Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory Fiscal Year 2008

Transcription

1 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory Fiscal Year 2008 Submitted by Elaine R. Durr, Sustainability Coordinator to the Environmental Advisory Council Page 1 of 30

2 Environmental Advisory Council Members Jay Anhorn Director of Greek Life Robert Buchholz Director of Physical Plant Jeff Coker Assistant Professor, Biology Elaine Durr Sustainability Coordinator Heidi Frontani Assistant Professor, Geography Michael James Student Representative, Junior Cassandra Kircher Associate Professor, English Brad Moore Assistant Director, Construction Management Rob Springer Director, Institutional Research Maria Wyka Student Representative, Junior Gerald Whittington, Chair Vice President of Business, Finance and Technology Page 2 of 30

3 Acknowledgments This initial greenhouse gas inventory could not have been completed without the cooperation and assistance of those who provided the necessary data or guidance on who to contact for certain categories or helped with the data analysis. They are: Amy Brewington Andrea Edwards Carolynn Whitley Celeste Richards Cindy Duke Dave Worden Deirdre Lea Elizabeth Rogers Gerald Whittington Greg Zaiser Jeff Baisley Jeff Hendricks Jennifer Wagner Judith Howard Karlan Barker Keith Dimont Kristin Barrier Kurt Carlson Kyle Wills Larry Rhodes Libby Joyce Mary Gowan Matthew Alberto Nan Perkins Neil Bromilow Nick Dioguardi Paige Vignali Paul Holt Phyllis Phillips Rob Springer Ron Morgan Ryan Kirk Sam Shoge Sarah McKenna Smith Jackson Steven House Susan Klopman Susan Lindley Tammy Horn Tom Flood Thank you for your assistance and support. Page 3 of 30

4 Table of Contents Executive Summary... 5 Background... 8 Methodology... 8 Data and Analysis GHG Emissions Summary and Recommendations Appendix A. Data Sources B. Commuter Habit Survey: Students, Faculty and Staff C. Commuter Habit Survey Results D. Net GHG Emissions of Other Institutions Page 4 of 30

5 Executive Summary The overarching goal of Elon University s Sustainability Master Plan completed in the spring of 2007 is to minimize our impact on the global environment by establishing a carbon neutral university. Calculating the university s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or carbon footprint is one of the essential first steps in establishing a carbon neutral university. This initial GHG inventory is Elon s baseline year from which to measure reductions and will serve as a guide to and inform the creation of Elon s Climate Action Plan. A GHG inventory includes four main components: three different emission sources classified as Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 and offsets. Scope 1 is direct emissions such as production of electricity on campus and university vehicles. Scope 2 emissions come from imported sources of energy, i.e., purchased electricity or steam. Scope 3 is all other indirect sources of emissions including business travel, commuter travel and solid waste generation. An offset is a reduction of carbon dioxide or removal of carbon dioxide equivalent (eco 2 ) GHG emissions that is used to counterbalance or compensate for ( offset ) emissions from other activities. The initial goal was to obtain data back to fiscal year (FY) After contacting several departments to explain the project and ask for the relevant information from the department, it became apparent that it would not be possible to collect data back to FY 1990 due to lack of records. Given this, information was collected back to FY 2000 or for as many years as possible. Once collected, the information was converted as necessary and inputted into the Clean Air-Cool Plant (CA-CP) Campus Carbon Calculator Version 5. The baseline year for Elon s GHG inventory is 2008 since that is the year for which the most complete set of data is available. Elon s overarching goal is to become carbon neutral, which does not require knowing the GHG emissions of numerous previous years. Elon s total GHG emissions for 2008 were 40,533 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCDE) (Figure 1). The net GHG emissions for 2008 were 40,516 MTCDE due to an offset of 17 MTCDE for yard waste composting. Elon s net GHG emissions per full-time equivalent (FTE) student were 7.6 MTCDE/student and per building square foot (ft 2 ) were 0.02 MTCDE/ft 2 or 21.5 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (eco 2 ) per ft 2. To put Elon s amount of GHG emissions into perspective it helps to know the emissions of other higher education institutions. Furman University s reported net emissions for 2007 were 27,856 MTCDE. The University of Richmond reported 36,247 MTCDE for its 2008 net emissions, while Oberlin College reported 40,442 MTCDE for 2007 net emissions. While these emissions amounts do provide context to Elon s GHG emissions total, they cannot be used for straight comparisons due to the unique qualities of each institution and the varying methods used to calculate their emissions totals. Page 5 of 30

6 Athletic Team Travel 0% Fertilizer 0% Solid Waste 2% Faculty/Staff Travel 4% Refrigeration 1% Semester & Summer Abroad 7% Winter Abroad 14% Purchased Electricity 46% Faculty/Staff Commuting 7% Student Commuting 5% University Fleet 2% Natural Gas / Propane 12% Figure 1: Emissions Percentage by Category As illustrated in Figure 1, Purchased Electricity is the largest category followed by Winter Abroad and Natural Gas/Propane. Campus energy consumption accounts for 58% of the GHG emissions, which is expected given the primary source of Elon s purchased electricity is coal. Continued energy conservation, efficiency and upgrade projects as well as renewable energy projects such as photovoltaic, solar thermal and geothermal will need to be considered, among other strategies, to reduce GHG emissions from energy consumption. Page 6 of 30

7 Elon is ranked number one in the nation among masters level universities for study abroad programs by the Institute of International Education. The majority of students study abroad during Winter Term, which explains why Winter Abroad travel is one of the larger categories of Elon s GHG emissions. However, reducing the number of students who study abroad is not an option given the prestige of this program. What could be explored are options for offsetting study abroad travel to reduce the net GHG emissions from this essential program. Commuting and faculty and staff travel account for a combined 16% of the GHG emissions. Strategies to consider that would reduce these emissions include additional alternative transportation methods such as walking, biking, carpooling, using the bio-buses and taking the Amtrak train when appropriate as well as web conferencing and travel offsets. In addition to projects and programs that can be implemented to affect campus operations and behavior, other strategies, mainly offsets, will also need to be considered to reach climate neutrality. An offset is a reduction of carbon dioxide or removal of carbon dioxide equivalent (eco 2 ) GHG emissions that is used to counterbalance or compensate for ( offset ) emissions from other activities. In selecting offsets, it is essential to ensure they are high quality. Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are not the same as offsets but can still be utilized as a way to account for Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions from purchased electricity). If Elon made no changes to campus operations and programs, i.e., no reduction in energy consumption, no renewable energy, no additional alternative transportation and fuels, etc., and bought retail offset credits for all of its 2008 net GHG emissions, the cost would vary widely depending upon the provider and offset project chosen. Using current pricing of four providers, the cost range is $500,000 to $892,000, with the average being about $689,000. To maintain this level of offset, a similar purchase would need to be made for each year s net GHG emissions. The intention is to utilize offsets only after reducing emissions on campus as much as possible. Purchasing retail offset credits for all of Elon s net GHG emissions would not be an effective use of financial resources. Conducting this initial GHG emissions inventory was a valuable first step toward climate neutrality. The process and results will be utilized to develop Elon s Climate Action Plan, which will include interim emissions reduction targets and serve as a roadmap for carrying out projects designed to reduce net GHG emissions. Elon s interim emissions reduction targets will likely be a percentage reduction from 2008 net emissions each year or at specified milestone years. Either method will utilize the Sustainability Master Plan s recommended timeframe of within 30 years (from 2007) to reach climate neutrality and account for growth and the inclusion of additional categories in subsequent GHG inventories. The appropriate method will be selected after investigating strategies for reducing emissions and identifying the impact of each strategy, including the environmental, social and economic costs and benefits. The projects and programs mentioned here, as well as others, will be assessed to identify the optimal strategies for reducing Elon s GHG emissions and to develop Elon s Climate Action Plan. A GHG inventory will be conducted yearly to monitor progress toward Elon s interim reduction goals and the ultimate goal of climate neutrality. Page 7 of 30

8 Background In 2004 President Lambert created the Environmental Advisory Council with faculty, staff and student representation. He tasked the Council with developing Elon s plan to address environmental sustainability. The Council spent several months researching environmental sustainability, assessing Elon s current practices and identifying additional opportunities to expand the university s sustainability efforts. The result was Elon s Sustainability Master Plan with the overarching goal to minimize our impact on the global environment by establishing a carbon neutral university. This goal requires the elimination of net carbon emissions or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The recommended timeframe for this goal is within the next 30 years from 2007, so by Conducting a GHG emissions inventory or carbon footprint is one of the initial steps toward the ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. A GHG inventory or carbon footprint is an accounting of the quantity of greenhouse gases emitted or removed from the atmosphere over a specified period of time. This initial GHG inventory will serve as Elon s baseline year and will guide and inform the creation of Elon s Climate Action Plan (CAP), which will include interim emissions reduction targets. A CAP is a plan or roadmap for carrying out projects designed to reduce net GHG emissions from campus operations by a targeted amount over a specified number of years. It includes a comprehensive assessment of emissions reducing projects, taking into account environmental, social and economic costs and benefits. A CAP is a living, flexible document that may change as technology and research develops. What follows is an explanation of the methodology used to conduct the GHG inventory, the calculated amount of emissions from each source and a summary of Elon s GHG emissions for fiscal year Methodology The Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) Campus Carbon Calculator Version 5 was used to calculate Elon s GHG emissions. GHG emissions inventories are divided into types or scopes of emissions: Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. The CA-CP calculator tool includes each of these. The scopes of emissions are as follows: Scope 1 - all direct sources of GHG emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the institution, including (but not limited to): production of electricity, heat or steam; transportation of materials, products, waste and community members; and fugitive emissions (from unintentional leaks). Scope 2 - GHG emissions from imports of electricity, heat or steam generally those associated with the generation of imported sources of energy. Scope 3 - all other indirect sources of GHG emissions that may result from the activities of the institution but occur from sources owned or controlled by another company, such as: business travel, outsourced activities and contracts, emissions from waste generated by the institution when the GHG emissions occur at a facility controlled by another company, e.g. methane emissions from landfilled waste, and the commuting habits of community members. A fourth component of a GHG inventory is offsets. An offset is a reduction of carbon dioxide or removal of carbon dioxide equivalent (eco 2 ) GHG emissions that is used to counterbalance or compensate for ( offset ) emissions from other activities. It is essential for offsets to be high quality. As detailed in a Page 8 of 30

9 report from the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), Investing in Carbon Offsets: Guidelines for ACUPCC Institutions, emissions reductions from offsets should be: real and tangible; additional; transparent; measurable; permanent; verified; synchronous; registered; and retired. They should account for leakage and not be double-counted. Offsets should also have cobenefits and add value to the education, research and service missions of the institution. The main options for investing in offsets include purchasing offset credits (retail or wholesale) from third-party providers with varying project types, investing in projects directly (without a third-party provider) and developing projects independently. There are many different types of offset projects such as fossil fuel reduction (energy efficiency, fuel switching, renewable energy), carbon sequestration (biological, geological), methane capture for combustion or energy production and industrial gas destruction. Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) are not the same as offsets. A REC represents a unit of electricity generated from renewable energy typically at an off campus location and does not necessarily result in a reduction in overall existing carbon emissions. An offset is a reduction in carbon dioxide or removal of eco2. However, RECs can be utilized to account for Scope 2 emissions from purchased electricity. RECs should be sold only once, carefully tracked and certified by a reputable organization. The data collection portion of a GHG inventory is often the most time intensive portion. This was true of Elon s inventory. It took roughly five months to collect all of the necessary data. The process began by identifying the appropriate person for each scope and category as well as institutional information such as budget, enrollment, square footage and number of faculty and staff. Then each person was contacted via phone or to explain the project and ask for his or her relevant information. For example, Keith Dimont, Supervisor of Automotive Services was asked for fuel purchase records in gallons. See Appendix A for a list of who was contacted for each category. The initial goal was to obtain data back to fiscal year (FY) It quickly became apparent that it would not be possible to collect data back to FY 1990 due to lack of records in several areas. Given this, information was collected back to FY 2005 or for as many years as possible. The two categories that required the most data collection time were faculty and staff travel and commuter travel. Faculty and Staff travel records were difficult to obtain because there is not a central travel agency at Elon, and those who travel typically use their procurement card for purchases such as airfare and gasoline or submit travel reimbursement forms when they use their own vehicle. There is not a common method for tracking travel mileage, and it is not tracked by some departments. However, several departments were able to provide travel information (mileage or locations from which mileage could be determined) for the 2008 fiscal year. Some departments provided data for several previous years. To capture additional travel information, procurement card records were analyzed. Gasoline and airfare purchases were extracted to derive an estimate for gallons of gasoline used and air miles traveled. An additional source of travel information is Fuelman card gasoline purchases. Information from travel reimbursement forms was not collected in this initial inventory. The amount of travel done this way is small in comparison to the other methods that were addressed in the inventory. Given this, the time and effort to collect this information was used on other categories. Page 9 of 30

10 Commuter travel information is one of the more challenging categories. The desired metric is annual miles traveled by faculty, staff and student commuters, which can be determined by making estimates and assumptions about commuting habits; by doing an analysis of anonymous addresses for a subset of the population, generating an average distance traveled and making assumptions on which methods are used; or by conducting a commuter habit survey. A combination of these methods was used. A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis was done by an Elon student and faculty member using faculty and staff anonymous addresses to generate an average one-way mileage. A commuter habit survey was created and distributed with the assistance of Institutional Research. See Appendix B for the survey one for faculty and staff and one for students. The results of the commuter habit survey were used to determine the average mileage traveled, number of trips per day and what percentage travel by various methods (single occupancy vehicles, bus and carpool). See Appendix C for the results. Data and Analysis What follows is a summary of the data that was collected: Institutional Information o Operating and energy budget FY 96 thru FY 08 o Student enrollment FY 93 thru FY 08 o Square footage FY 91 thru FY 08 o Faculty and Staff Population FY 02 thru FY 08 Scope 1 o Natural gas purchase records (therms) FY 00 thru FY 08 o Propane purchase records (gallons) FY 97 thru FY 08 o Gasoline purchase records for university tanks (gallons) CY 05 thru CY 07 and FY 08 o Fuelman card gasoline purchase records (gallons) FY 08 o Off-road diesel purchase records (gallons) FY 05 thru FY 08 o Bio-diesel purchase records (gallons) FY 07 and FY 08 o Procurement card records for gasoline purchases (dollars) Jan 08 Sept 08 o Fertilizer application records (pounds) CY 00 thru CY 08 o Refrigerant usage records (pounds) FY 05 thru FY 08 Scope 2 o Electricity purchase records (kilowatt hours) FY 00 thru FY 08 Scope 3 o Athletic team charter bus records (mileage) FY 06 thru FY 08 o Solid waste records (tons) FY 03 thru FY 08 o Study abroad records (number of students in each program) FY 01 thru FY 08 o Athletic team air travel records (mileage) FY 06 thru FY 08 o Faculty and staff travel Destinations or mileage from some departments/divisions Procurement card records for airfare purchases (dollars) Jan 08 Sept 08 Airfare object code report (dollars) FY 08 Page 10 of 30

11 o Commuter travel GIS analysis of faculty and staff anonymous addresses to determine an average mileage Commuter habit survey results Offsets o Yard waste composting (tons) for FY 04 thru FY 08 Most of this data was provided in the form needed to enter it into the CA-CP Campus Carbon Calculator. A few categories required a unit conversion or other analysis to arrive at the correct unit or information needed. They are as follows: Natural gas purchase records therms were converted to MMBtu. Procurement card records for gasoline purchases dollars spent were converted to gallons using an average price for gasoline of $ derived from the Energy Information Association s calendar year national averages for 2007 and Study abroad records the air miles for each program were determined using an online air mileage calculator tool, The number of air miles for each program was multiplied by the number of students in each program. The air miles for all programs were totaled by term (fall, winter, spring and summer). Faculty and staff travel when destinations were provided, was used to determine air miles and was used to determine vehicle miles as appropriate. Procurement card records for airfare purchases dollars spent were converted to air miles using $0.25 per mile as recommended by the Implementation Guide of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. Airfare object code report dollars spent were converted to air miles using $0.25 per mile. The commuter travel category was more involved than the other categories. The GIS analysis was conducted by an Elon student, Nick Dioguardi, and an Elon faculty member, Ryan Kirk. Anonymous faculty and staff addresses as of September 2, 2008 were provided by Deirdre Lea in Human Resources. For the GIS analysis, commuting distances were calculated as the shortest travel route from the nearest road for each residence to the edge of the main Elon campus property. Given this, campus box addresses were given a distance of zero. The mean travel distance to campus is 12.6 miles, and the median distance is 6.7 miles. 42% of faculty and staff live within 5 miles, 58% within 10 miles, 83% within 25 miles, and 98% within 50 miles (Figure 2). Page 11 of 30

12 Figure 2: Faculty and Staff Commutershed Page 12 of 30

13 The commuter habit survey (See Appendix B) was created and the results analyzed with the assistance of Rob Springer, Director of Institutional Research. An was sent to all faculty, staff and students that briefly explained the purpose of the survey and provided a link to complete the survey online. The survey results are as follows (using 180 passenger days/year): (See Appendix C for graphic results.) Students, N = 1387 o 69% commute by car at least once a week with an average of 1 trip a day o 6.75 miles is the average roundtrip by car o 20% commute by bus at least once a week with an average of 1 trip a day o 2.58 miles is the average roundtrip by bus o 71% of students bike or walk to campus at least once a week o 35% of students carpool at least one day a week Faculty, N = 178 o 96% commute by car at least once a week with an average of 1 trip a day o miles is the average roundtrip mileage by car o 0.56% commute by bus at least once a week with an average of 1 trip a day o 6 miles is the average roundtrip by bus o 13% of faculty bike or walk to campus at least once a week o 14% of faculty carpool at least one day a week Staff, N = 245 o 95% commute by car at least once a week with an average of 1.4 trips a day o is the average roundtrip by car o 0.82% commute by bus at least once a week with an average of 0.5 trips a day o 4 miles is the average roundtrip by bus o 6.5% of staff bike or walk to campus at least once a week o 10% of staff carpool at least one day a week The mean one-way travel distance for faculty and staff is 12.6 miles, which is the same distance generated from the GIS analysis. GHG Emissions The baseline year for Elon s GHG inventory is 2008 since that is the year for which the most complete set of data is available. Elon s overarching goal is to become carbon neutral, which does not require knowing the GHG or carbon emissions of several previous years. The metric for measuring GHG or carbon emissions is metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (MTCDE) or metric tons of eco 2. Elon s total GHG emissions for 2008 were 40,533 MTCDE. The net GHG emissions for 2008 were 40,516 MTCDE due to an offset of 17 MTCDE for yard waste composting. Per FTE student, Elon s net GHG emissions were 7.6 MTCDE/student. Per building square foot (ft 2 ), GHG emissions were 0.02 MTCDE/ft 2 or 21.5 kg eco 2 /ft 2. See Table 1 for the category breakdown by metric tons of eco 2 and Figure 1 for a percentage breakdown by category. Page 13 of 30

14 Category Metric Tons of eco 2 Scope 1 Natural Gas/Propane 4644 University Fleet 913 Refrigeration 533 Fertilizer 14 Scope 2 Purchased Electricity Scope 3 Winter Abroad 5768 Semester & Summer Abroad 2887 Faculty/Staff Commuting 2783 Student Commuting 2023 Faculty/Staff Travel 1520 Solid Waste 754 Athletic Team Travel 39 Total Amount Offsets for yard composting - 17 Net Amount Table 1: Total Emissions by Category Page 14 of 30

15 Fertilizer 0% Athletic Team Travel Solid Waste 0% 2% Faculty/Staff Travel 4% Refrigeration 1% Semester & Summer Abroad 7% Winter Abroad 14% Purchased Electricity 46% Faculty/Staff Commuting 7% Student Commuting 5% University Fleet 2% Natural Gas / Propane 12% Figure 1: Emissions Percentage by Category Page 15 of 30

16 Summary and Recommendations Elon s GHG emissions are not out of line with what might be expected given its size and unique characteristics. To put Elon s amount of GHG emissions into perspective it helps to know the emissions of other higher education institutions. Furman University s reported net emissions for 2007 were 27,856 MTCDE. The University of Richmond reported 36,247 MTCDE for its 2008 net emissions, while Oberlin College reported 40,442 MTCDE for 2007 net emissions. While these emissions amounts do provide context to Elon s GHG emissions total, they cannot be used for straight comparisons due to the unique qualities of each institution and the methods used to calculate their emissions totals. For additional net GHG emissions amounts from other higher education institutions see Appendix D. As illustrated in Figure 1, Purchased Electricity is the largest category followed by Winter Abroad and Natural Gas/Propane. Campus energy consumption accounts for 58% of the GHG emissions, which is expected given the primary source of Elon s purchased electricity is coal. Elon spent almost $2 million on over 32 million kwh of electricity in FY 2008 and nearly $1 million on over 800,000 therms of natural gas. The 795 gallons of propane used in FY 2008 cost $2,245. Natural gas and propane are used for heating and burn cleaner than coal. Reductions in direct emissions from energy consumption will likely come from on campus energy conservation, efficiency and upgrade projects, which should be thoroughly investigated in the climate action planning process. Installations of renewable energy such as photovoltaic, solar thermal and geothermal should also be given consideration as retrofits to existing buildings and/or a part of new facilities. Elon is ranked number one in the nation among masters level universities for study abroad programs by the Institute of International Education. About 71% of Elon students study abroad at least once during their time at the university. In FY 2008, 1,236 students studied abroad with an Elon sponsored program. The majority of students study abroad during Winter Term, which explains why Winter Abroad travel is one of the larger categories of Elon s GHG emissions. Including Semester and Summer programs, study abroad accounts for 21% of Elon s GHG emissions. Reducing the number of students who study abroad is not an option given the prestige of this program. What should be explored are options for offsetting study abroad travel to reduce the net GHG emissions from this essential program. Faculty, staff and student commuting accounts for 12% of Elon s GHG emissions. Based on the survey results (see Appendix C), 69% of students commute by car at least once a week and 20% commute by bus at least once a week for a total of approximately 5,197,000 commute miles in FY Faculty and staff commuted approximately 6,883,000 miles in FY 2008 based on minimal bus use and 96% of faculty and 95% of staff commuting by car at least once a week. Options to decrease these emissions involve carpooling, walking, riding a bike and utilizing the Elon Bio-buses. Programs and/or incentives for using these alternative methods of transportation should be explored during the climate action planning process. The GHG emissions from faculty and staff travel amount to 4% of the total. This may also be a difficult number to reduce in that travel is a necessary part of many university employees jobs. Potential ways to decrease net GHG emissions from travel include continuing and increasing the use of hybrid vehicles; Page 16 of 30

17 encouraging carpooling, web conferencing and taking the Amtrak train when appropriate; and utilizing travel offsets. All of these should be considered when creating the university s climate action plan. Categories that contribute a small amount (2% or less) to the total GHG emissions include the University Fleet, Solid Waste, Refrigeration, Athletic Team Travel and Fertilization. University Fleet vehicles and equipment used 89,600 gallons of gasoline, 2,188 gallons of diesel and 1,552 gallons of biodiesel (B20) in FY Elon s fleet is not large and includes several hybrid vehicles as well as biodiesel and electric vehicles all of which emit fewer GHG emissions than traditional gasoline or diesel fueled vehicles. The electric vehicles emissions are included in the purchased electricity category. Efforts to use alternative fuel vehicles should continue to further reduce emissions from the university fleet. The recycling program at Elon has expanded in recent years and that expansion should continue to keep Solid Waste a small portion of Elon s GHG emissions. Approximately 760 tons of solid waste were sent to a landfill in FY Refrigerant emissions result from unintentional leaks from malfunctioning chillers. Approximately 820 pounds of refrigerant had to be replaced due to leaks in FY These leaks do not have a large impact on the university s GHG emissions; however, they are detrimental to the environment. The systems in place to identify and fix these leaks should continue and expand as appropriate with the ultimate goal of no unintentional leaks. Athletic team travel amounts to less than 1/10 th of one percent of the total emissions. The teams typically travel by charter bus, which is less carbon intensive than individual vehicles or vans and air travel. Approximately 43,160 charter bus miles were traveled by the athletic teams in FY Biodiesel charter bus service could be explored to reduce athletic team travel emissions. Fertilizer use is the smallest category with less than 1/25 th of one percent of the total emissions. Approximately 12,250 pounds of fertilizer were used in FY Fertilizer application is carefully monitored to ensure that only what is needed is applied. This should continue along with an increase in organic fertilizer to make the fertilizer category even smaller. In addition to the projects and programs that can take place on campus, additional strategies, mainly offsets, will need to be considered to reduce Elon s net greenhouse gas emissions. Elon already has some offsets (17 MTCDE) in the form of yard waste composting (carbon sequestration). Approximately 90 tons of yard waste were composted in FY This amount will likely increase in FY 09 with the opening of Elon s own yard waste composting facility; however, it will still remain a small offset relative to Elon s overall GHG emissions. Additional offsets will need to be explored to reach the ultimate goal of climate neutrality. As mentioned in the Methodology section, there are different options for investing in offsets such as purchasing offset credits (retail or wholesale) from third-party providers, investing in projects directly (without a third-party provider) and developing projects independently. There are also several types of offset projects: fossil fuel reduction, carbon sequestration, methane capture for combustion or energy production and industrial gas destruction. Offset options that seem more likely in the near term are purchasing retail offset credits and investing in projects directly. If Elon made no changes to campus operations and programs, i.e., no reduction in energy consumption, no renewable energy, no additional Page 17 of 30

18 alternative transportation and fuels, etc., and bought retail offset credits for all of its 2008 net GHG emissions, the cost would vary widely depending upon the provider and offset projects chosen. Using current pricing of four providers, the cost range is $500,000 to $892,000, with the average being about $689,000. To maintain this level of offset, a similar purchase would need to be made for each year s net GHG emissions. The intention is to utilize offsets only after reducing emissions on campus as much as possible. Purchasing retail offset credits for all of Elon s net GHG emissions would not be an effective use of financial resources. With the initial GHG inventory complete, subsequent inventories that include the same categories will not be as challenging. The appropriate person has been indentified and knows the data they provided for this inventory will be asked of them every year going forward. It is recommended that additional categories be considered in future inventories, as the resources to do so become available. For example, the newly released version of the CA-CP Campus Carbon Calculator Tool allows paper purchases to be included. Paper purchasing should be included in the FY 2009 GHG inventory. CA-CP is currently working on a tool to assess the carbon footprint of dining services that would complement the existing Campus Carbon Calculator. The availability date of this additional tool is uncertain at this time. When available, this tool should be utilized to incorporate the impact of dining services into Elon s overall GHG inventory. As new categories are added in future years, it will be necessary for comparison purposes to go back and estimate these categories for past years. The faculty and staff travel category was the most difficult for which to collect records. The information is dispersed throughout all the university s departments as there is no central travel office or agency. The methods used to collect data and estimate mileage for this initial inventory were effective and will be utilized in the future; however, the following recommendations would provide more accurate data for the faculty and staff travel category: Air travel of faculty and staff o Require flight mileage in the procurement card system o Require flight mileage on reimbursement forms o Implement system to collect and report mileage information Car travel of faculty and staff o Implement system to collect and report mileage information from travel reimbursement forms The Admissions and Advancement Departments have agreed to provide actual air and vehicle miles for future years. They will be using a spreadsheet form to track this information more closely and will provide it at interim dates during the year or at least at the end of the fiscal year. This will greatly improve the accuracy of the faculty and staff travel information as these two departments do the vast majority of Elon s business related travel. The departments that provided travel information for this initial inventory will also be tracking travel mileage more closely in future years as they know it will be requested every year going forward. Additional departments could agree to do the same, or a university-wide policy incorporating the recommendations above could be implemented to require better tracking of travel mileage. Page 18 of 30

19 This initial GHG emissions inventory was a valuable and essential first step toward achieving climate neutrality. The process of gathering the information and the overall results will be utilized to develop Elon s CAP, which will include interim emissions reduction targets and serve as a roadmap for carrying out projects designed to reduce net GHG emissions. The recommended target for climate neutrality in the Sustainability Master Plan is 2037 (30 years from 2007). Elon s interim emissions reduction targets will likely be either a percentage reduction from 2008 net emissions each year or at specified milestone years. For example, if a yearly target is set it might be a 3.5% reduction in net GHG emissions from 2008 levels each year resulting in neutrality in A more aggressive target of a 5% yearly reduction from 2008 levels would result in climate neutrality in A yearly target could also change starting at 5% for a few years and then changing to 4% followed by 3% keeping 2037 as the target for climate neutrality. Interim targets at specified milestone years could be set as follows: 25% reduction from 2008 net GHG emissions in 5 years (by 2013) 50% reduction from 2008 net GHG emissions in 10 years (by 2018) 80% reduction from 2008 net GHG emissions in 20 years (by 2028) 100% reduction from 2008 net GHG emissions in 29 years (by 2037) It will be important to account for growth and the inclusion of additional categories in subsequent GHG inventories with either interim reduction target method. The appropriate method will be selected after investigating strategies for reducing emissions and identifying the impact of each strategy, including the environmental, social and economic costs and benefits. This process has already started within the Environmental Advisory Council and will continue with the assistance of a consulting firm. The projects and programs mentioned here ranging from continued energy conservation and renewable energy to expanded use of alternative transportation, as well as others, will be assessed to identify the optimal strategies for reducing Elon s GHG emissions. This information will be utilized to develop Elon s CAP. As previously mentioned, a CAP is a living, flexible document that may change as technology and research develops. A GHG inventory will be conducted yearly to monitor progress toward Elon s interim reduction goals and the ultimate goal of climate neutrality. Page 19 of 30

20 Appendix A Data Sources Institutional Information o Operating and energy budget (dollars) FY 96 thru FY 08 Andrea Edwards, Accountant-Budget Analyst o Student enrollment FY 93 thru FY 08 Libby Joyce, Assistant Director of Institutional Research Common Data Sets Registrar enrollment records o Square footage FY 91 thru FY 08 Neil Bromilow, Director of Construction Management o Faculty and Staff Population FY 02 thru FY 08 Deirdre Lea, Human Resources Specialist Scope 1 o Natural gas purchase records (therms) FY 00 thru FY 08 Paige Vignali, Utilities Clerk o Propane purchase records (gallons) FY 97 thru FY 08 Paige Vignali, Utilities Clerk o Gasoline purchase records for university tanks (gallons) CY 05 thru CY 07 and FY 08 Keith Dimont, Supervisor of Automotive Services o Fuelman card gasoline purchase records (gallons) FY 08 Keith Dimont, Supervisor of Automotive Services o Off-road diesel purchase records (gallons) FY 05 thru FY 08 Ron Morgan, Physical Plant Buyer o Bio-diesel purchase records (gallons) FY 07 and FY 08 Keith Dimont, Supervisor of Automotive Services o Procurement card records for gasoline purchases (dollars) Jan 08 Sept 08 Jeff Hendricks, Director of Purchasing o Fertilizer application records (pounds) CY 00 thru CY 08 Tom Flood, Supervisor of Landscaping and Grounds Larry Rhodes, Sports Turf Manager o Refrigerant usage records (pounds) FY 05 thru FY 08 Jeff Baisley, HVACR Supervisor Scope 2 o Electricity purchase records (kilowatt hours) FY 00 thru FY 08 Paige Vignali, Utilities Clerk Scope 3 o Athletic team charter bus records (mileage) FY 06 thru FY 08 Kyle Wills, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Business and Operations o Solid waste records (tons) FY 03 thru FY 08 Dave Worden, Director of Environmental Services Page 20 of 30

21 Amy Brewington, Republic Waste Services o Study abroad records (number of students in each program) FY 01 thru FY 08 Cindy Duke, Administrative Assistant - Isabella Cannon Centre for International Studies o Athletic team air travel records (mileage) FY 06 thru FY 08 Kyle Wills, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Business and Operations o Faculty and staff travel Elon College (Dean Steven House), Carolynn Whitley, Administrative Assistant - Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences o Number of trips FY 05 thru FY 08 Love School of Business (Dean Mary Gowan), Kristin Barrier, Administrative Assistant - Love School of Business o Travel records (destinations) FY 08 School of Education (Interim Dean Judith Howard), Celeste Richards, Administrative Assistant - School of Education o Air travel records (destinations) FY 07 and FY 08 o Vehicle miles estimate FY 08 School of Communications (Dean Paul Parsons), Phyllis Phillips, Administrative Assistant - School of Communications o Travel records (mileage) FY 08 School of Law (Interim Dean George Johnson), Karlan Barker, Assistant to the Dean of the Elon University School of Law, Tammy Horn (additional contact), Registrar Elon University School of Law o Used estimates from procurement card purchases and airfare object code report o Will provide actual mileage for future years Physical Therapy (Associate Dean Elizabeth Rogers) o Travel records (destinations) FY 08 Advancement (Vice President Nan Perkins), Kurt Carlson, Director of Development, Jennifer Wagner, Program Assistant - Office of Development and Corporate and Foundation Relations o Used estimates from procurement card purchases and airfare object code report o Will track actual air miles and vehicle miles for future years Student Life (Vice President Smith Jackson), Susan Lindley, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students o Travel records (mileage) FY 06 thru FY 08 Admissions (Vice President Susan Klopman), Greg Zaiser, Dean of Admissions, Barry Bradberry, Associate Dean - Admissions and Financial Planning Page 21 of 30

22 o o Used estimates from procurement card purchases and airfare object code report o Will track actual air miles and vehicle miles for future years Procurement card records for airfare purchases (dollars) Jan 08 Sept 08 Jeff Hendricks, Director of Purchasing Airfare object code report (dollars) FY 08 Andrea Edwards, Accountant-Budget Analyst Commuter travel GIS analysis of faculty and staff anonymous addresses to determine an average mileage Deirdre Lea, Human Resources Specialist, provided the addresses. Ryan Kirk, Instructor Geography and Environmental Studies, and Nick Dioguardi, Student Environmental Studies major, did the analysis. Commuter habit survey results Rob Springer, Director of Institutional Research, assisted with survey creation, put the survey online, sent the survey via and analyzed the data. Page 22 of 30

23 Appendix B Elon University Commuting Habit Survey Students Please complete this 6 question survey to help us determine the commuting habits of the campus community. This information will be utilized in calculating Elon s greenhouse gas inventory or carbon footprint. The carbon footprint process is the first step toward becoming climate neutral, which is the overarching goal of Elon s Sustainability Master Plan. 1. Where do you live? On campus Off campus 2. Which one of the following best describes you? Traditional Student Master of Business Administration (MBA) Student Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) Student Law Student 3. How many trips to campus, for classes or events (athletic, cultural, etc.), do you make per mode of transportation each week? Include multiple trips in a day. Bike or Walk Bus Drive a vehicle 4. How many miles do you travel (one-way) to get to campus? Please round to the nearest mile. Use these examples, if you need help determining mileage: From West End Apartments to the Elon campus roundtrip is about 0.5 mile. From Provence Apartments to the Elon campus roundtrip is about 1 mile. From Hunter s Bridge Apartments to the Elon campus roundtrip is about 4 miles. From The Chase Apartments to the Elon campus roundtrip is about 3 miles. From downtown Burlington to the Elon campus is about 5 miles. From Graham to the Elon campus is about 9 miles. Page 23 of 30

24 From Gibsonville to the Elon campus is about 3 miles. From downtown Greensboro to the Elon campus is about 20 miles. From Chapel Hill to the Elon campus is about 40 miles. From Elon to the Law School campus is about 20 miles. From Graham to the Law School campus is about 26 miles. From Chapel Hill to the Law School campus is about 52 miles. 5. What type of vehicle do you drive to campus? Gasoline Diesel Motorcycle/scooter Hybrid Electric 6. How often do you carpool to campus? Rarely/Never 1 day a week 2 days a week 3 days a week 4 days a week 5 or more days a week 7. If you carpool 2 days a week or less, what is the most dominant factor that keeps you from carpooling more often? (Select only one) Varied and unpredictable schedule Desire for convenience/flexibility Do not know of other Elon students who would want to carpool Thank you for participating! Page 24 of 30

25 Elon University Commuting Habit Survey Faculty and Staff Please complete this 6 question survey to help us determine the commuting habits of the campus community. This information will be utilized in calculating Elon s greenhouse gas inventory or carbon footprint. The carbon footprint process is the first step toward becoming climate neutral, which is the overarching goal of Elon s Sustainability Master Plan. 8. Which one of the following describes you? Faculty Staff 9. How many trips to campus, for classes or events (athletic, cultural, etc.), do you make per mode of transportation each week? Include multiple trips in a day. Bike or Walk Bus Drive a vehicle 10. How many miles do you travel (one-way) to get to campus? Please round to the nearest mile. Use these examples, if you need help determining mileage: From downtown Burlington to the Elon campus is about 5 miles. From Graham to the Elon campus is about 9 miles. From Gibsonville to the Elon campus is about 3 miles. From downtown Greensboro to the Elon campus is about 20 miles. From Chapel Hill to the Elon campus is about 40 miles. From Durham to the Elon campus is about 41 miles. From Whitsett to the Elon campus is about 6 miles. From Mebane to the Elon campus is about 15 miles. From Graham to the Law School campus is about 26 miles. From Chapel Hill to the Law School campus is about 52 miles. 4. What type of vehicle do you drive to campus? Gasoline Diesel Page 25 of 30

26 Motorcycle/scooter Hybrid Electric 5. How often do you carpool to campus? Rarely/Never 1 day a week 2 days a week 3 days a week 4 days a week 5 or more days a week 6. If you carpool 2 days a week or less, what is the most dominant factor that keeps you from carpooling more often? (Select only one) Varied and unpredictable schedule Desire for convenience/flexibility Do not know of other Elon employees who would want to carpool Thank you for participating! Page 26 of 30

27 Roundtrip Miles Percentage by Car Appendix C Commuter Habit Survey Results 100% Commute by car at least once a week Avg. = 1 trip/day* Avg. = 1.4 trips/day* 80% Avg. = 1 trip/day* 60% 40% 69% 96% 95% 20% 0% Students Faculty Staff *based on a 5-day work/school week 35 Average miles roundtrip by car miles miles miles 5 0 Students Faculty Staff Page 27 of 30

28 Roundtrip Miles Percentage by Bus 25% Commute by bus at least once a week 20% Avg. = 1 trip/day* 15% 10% 20% 5% 0% Avg. = 1 trip/day* Avg. = 0.5 trip/day* 0.56% 0.82% Students Faculty Staff *based on a 5-day work/school week 7 6 Average miles roundtrip by bus 6 miles miles miles Students Faculty Staff Page 28 of 30

29 Percentage that Carpool Percentage that Bike or Walk 80% Bike or walk to campus at least once a week Avg. = 3.5 trips/day* 60% 40% 71% 20% 0% Avg. = 0.8 trip/day* 13% Avg. = 1.4 trips/day* 6.5% Students Faculty Staff *based on a 5-day work/school week 40% Avg. = 2.4 days/week Carpool at least once a week 30% 20% 10% 35% Avg. = 3 days/week 14% Avg. = 3 days/week 10% 0% Students Faculty Staff Page 29 of 30

30 Appendix D Net GHG Emissions of Other Institutions Institution Year Net GHG Emissions (MTCDE) FTE Students Drake University ,665 4,143 Furman University ,856 3,010 Ithaca College ,629 6,660 Santa Clara University ,697 7,119 Stetson University ,211 2,345 Trinity University ,405 2,462 University of Richmond ,247 3,550 Agnes Scott College , Oberlin College ,442 2,744 Warren Wilson College , Duke University ,960 13,002 UNC-Chapel Hill ,469 25,895 Guilford College ,524 2,153 Middlebury College ,882 2,500 University of CA, Berkley ,215 33,948 University of CO, Boulder ,140 29,988 University of CA, Santa Barbara ,671 21,410 Pomona College ,406 1,547 University of MD, College Park ,144 32,467 Arizona State University ,217 64,394 Cornell University ,000 19,800 Clemson University ,080 17,585 Source: American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Reporting System Page 30 of 30