GHG Report for College of the Atlantic
Submitted on September 15, 2008; last updated on December 26, 2012
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) | 1,125 metric tons of CO2e | 3.3 metric tons of CO2e | 9.7 metric tons of CO2e | 91% |
| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) | 1,351 metric tons of CO2e | 4.0 metric tons of CO2e | 11.7 metric tons of CO2e | 76% |
| Net emissions | 326 metric tons of CO2e | 1.0 metric tons of CO2e | 2.8 metric tons of CO2e | N/A |
Emissions Inventory Methodology and Boundaries
| Start date of the 12-month period covered in this report | July 1, 2007 |
| 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.
None |
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| Emissions calculation tool used | Clean Air-Cool Planet |
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Please describe why this tool was selected.
College of the Atlantic is a member of Clean Air--Cool Planet's Campuses for Climate Action Program. The ACUPPC program recommends this calculator since it was expressly designed for colleges. We found it to be comprehensive and easy to use. We did not change any of the coefficients used in the spreadsheet. |
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Please describe the source(s) of the emissions coefficients used.
The emissions coefficients are the ones inherent in the Clean Air--Cool Planet spreadsheet calculator. |
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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.
The Sustainability Director worked with several students to collect the necessary data from College offices and from providers of heating fuel and electricity. A student also conducted the commuter survey that provide the information to enter into the commuter section of the carbon calculator. Another student analyzed travel reimbursement vouchers and credit card receipts to gather data on air travel by faculty, staff and students. |
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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 on solid waste was based on an estimate of tons per week generated by the College by the solid waste disposal service that with which the College contracts. This was an "eyeball" estimate, as opposed to using scales to weigh the truck with solid waste. The weekly estimate was expanded to cover fiscal year 2008 (50 tons).
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Emissions Data
Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)
| Scope 1 Emissions | |
|---|---|
| Stationary Combustion | 604.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Mobile Combustion | 12.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Process Emissions | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Fugitive Emissions | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 1 emissions | 616.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 2 Emissions | |
| Purchased Electricity | 509.0 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 | 509.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 3 Emissions | |
| Commuting | 226.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Air Travel | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Solid Waste | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| 0 | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| 0 | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| 0 | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 3 emissions | 226.0 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 | 1,025.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Offset verification program(s) | Other |
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Description of offsets purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
The College of the Atlantic offset all of its carbon emissions for the 15-month period of October 1, 2006 through the end of December 2007 by the purchase of carbon offsets from The Climate Trust in Portland Oregon. The project that generated the carbon offsets was the Traffic Signals Optimization Project. The above time frame covers the first half of the FY 2008, that is the period from July 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007. The total amount of carbon offsets purchased was 2150 tons. Of this amount, approximately 40% is credited to carbon emissions for the first half of FY 2008. COA carbon emissions for the second half of FY 2008 (January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008) were offset by a separate purchase of carbon offsets from the Carbonfund.org subsequent to this report filing. |
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| Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) | |
| Total RECs purchased | 864506 kWh |
| Percent of total electricity consumption mitigated through the purchase of RECs | 100.0 % |
| Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
| REC verification program(s) | Green-e |
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Description of RECs purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
The College purchased the total amount of electricity used on an annual basis from a Maine-based renewable electric energy supplier; essentially we were purchasing RECs. |
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| Sequestration and Carbon Storage | |
| Sequestration due to land owned by the institution | 0.0 metric tons of CO2e |
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Description of how sequestration was calculated
While COA owns a 72 acre farm, 65 acres of which are forested, the College does not claim any carbon sequestration for these acres. |
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| Carbon storage due to composting | No information provided |
Normalization and Contextual Data
| Building Space | |
|---|---|
| Gross square feet of building space | 115,595.0 sq ft |
| Net assignable square feet of laboratory space | No information provided |
| 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) | 338.0 |
| Residential Students | No information provided |
| Full-time Commuter Students | No information provided |
| Part-time Commuter Students | No information provided |
| Non-Credit Students | No information provided |
| Full-time Faculty | 26 |
| Part-time Faculty | 15 |
| Full-time Staff | 70 |
| Part-time Staff | No information provided |
| Other Contextual Data | |
| Endowment Size | 20000000 |
| Heating Degree Days | 7493 |
| Cooling Degree Days | 232 |
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Please describe any circumstances specific to your institution that provide context for understanding your greenhouse gas emissions this year.
On November 1, 2007, the College of the Atlantic switched to 100% renewable electricity provided by an in-state hydro power plant. Therefore, the College was generating indirect carbon emissions from its electricity use only during the first four months of the FY 2008 fiscal year. For the last eight months of the fiscal year all electricity to the College's facilities came from a renewable source, via RECs, that does not contribute carbon emissions to the atmosphere.
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Supporting Documentation
| Completed inventory narrative |
College of the Atlantic Getting to Carbon Net Zero Download |
| Completed inventory calculator | Download |