Overall Rating | Gold |
---|---|
Overall Score | 65.91 |
Liaison | Elizabeth MacKenzie |
Submission Date | June 25, 2024 |
University of Iowa
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Status | Score | Responsible Party |
---|---|---|
3.95 / 8.00 |
Brinda
Shetty Program Manager Office of Sustainability and the Environment |
Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions
Gross GHG emissions
Performance year | Baseline year | |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion | 148,015.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 284,326.07 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity | 85,261.40 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 263,613.93 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported thermal energy | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Total | 233,277.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 547,940 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Carbon sinks
Performance year | Baseline year | |
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased | 0 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 storage from on-site composting | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Carbon storage from non-additional sequestration | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | --- |
Carbon sold or transferred | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Net carbon sinks | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
If total performance year carbon sinks are greater than zero, provide:
Adjusted net GHG emissions
Performance year | Baseline year | |
Adjusted net GHG emissions | 233,277.20 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 547,940 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Performance and baseline periods
Performance year | Baseline year | |
Start date | Jan. 1, 2023 | July 1, 2004 |
End date | Dec. 31, 2023 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The baseline year of 2005 was adopted because it was the year in which the University of Iowa joined the Chicago Climate Exchange (which has since been disbanded) and was thus an important year for setting goals in sustainability for the University.
Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person
Weighted campus users
Performance year | Baseline year | |
Number of students resident on-site | 6,415 | 5,572 |
Number of employees resident on-site | 15 | 0 |
Number of other individuals resident on-site | 5 | 0 |
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment | 29,140 | 26,112 |
Full-time equivalent of employees | 10,982 | 8,895 |
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education | 1,958 | 739.93 |
Weighted Campus Users | 30,235.50 | 27,093.30 |
Metrics used in scoring for Part 1
Performance year | Baseline year | |
Adjusted net Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user | 7.72 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent | 20.22 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent |
Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area
Performance year floor area
Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area | |
Laboratory space | 1,539,932 Square feet |
Healthcare space | 97,309 Square feet |
Other energy intensive space | 327,116 Square feet |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Metric used in scoring for Part 2
A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
The university is transitioning away from coal as the primary fuel at the power plant which is reducing air emissions.
Building efficiency and fault detection updgrades have been implemented in many main campus buildings.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, university policy allows some employees to work remotely.
Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
As the university shifts away from coal as the primary fuel in the power plant, reportable air emissions from the power plant are decreasing. Comparing emissions from the years 2020 and 2023 show significant decreases in criteria pollutant emissions including SO2, NOx, VOC, CO, PM, PM10, and PM 2.5. Reportable emissions in 2023 were almost 300 tons less than reported emissions in 2020.
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.