Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.91
Liaison Julie Hopper
Submission Date Dec. 20, 2023

STARS v2.2

University of Southern California
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.55 / 8.00 Zelinda Welch
Associate Director of Sustainability
USC Facilities Plant Management
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions

Gross GHG emissions

Gross Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from stationary combustion 31,449.39 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 25,075 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 3,232.18 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2,790.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 60,117.05 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 110,735 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 94,798.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 138,600.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Carbon sinks

Figures needed to determine net 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 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:

A brief description of the carbon sinks, including vendor, project source, verification program and contract timeframes (as applicable):
N/A

Adjusted net GHG emissions

Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Adjusted net GHG emissions 94,798.62 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 138,600.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Performance and baseline periods

Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or three-year periods):
Performance year Baseline year
Start date July 1, 2021 July 1, 2013
End date June 30, 2022 June 30, 2014

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
2014 is the earliest year for which a reasonably complete and accurate data set is available. In USC's Sustainability 2020 Plan, 2014 is the baseline year used for campus sustainability goals, including greenhouse gas reduction goals.

Part 1. Reduction in GHG emissions per person

Weighted campus users

Figures needed to determine “Weighted Campus Users”:
Performance year Baseline year
Number of students resident on-site 8,500 6,960
Number of employees resident on-site 46 40
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 43,941 35,913
Full-time equivalent of employees 15,257 13,189
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 8,897 4,120
Weighted Campus Users 39,862.25 35,486.50

Metrics used in scoring for Part 1

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 2.38 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 3.91 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
39.11

Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area

Performance year floor area

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
16,944,124 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 791,081 Square feet
Healthcare space 44,563 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 2,505 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
18,617,917 Gross square feet

Metric used in scoring for Part 2

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

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
USC hit a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by applying a number of wide-ranging solutions. These initiatives included installing solar panels at three sites, implementing automated HVAC scheduling so that it is tied to classroom scheduling in 200+ classrooms, retrofit lighting to LED in dozens of buildings, and adding 20+ variable frequency drives to modify motor speeds, plus implementing energy audits and participating in LADWP’s Demand Response program.

Website URL where information about the institution's GHG emissions 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.