| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 81.96 |
| Liaison | Lindsey Lyons |
| Submission Date | March 1, 2024 |
Dickinson College
OP-1: Emissions Inventory and Disclosure
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.90 / 3.00 |
Neil
Leary Director Center for Sustainability Education |
"---"
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:
Dickinson College uses the Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP) for calculating its greenhouse gas emissions. SIMAP is an online carbon calculator managed by the University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute that is recommended by Second Nature for colleges and universities that are signatories of its Carbon Commitment (formerly called the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment). It is the carbon calculator most widely used by U.S. colleges and universities. SIMAP incorporates and applies the methodologies of the GHG Protocol Initiative.
As a signatory of Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment, we follow their guidelines, which require reporting all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions plus Scope 3 emissions for employee commuting and employee travel that is directly financed by the college. In addition to the required emissions categories, Dickinson voluntarily includes in our footprint estimated emissions from paper purchases, landfilled waste, wastewater treatment, transmission and distribution losses from purchased electric power, and our students’ study abroad air travel.
As a signatory of Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment, we follow their guidelines, which require reporting all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions plus Scope 3 emissions for employee commuting and employee travel that is directly financed by the college. In addition to the required emissions categories, Dickinson voluntarily includes in our footprint estimated emissions from paper purchases, landfilled waste, wastewater treatment, transmission and distribution losses from purchased electric power, and our students’ study abroad air travel.
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:
Dickinson's GHG inventory was reviewed and verified by staff of the University of New Hampshire's Sustainability Institute. Dickinson staff met with UNHSI staff via Zoom on Feb 24, 2021, to discuss the inventory and data anomalies. All questions raised in the review have been addressed and responses documented.
Documentation to support the GHG inventory verification process:
Scope 1 GHG emissions
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Stationary combustion | 3,488.68 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources (mobile combustion, process emissions, fugitive emissions) | 425.09 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 1 GHG emissions, performance year:
3,913.77
Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Scope 2 GHG emissions
| Weight in MTCO2e | |
| Imported electricity | 4,584.90 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total gross Scope 2 GHG emissions, performance year:
4,584.90
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 | 1,453.70 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Commuting | Yes | 841.82 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Purchased goods and services | Yes | 67.04 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Capital goods | No | --- |
| Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 | Yes | 256.60 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Waste generated in operations | Yes | 129.56 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
| Other sources | No | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total Scope 3 GHG emissions, performance year:
2,748.72
Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
A brief description of how the institution accounted for its Scope 3 emissions:
We included Directly Financed Air Travel, Other Directly Financed Travel and Study Abroad Air Travel in the Business Travel category (1453.7 MTCO2e). Study abroad travel trips and distances are obtained from Dickinson's Center for Global Study and Engagement; total miles traveled by air for study abroad are input to SIMAP to calculate emissions. Volume of waste water treated is obtained from water utility bills (49.98 MTCO2e) and input to SIMAP to calculate emissions. Solid waste (79.58 MTCO2e) is derived from bills to the Cumberland County landfill. T&D losses (256.6 MTCO2e) are computed automatically by SIMAP in relation to the consumption of grid tied electricity.
Part 2. Air pollutant emissions inventory
Yes
Annual weight of emissions for::
| Weight of Emissions | |
| Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 6.64 Tons |
| Sulfur oxides (SOx) | 4.44 Tons |
| Carbon monoxide (CO) | 12.44 Tons |
| Particulate matter (PM) | 0.24 Tons |
| Ozone (O3) | 0 Tons |
| Lead (Pb) | 0.00 Tons |
| Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) | 0.00 Tons |
| Ozone-depleting compounds (ODCs) | 0 Tons |
| Other standard categories of air emissions identified in permits and/or regulations | 0.18 Tons |
Do the air pollutant emissions figures provided include the following sources?:
| Yes or No | |
| Major stationary sources | Yes |
| Area sources | No |
| Mobile sources | Yes |
| Commuting | Yes |
| Off-site electricity production | Yes |
None
A brief description of the methodology(ies) the institution used to complete its air emissions inventory:
Estimates of annual emissions of air pollutants from Dickinson College activities are presented in this inventory for the period 2008 through 2022. The estimated emissions include the criteria air pollutants nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOC), lead, and mercury. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4) and other greenhouse gases are not reported here and are accounted for in Dickinson’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
Emission sources include stationary sources, which combust natural gas and distillate oil for heating the campus; mobile sources, which combust transportation fuels for college travel and employee commuting; and offsite sources that combust various fuels to generate the electricity purchased by the college. Emissions are estimated using data for each of these activities and average emission factors. Estimates of emissions from transportation exclude air and train travel.
Emission factors for Dickinson’s stationary sources are derived from the USEPA’s Technology Transfer Network Clearinghouse for Inventories & Emissions Factors database (Table 1). The factors selected from the EPA database correspond to characteristics of boilers in Dickinson’s central energy plant, which produce steam and chilled water to heat and cool two-thirds of the buildings on campus, a more efficient system for heating and cooling buildings than using individual boilers and condensers. The boilers are dual-fuel 800-horsepower external combustion boilers equipped with flue gas recirculation and low NOx burners to control emissions of air pollutants. Because it is both less costly and less polluting, the boilers are run on natural gas most of the time.
Emission factors for mobile sources are derived from the USEPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) and were provided by Michael Baker International, a contractor for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission that serves Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties. Emission factors for offsite purchased electricity in the RFC East region are derived from the USEPA’s Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID).
Air emissions inventory can be accessed here: https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/3599/air_pollution_emissions_inventory
Emission sources include stationary sources, which combust natural gas and distillate oil for heating the campus; mobile sources, which combust transportation fuels for college travel and employee commuting; and offsite sources that combust various fuels to generate the electricity purchased by the college. Emissions are estimated using data for each of these activities and average emission factors. Estimates of emissions from transportation exclude air and train travel.
Emission factors for Dickinson’s stationary sources are derived from the USEPA’s Technology Transfer Network Clearinghouse for Inventories & Emissions Factors database (Table 1). The factors selected from the EPA database correspond to characteristics of boilers in Dickinson’s central energy plant, which produce steam and chilled water to heat and cool two-thirds of the buildings on campus, a more efficient system for heating and cooling buildings than using individual boilers and condensers. The boilers are dual-fuel 800-horsepower external combustion boilers equipped with flue gas recirculation and low NOx burners to control emissions of air pollutants. Because it is both less costly and less polluting, the boilers are run on natural gas most of the time.
Emission factors for mobile sources are derived from the USEPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) and were provided by Michael Baker International, a contractor for the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission that serves Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties. Emission factors for offsite purchased electricity in the RFC East region are derived from the USEPA’s Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID).
Air emissions inventory can be accessed here: https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/3599/air_pollution_emissions_inventory
Optional Fields
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Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy (location-based) :
---
Website URL where information about the institution’s emissions inventories is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Greenhouse emissions inventory: https://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/2469/greenhouse_gas_inventory
Air pollutant emissions inventory: http://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/3599/air_pollution_emissions_inventory
Air pollutant emissions inventory: http://www.dickinson.edu/info/20052/sustainability/3599/air_pollution_emissions_inventory
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.