ACUPCC Reporting System

GHG Report for Antioch University Seattle

Submitted on May 28, 2009; last updated on May 28, 2009

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) 16 metric tons of CO2e 0.0 metric tons of CO2e 0.3 metric tons of CO2e 0%
Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) 1,368 metric tons of CO2e 2.3 metric tons of CO2e 26.2 metric tons of CO2e 0%
Net emissions 1,368 metric tons of CO2e 2.3 metric tons of CO2e 26.2 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 No information provided
If any institution-owned, leased, or operated buildings or other holdings that should fall within the organizational boundaries are omitted, briefly explain why.

N/A

Emissions calculation tool used Clean Air-Cool Planet
Please describe why this tool was selected.

After researching the various calculation tools, I was inclined to the CACP calculator, primarily due to the collaborative venture between universities that lead to the calculator's creation. Its focus on college and university campuses seemed appropriate for AUS.

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

CA-CP Campus Carbon Calculator's default emissions coefficients.

Which version of IPCC's list of global warming potentials did you use? Third Assessment Report
Who primarily conducted this emissions inventory? Student researcher(s)
Please describe the process of conducting the inventory.

Transportation data was collected through an online survey on the travel habits of students, faculty, and staff. This provided adequate information for estimating the campus population's annual transportation emissions.

Energy resource data is collected for billing purposes each month and is current through 2002. The custom fuel mix data for Seattle City Light can be found in the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development's Electric Utility Fuel Mix Reports.

Information on solid waste production is based on estimates of weight, using estimation guidelines from RecycleMania.

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

Please describe any data limitations related to this submission and any major assumptions made in response to these limitations.

The transportation survey data collected was based on input from 7% of the total campus body and represents a single quarter of travel (Spring 2009). Due to the regular turn over in the student body and the large region AUS draws students from, there is significant room for variability in transportation emissions from quarter to quarter that may not be accounted for using one quarter's data to infer annual emissions.

The data from spring quarter 2009 was used to estimate emissions for 2007-08, based on the number of students, faculty, and staff commuting to Antioch during that time. Based on the acknowledgment of the variability of emissions from quarter to quarter and the limitations of a small sample size, the transportation emissions must be considered rough estimates.

Electricity Fuel Mix Data for 2008 is not currently available, so the percentages from 2007 were used. Seattle City Light's portfolio has not significantly changed from year to year since 2002.

Emissions Data

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

Scope 1 Emissions
Stationary Combustion 0.0 metric tons of CO2e
Mobile Combustion 0.0 metric tons of CO2e
Process Emissions 0.0 metric tons of CO2e
Fugitive Emissions 0.0 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 1 emissions 0.0 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 2 Emissions
Purchased Electricity 16.0 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 16.0 metric tons of CO2e
Scope 3 Emissions
Commuting 1,132.0 metric tons of CO2e
Air Travel 218.0 metric tons of CO2e
Solid Waste 2.0 metric tons of CO2e
Total Scope 3 emissions 1,352.0 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
Description of offsets purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)

No information provided

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
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 52,258.0 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) 601.0
Residential Students No information provided
Full-time Commuter Students 392
Part-time Commuter Students 417
Non-Credit Students No information provided
Full-time Faculty 58
Part-time Faculty No information provided
Full-time Staff 70
Part-time Staff No information provided
Other Contextual Data
Endowment Size No information provided
Heating Degree Days 5247
Cooling Degree Days 361
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 Download

Auditing and Verification

These emissions data have not been audited, verified, or peer-reviewed.