ACUPCC Reporting System

GHG Report for University of California, Davis

Submitted on January 18, 2012; last updated on January 18, 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
Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2) 227,832 metric tons of CO2e 7.4 metric tons of CO2e 14.0 metric tons of CO2e 0%
Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) 293,594 metric tons of CO2e 9.5 metric tons of CO2e 18.0 metric tons of CO2e 0%
Net emissions 293,594 metric tons of CO2e 9.5 metric tons of CO2e 18.0 metric tons of CO2e N/A

Emissions Inventory Methodology and Boundaries

Start date of the 12-month period covered in this report January 1, 2010
Consolidation methodology used to determine organizational boundaries Operational control approach
If any institution-owned, leased, or operated buildings or other holdings that should fall within the organizational boundaries are omitted, briefly explain why.

All institution-owned, leased and operated holdings are included.

Emissions calculation tool used Other
Please describe why this tool was selected.

CRIS is the emissions calculation tool for The Climate Registry, which UC Davis joined as a member in 2009.

Please describe the source(s) of the emissions coefficients used.

Nearly all emission factors were taken from The Climate Registry's Reporting Protocol. Exceptions were for some simplified emissions calculations in which densities from MSD's were used, and for electricity vendor emission factors that were more accurate than the default factors given in the Reporting Protocol.

Which version of IPCC's list of global warming potentials did you use? Second Assessment Report
Who primarily conducted this emissions inventory? Sustainability office staff
Please describe the process of conducting the inventory.

No information provided
Please describe any emissions sources that were classified as de minimis and explain how a determination of the significance of these emissions was made.

The Climate Registry does not have a de minimis emissions category. The following sources used a simplified emission methodology:

- Research Gases
- Refrigerants
- SF6 from fume hood testing
- natural gas transmission and distribution lines
- fire extinguishers
Please describe any data limitations related to this submission and any major assumptions made in response to these limitations.

This report includes all available data for all campuses and facilities related to UC Davis, including outside gross square feet of built space and population figures, as well as purchased utilities.

Air travel emissions are based on a combination of data received from the Study Abroad Program, the Athletic Department, and a sampling of randoms days of air travel from faculty and staff that were then extrapolated to estimate yearly emissions.

Commuter emissions for the Davis campus were based off of a regression calculation from the campus population and previous years' commuting mileage. For the Sacramento campus, commuter mileage for 2009 was extrapolated to 2010 by taking a ratio of the campus populations in those two years.

Unitrans (campus bus system) is a 50/50 shared transit system with the City of Davis, financially, but UC Davis is the sole operator of the system. Therefore, because the campus reports into TCR under operational control, the campus has reported 100% of the Unitrans emissions in this report. However, the City also reports a 50% share in city emissions inventories. This report may, therefore, be amended in the future to only include 50% of the Unitrans-related emissions.

Emissions Data

Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)

Scope 1 Emissions
Stationary Combustion 127,652.08 metric tons of CO2e
Mobile Combustion 7,449.18 metric tons of CO2e
Process Emissions 9,434.18 metric tons of CO2e
Fugitive Emissions 9,941.89 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 1 emissions 154,477.33 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 2 Emissions
Purchased Electricity 73,354.47 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 73,354.47 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 3 Emissions
Commuting 48,735.65 metric tons of CO2e
Air Travel 17,027.0 metric tons of CO2e
Solid Waste No information provided
Total Scope 3 emissions 65,762.65 metric tons of CO2e
Biogenic Emissions
Biogenic Emissions from Stationary Combustion 116.47 metric tons of CO2e
Biogenic Emissions from Mobile Combustion 126.4 metric tons of CO2e

Mitigation Data

Carbon Offsets
Carbon offsets purchased No information provided
Offset verification program(s) No information provided
Description of offsets purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)

No information provided
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)
Total RECs purchased 0 kWh
Percent of total electricity consumption mitigated through the purchase of RECs 0.0 %
Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs No information provided
REC verification program(s) No information provided
Description of RECs purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)

No information provided
Sequestration and Carbon Storage
Sequestration due to land owned by the institution No information provided
Description of how sequestration was calculated

No information provided

Carbon storage due to composting No information provided

Normalization and Contextual Data

Building Space
Gross square feet of building space 16,314,465.0 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) 30874.0
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 4052
Part-time Faculty 3334
Full-time Staff 13044
Part-time Staff 900
Other Contextual Data
Endowment Size No information provided
Heating Degree Days 4226
Cooling Degree Days 705
Please describe any circumstances specific to your institution that provide context for understanding your greenhouse gas emissions this year.

No information provided

Supporting Documentation

Completed inventory narrative No information provided
Completed inventory calculator No information provided

Auditing and Verification

These emissions data have been audited, verified, or peer-reviewed.
Please briefly describe this verification, if any.

No information provided