Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.71
Liaison Keisha Payson
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2019
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Bowdoin College
OP-1: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 9.83 / 10.00 Keisha Payson
Sustainability Director
Facilities Mgmt
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Part 1 

Has the institution conducted a GHG emissions inventory that includes all Scope 1 and 2 emissions? :
Yes

Does the institution’s GHG emissions inventory include all, some or none of its Scope 3 GHG emissions from the following categories?:
All, Some, or None
Business travel All
Commuting Some
Purchased goods and services None
Capital goods None
Waste generated in operations All
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 Some
Other categories None

A copy of the most recent GHG emissions inventory:
A brief description of the methodology and/or tool used to complete the GHG emissions inventory, including how the institution accounted for each category of Scope 3 emissions reported above:
The data collected and reported comes from actual utility invoices and metered consumption data with the exception of airline travel and employee commute. Our Financial Analyst provided gallons of gasoline purchased, #2 oil purchased, MMbtu of NG purchased, and kwh purchased for scope 1 and scope 2 emissions. For scope 3 emissions, company travel was calculated by dollars spent on airline travel gathered from the Controller's Office. Airline travel was calculated based on a dollar amount spent on travel using figures from airlines.org. Based on the Department of Transportation data in 2017, we used $0.1527 cents per mile. Emissions based on College owned vehicles was based on purchased gallons of gasoline. For employee commuting data, employee commute distances were calculated by comparing workplace location to paycheck zip code and dividing this distance by national carpooling averages. Also included in this calculation was employee job class (i.e., part time academic year, full time academic year, part time year round, full time year round, etc. ) The mileage data was then multiplied by the regional fuel economy to generate the gallons of gasoline and diesel used. The adjusted mileage data was converted to GHG emissions using the NOV 2015 EPA guidance for gasoline passenger vehicle emissions per mile.

Has the GHG emissions inventory been validated internally by personnel who are independent of the GHG accounting and reporting process and/or verified by an independent, external third party?:
Yes

A brief description of the internal and/or external verification process:
Bowdoin contracts with a local energy consultant to complete its annual GHG Emissions Report.This report breaks down the college's total emissions into measurements of the sources of Scope 1, 2, & 3, while providing historical data and future predictions to guide the college's reduction goals.

Documentation to support the internal and/or external verification process:
---

Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 and Part 3 of this credit? (reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions):
Yes

Part 2 

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 8,575 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 9,924 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 709 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 390.79 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from purchased electricity 2,630 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 6,583.68 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from other sources 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Total 11,914 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 16,898.47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Start Date End Date
Performance Year July 1, 2017 June 30, 2018
Baseline Year July 1, 2004 June 30, 2005

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
We chose 2005 as the baseline year in order to be consistent with previous STARS submissions.

Figures needed to determine total carbon offsets:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased (exclude purchased RECs/GOs) 9,790 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Institution-catalyzed carbon offsets generated 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon sequestration due to land that the institution manages specifically for sequestration 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon storage from on-site composting 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Carbon offsets included above for which the emissions reductions have been sold or transferred by the institution 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Net carbon offsets 9,790 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

If total performance year carbon offsets are greater than zero, provide:

A brief description of the offsets in each category reported above, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
Climate Action Reserve certified carbon offsets from the Mt. Carberry Landfill in Berlin, NH.

The reporting fields in the table below are reserved for institutions that have NOT already accounted for renewable energy purchases (including RECs and GOs) in their Scope 2 GHG emissions calculations. Other institutions - including all SIMAP users - should report zero ('0') to avoid double-counting. 

Emissions reductions attributable to Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) or Guarantee of Origin (GO) purchases:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Emissions reductions attributable to REC/GO purchases 13,221.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the purchased RECs/GOs including vendor, project source and verification program:
One REC represents the environmental benefits of 1-megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable electricity generated and delivered to the power grid. By purchasing these products, we alone have the right to all associated claims about the environmental benefits it embodies. Bonneville Environmental Foundation RECs may be sourced from new wind, solar, biomass and qualifying hydoelectric facilities, although those in the contract with Bowdoin specify wind facilities in Texas. The contract is for two years, with an annual purchase of 17,771 RECS (17,771,000 kWh equivalent) from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. These RECs are not counted in Scope 2 (above) as renewable energy, only here as RECs. The reduction in Scope 2 above between the baseline year and the performance year is due to reduced kWh consumption as well as a greener electric grid - not due to any REC purchase.

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 16,898.47 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Number of students resident on-site 1,634 1,581
Number of employees resident on-site 25 22
Number of other individuals resident on-site and/or staffed hospital beds 22 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,814 1,701
Full-time equivalent of employees (staff + faculty) 928 704
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted campus users 2,493.25 2,204.50

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user:
Performance Year Baseline Year
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7.67 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
100

Part 3

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
2,094,839 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor Area
Laboratory space 98,315 Square feet
Healthcare space 9,194 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 169,029 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
2,478,886 Gross square feet

Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
0 MtCO2e per square foot

Optional Fields 

Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
Emissions
Business travel 724 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Commuting 1,373 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Purchased goods and services 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Capital goods 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 158 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Waste generated in operations 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Other categories 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives, including efforts made during the previous three years:
---

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
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Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.