GHG Report for Syracuse University
Submitted on September 12, 2008; last updated on November 26, 2008
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2) | 82,485 metric tons of CO2e | 5.1 metric tons of CO2e | 11.3 metric tons of CO2e | 0% |
| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) | 123,137 metric tons of CO2e | 7.6 metric tons of CO2e | 16.9 metric tons of CO2e | 0% |
| Net emissions | 123,137 metric tons of CO2e | 7.6 metric tons of CO2e | 16.9 metric tons of CO2e | N/A |
Emissions Inventory Methodology and Boundaries
| Start date of the 12-month period covered in this report | July 1, 2000 |
| Consolidation methodology used to determine organizational boundaries | Operational 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.
SU-owned and/or operated facilities away from our main campuses in Central New York were excluded, as these operations clearly fall within the de minimus range, and data collection would have consumed much time and expense. |
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| Emissions calculation tool used | Clean Air-Cool Planet |
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Please describe why this tool was selected.
CA/CP is consistent with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and was recommended in the PCC Implementation Guidelines. |
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Please describe the source(s) of the emissions coefficients used.
Electrical generation mix was set to Upstate New York regional values. Otherwise, all default coefficients from CA/CP were used as supplied (version 5.0). |
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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.
Sustainability Division staff collected data from various University administrative systems, including energy management, space management, student records (registrations), human resources (employment), and study abroad (registrations, implying travel). A stratified survey was conducted of commuters (faculty, staff, students) during the Spring 2007 semester; commuting averages calculated were extrapolated to previous timeframes based on headcounts. |
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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.
No information provided |
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Please describe any data limitations related to this submission and any major assumptions made in response to these limitations.
Data for University-paid travel is known to be incomplete. No reasonable means exists for estimating the portion of travel which is not accounted for. |
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Emissions Data
Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)
| Scope 1 Emissions | |
|---|---|
| Stationary Combustion | 6,714.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Mobile Combustion | 2,318.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Process Emissions | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Fugitive Emissions | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 1 emissions | 9,032.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 2 Emissions | |
| Purchased Electricity | 48,766.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Heating | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Cooling | 5.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Steam | 24,682.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 2 emissions | 73,453.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 3 Emissions | |
| Commuting | 21,762.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Air Travel | 18,890.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Solid Waste | No information provided |
| Total Scope 3 emissions | 40,652.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Biogenic Emissions | |
| Biogenic Emissions from Stationary Combustion | No information provided |
| Biogenic Emissions from Mobile Combustion | No information provided |
Mitigation Data
| Carbon Offsets | |
|---|---|
| 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 | None kWh |
| Percent of total electricity consumption mitigated through the purchase of RECs | None % |
| Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs | No information provided |
| REC verification program(s) | No information provided |
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Description of RECs purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
No information provided |
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| Sequestration and Carbon Storage | |
| Sequestration due to land owned by the institution | No information provided |
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Description of how sequestration was calculated
No information provided |
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| Carbon storage due to composting | No information provided |
Normalization and Contextual Data
| Building Space | |
|---|---|
| Gross square feet of building space | 7,292,857.0 sq ft |
| Net assignable square feet of laboratory space | 206,002.0 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) | 16191.0 |
| Residential Students | 7500 |
| Full-time Commuter Students | 6795 |
| Part-time Commuter Students | 3791 |
| Non-Credit Students | No information provided |
| Full-time Faculty | 924 |
| Part-time Faculty | No information provided |
| Full-time Staff | 3134 |
| Part-time Staff | No information provided |
| Other Contextual Data | |
| Endowment Size | No information provided |
| Heating Degree Days | No information provided |
| Cooling Degree Days | No information provided |
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Please describe any circumstances specific to your institution that provide context for understanding your greenhouse gas emissions this year.
Note that SU's solid waste goes to a waste-to-energy facility operated by the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency. As a result, CA/CP calculated a net reduction of 280 tonnes eCO2 for FY 2001. We have decided not to enter this reduction credit, on the theory that it unintentionally rewards increases in the solid waste stream, to the disadvantage of recycling and other waste reduction efforts. |
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Supporting Documentation
| Completed inventory narrative |
Syracuse Universitys Greenhouse Gas Inventory Download |
| Completed inventory calculator | Download |