Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.11
Liaison Sarah Williams
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2020

STARS v2.2

Whitman College
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 7.84 / 8.00 Elissa Brown
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability, Physical Plant Services
"---" 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 3,489.46 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 2,330 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 1 GHG emissions from other sources 326.71 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 262.80 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent
Gross Scope 2 GHG emissions from imported electricity 0 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4,680.20 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 3,816.17 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7,273 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Carbon sinks

Figures needed to determine net carbon sinks:
Performance year Baseline year
Third-party verified carbon offsets purchased 3,580 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 3,580 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):
Carbon offsets were purchased for FY19 from Renewable Choice Energy. Project name: Surry County Landfill; Location: Surry County, NC; Technology: Landfill Methane Gas Capture; Certification: Climate Action Reserve; Vintage: 2016.

Adjusted net GHG emissions

Adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions:
Performance year Baseline year
Adjusted net GHG emissions 236.17 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 7,273 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, 2018 July 1, 2012
End date June 30, 2019 June 30, 2013

A brief description of when and why the GHG emissions baseline was adopted:
The GHG emissions baseline was adopted by the Whitman's Campus Climate Action Task Force while creating our Climate Action Plan in 2016. FY13 was chosen because it was the first year for which complete records were gathered to do a greenhouse gas emissions inventory.

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 865 1,034
Number of employees resident on-site 7 7
Number of other individuals resident on-site 0 0
Total full-time equivalent student enrollment 1,431.40 1,504
Full-time equivalent of employees 560 467.40
Full-time equivalent of students enrolled exclusively in distance education 0 0
Weighted Campus Users 1,711.55 1,738.80

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 0.14 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent 4.18 Metric tons of CO2 equivalent

Percentage reduction in adjusted net Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions per weighted campus user from baseline:
96.70

Part 2. GHG emissions per unit of floor area

Performance year floor area

Gross floor area of building space, performance year:
1,213,960 Gross square feet

Floor area of energy intensive building space, performance year:
Floor area
Laboratory space 115,000 Square feet
Healthcare space 9,424 Square feet
Other energy intensive space 46,000 Square feet

EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
1,508,808 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:
0.00 MtCO2e per square foot

A brief description of the institution’s GHG emissions reduction initiatives:
Whitman College is implementing the dual approach laid out in our 2016 Climate Action Plan. We realize that it will take time and financial investment over time to implement energy efficiency and other emissions reduction projects, such as LED retrofits, transitioning to electric vehicles, and more. So as we pursue those opportunities, we are also purchasing Renewable Energy Credits to cover 100% of our kWh of electricity consumption, as well as carbon offsets to cover 100% of our therms of natural gas consumption.

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.