| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 72.81 |
| Liaison | Austin Eriksson |
| Submission Date | Nov. 29, 2021 |
California State University, Northridge
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.25 / 3.00 |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Part 1. Greenhouse gas emissions inventory
Yes
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:
The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions report for California State University,
Northridge was prepared in accordance with the standards established by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and adopted by the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The inventory was done using a custom tool designed in SkySpark by CSUN's Energy Information Systems contractor, which is based on the Excel version of Clean Air – Cool Planet’s Campus Carbon Calculator, CPCC (v6.75). Emissions are divided into Scopes 1, 2 and 3 as defined by those standards. Data for Scopes 1 and 2 are complete for this time period and have been taken from Monthly Energy Reports (MERs), prepared by the campus energy manager and submitted to the Chancellor’s Office. These Monthly Energy Reports are compiled from billing data, meter data, fuel and refrigerant purchases, and include all refrigerant, fuel and electricity used on-site and in campus fleet vehicles and equipment.
Data for Scope 3 emission includes commuting and business travel, which are compiled in two different ways. Business travel data is extracted from CSUN's online travel reporting tool. Arrival/destination data on each flight is given to Facilities' GIS specialist, who calculates mileage to and from each destination for every destination listed. This is multiplied by the total number of flights to and from each destination to calculate total air miles traveled.
Reimbursed gas miles are calculated based upon the reimbursement amount visible in each travel record. Dividing this amount by that year's reimbursement rate (usually around $0.50/mile) gives the exact mileage traveled for each record.
For rental vehicles, the mileage was estimated based upon an average of 25 miles driven per day. This average was determined based on the university-funded travel experiences of those compiling the report as well as feedback from coworkers, also factoring in a AAA study estimating that US citizens drive an average of 29.2 miles per day. The slightly lower number was chosen because most travelers on overnight trips select lodging close to their destination. This 25 mile/day figure was multiplied by the number of days each trip took place to calculate the total rental vehicle miles.
For commuting data, a campus-wide survey is distributed to faculty and staff asking about commuting modes, distance, frequency and other information. A similar survey is distributed to students and usually receives between 1-2 thousand responses. This survey also asks for vehicle make and model, which is then used to estimate an average MPG for commuter's vehicles. Population data is then used in conjunction with modal split data for each cohort (students, faculty and staff) and multiplied by the various emissions factors associated with different types of travel (diesel bus, electric rail, personal vehicle, etc.) to form a complete snapshot of commuting emissions.
Northridge was prepared in accordance with the standards established by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and adopted by the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The inventory was done using a custom tool designed in SkySpark by CSUN's Energy Information Systems contractor, which is based on the Excel version of Clean Air – Cool Planet’s Campus Carbon Calculator, CPCC (v6.75). Emissions are divided into Scopes 1, 2 and 3 as defined by those standards. Data for Scopes 1 and 2 are complete for this time period and have been taken from Monthly Energy Reports (MERs), prepared by the campus energy manager and submitted to the Chancellor’s Office. These Monthly Energy Reports are compiled from billing data, meter data, fuel and refrigerant purchases, and include all refrigerant, fuel and electricity used on-site and in campus fleet vehicles and equipment.
Data for Scope 3 emission includes commuting and business travel, which are compiled in two different ways. Business travel data is extracted from CSUN's online travel reporting tool. Arrival/destination data on each flight is given to Facilities' GIS specialist, who calculates mileage to and from each destination for every destination listed. This is multiplied by the total number of flights to and from each destination to calculate total air miles traveled.
Reimbursed gas miles are calculated based upon the reimbursement amount visible in each travel record. Dividing this amount by that year's reimbursement rate (usually around $0.50/mile) gives the exact mileage traveled for each record.
For rental vehicles, the mileage was estimated based upon an average of 25 miles driven per day. This average was determined based on the university-funded travel experiences of those compiling the report as well as feedback from coworkers, also factoring in a AAA study estimating that US citizens drive an average of 29.2 miles per day. The slightly lower number was chosen because most travelers on overnight trips select lodging close to their destination. This 25 mile/day figure was multiplied by the number of days each trip took place to calculate the total rental vehicle miles.
For commuting data, a campus-wide survey is distributed to faculty and staff asking about commuting modes, distance, frequency and other information. A similar survey is distributed to students and usually receives between 1-2 thousand responses. This survey also asks for vehicle make and model, which is then used to estimate an average MPG for commuter's vehicles. Population data is then used in conjunction with modal split data for each cohort (students, faculty and staff) and multiplied by the various emissions factors associated with different types of travel (diesel bus, electric rail, personal vehicle, etc.) to form a complete snapshot of commuting emissions.
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 GHG inventory verification process:
Data is compiled by several entities including our campus Energy Manager, Institute for Sustainability, Environmental Health and Safety, Central Purchasing, Facilities Planning Office, etc. All the data is reviewed by the Director of Energy and Sustainability or Energy and Sustainability Coordinator, who then enter it into the calculation tool. Additionally, data is viewed by CSUN's EIS contractor, who offer support for the tool and are able to identify outliers/missing data.
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
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Scope 1 GHG emissions
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 5,761 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 1,224 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
6,985
Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Scope 2 GHG emissions
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 16,993 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
16,993
Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
GHG emissions from biomass combustion
0
Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Scope 3 GHG emissions
| Yes or No | Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Business travel | Yes | 1,774 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 42,789 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
44,563
Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
Scope three GHG emissions are cacluated using several tools. For business travel we are able to determine travel destinations and utilize a GIS tool to determine the total mileage traveled by each mode (car, train, plane, etc.). This data is plugged into the same tool we use for scopes 1 and 2. we have various emissions factors for each type of travel that is used to calculate the total emissions for business travel. Commuting data is gathered via campus wide survey and the results are plugged into the same system and follows the process outlined above to calculate the total emissions.
Part 2. Air pollutant emissions inventory
Yes
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 1.67 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 0.02 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 0.74 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 0.32 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0.00 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 1.95 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0.03 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0 Tons |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | Yes |
| Area sources | No |
| Mobile sources | No |
| Commuting | No |
| Off-site electricity production | No |
None
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
CSUN is required to report our annual emissions to the SCAQMD every year. We use inventories and mass balance to determine emissions.
Optional Fields
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Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
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Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
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.