Several buildings which are associated with the University but not owned or operated by UofL are not included in this report. Examples of these include fraternity and sorority houses, residence halls operated by third parties, the University Hospital, and off-campus leased space. It is particularly difficult for the University to track or control these emissions.

Estimated emissions were calculated using the Clean Air-Cool Planet® Campus Carbon Calculator v6.1 software utilizing annual facility data. The calculator was used for university data collection, storage and conversion into a common greenhouse gas emission unit, metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT eCO2). In the conversion process, the calculator uses scientifically-based factors for specific activities leading to GHG emissions (e.g., commuter miles traveled, tons of waste disposed, gallons of fuel burned, etc.). These conversion factors have been modified as more is learned about the global warming effects of various greenhouse gases.

The default emissions coefficients supplied in the Clean Air-Cool Planet® Campus Carbon Calculator were used in preparing this report. The version of the Carbon Calculator we employed uses a global warming potential (GWP) factor from the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). GWP is the ratio of the degree of warming to the atmosphere that would result from the emission of one unit of a given GHG compared to one unit of carbon dioxide over a specified time period. This is used to convert emissions of other GHGs into units of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e).

With the help of an engineering student intern, the Sustainability Council, in conjunction with the Office of the Vice President of Business Affairs, the department of Physical Plant Operations and University Planning, Design and Construction gathered data to update our inventory of UofL GHG emissions over the summer of 2011. Strategies for gathering the necessary data had been developed two years prior for UofL’s baseline emissions inventory.

In calculating our carbon footprint, the University used rough, upper-bound estimates to designate as de minimus (or materially insignificant) small emissions sources that collectively comprised less than 5% of the University’s total GHG emissions. Some emissions considered de minimus for this report include nitrous oxides used in the medical and research facilities, perflurocarbons used in eye surgeries and MRIs, sulfur hexafluorides used in ultrasound imaging, and hydrofluorocarbons from campus refrigeration systems. While emissions from these sources were excluded from this inventory, the University recognizes the very real contribution to global warming that these emissions make. It is the intention of the University to continue to seek ways to minimize all GHG emissions, whether they are closely tracked and reported or not.

- Calculations to determine total fuel consumed in University vehicles were based on an average price per gallon. Total fuel consumption figures include fuel used to power equipment in addition to fleet vehicles.
- Wastewater volume is not measured, nor is freshwater input as the water utility does not provide the University with annualized gallon data. In the future, gallons of water consumed by the University could be calculated based on average costs, but currently there is no central repository for the information and the University receives some 150 different water bills each month.
- We have yet to capture fertilizer application data for our campus landscape.
- While the University houses no farm animals, it is responsible for laboratory animals used in medical research. Fugitive emissions from these animals (e.g. releases of methane produced as part of normal digestive processes) could not be monitored.
- The TARC bus service tracks each leg of any trip taken by university-affiliated customers, and not rides taken on transfers. Thus, the University estimated an average of 1.5 rides for each trip reported in order to control for transfers inflation.
- Miles commuted by car cannot be directly tracked. Instead, the University estimated that those who bought parking permits were driving an average round-trip distance from their home zip code at a rate of five times per week for employees and three times per week for students, controlling for time-off and semester breaks.
- Air miles booked on behalf of the University but not using the University’s contracted travel agent could not be directly accounted for. Instead, the University estimated based on a historic average of 51% of University air trips booked through contract and prorated miles traveled for the additional 49%.
- The Athletics department has a separate budget from the University. Athletics was unable to report travel statistics so the associated emissions are not included here. We were also unable to include an accounting of emissions resulting from Athletics events, other than utilities consumed (as these are paid out of general funds).

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This is an estimate of the carbon sequestration resulting from the preservation of trees on Belknap campus and at UofL's mostly forested 200-acre Horner Conservation Property (also referred to as the Moore Observatory). We based this estimate on an average of 10 tons per hectare per year and 50 pounds per tree per year, found at http://www.plant-trees.org/resources/Calculating%20CO2%20Sequestration%20by%20Trees.pdf

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The emissions data was peer-reviewed by staff from the office of the Vice-President for Business Affairs and by the Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives.