | 244.0 metric tons of CO2e |
Normalization and Contextual Data
| Building Space | |
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| Gross square feet of building space | 984,000.0 sq ft |
| Net assignable square feet of laboratory space | 60,000.0 sq ft |
| Net assignable square feet of health care space | No information provided |
| Net assignable square feet of residential space | No information provided |
| Population | |
| Total Student Enrollment (FTE) | 1676.0 |
| Residential Students | 442 |
| Full-time Commuter Students | 958 |
| Part-time Commuter Students | 827 |
| Non-Credit Students | No information provided |
| Full-time Faculty | 88 |
| Part-time Faculty | 180 |
| Full-time Staff | 193 |
| Part-time Staff | 18 |
| Other Contextual Data | |
| Endowment Size | 43500000 |
| Heating Degree Days | 5627 |
| Cooling Degree Days | 631 |
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Please describe any circumstances specific to your institution that provide context for understanding your greenhouse gas emissions this year.
We are beginning to see the benefits of the Green Machine shuttles, with steadily increasing ridership (over 1,000 per week) and trips to shopping and entertainment venues. Some energy efficiency measures at Eastside beginning to show up in lower electricity totals. Changes to Chathams' Study Abroad program reduced travel miles for 2009, but totals are expected to rise agian next year. Changes to public transit pass system left a gap in our ability to calculate bus and light rail miles this year. |
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Supporting Documentation
| Completed inventory narrative |
Calculator Journal 2009 Download |
| Completed inventory calculator | Download |
Auditing and Verification
These emissions data have been audited, verified, or peer-reviewed.|
Please briefly describe this verification, if any.
Verified through utility billing, credit card receipts, parking permits, etc. |