Prepared by Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Kansas City, MO
Burns & McDonnell conducted this Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri for Fiscal Years 1990-2007 in general accordance with industry recognized standards, including the Clean Air Cool Planet Campus Carbon Calculator, the World Resources Institute (WRI) Greenhouse Gas Protocol and ANSI/ISO/NSF E 14064-1:2006 Greenhouse Gases- Part 1: Specification with Guidance at the Organizational Level for Quantification and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals.
The results are summarized below in Table 1. Fiscal year 1990 was selected as the base year. Scope 1 direct GHG emissions are broken down by emissions source category in Table 2. Scope 2 indirect emissions are attributed entirely to purchased electricity. Scope 1 direct emissions have decreased since Fiscal Year 1990 as coal combustion has been replaced by natural gas combustion as a fuel source for steam generation and steam heating has been partially offset by electric heat. Combined Scope 1 and Scope 2 absolute GHG emissions have increased by approximately 24% since 1990 while the Washington University campus population and building square footage (as represented by the Danforth Campus alone) have increased by 8.5% and 67% respectively.
Table 1- GHG Emissions Inventory Summary: Base Year (1990 and 2007)
Scope/Category |
GHG Emissions (Metric tons of CO2e) |
|
Base Year: FY 1990 |
Current Year: FY 2007 |
|
Scope 1 – Direct Emissions |
121,000 |
74,300 |
Scope 2 – Energy Indirect Emissions |
117,000 |
222,000 |
Scope 3 – Other Indirect Emissions |
Not Included |
Not Included |
Scope 1 + Scope 2 Emissions |
238,000 |
296,000 |
As shown in Table 2, stationary fuel combustion sources account for over 98% of the Scope 1 direct GHG emissions. Other activities that emit GHGs, namely the university vehicle fleet, fertilizer application, animal agriculture and fugitive emissions from air conditioning equipment are inconsequential to the total university GHG emissions.
Table 2- GHG Emissions Inventory Summary- By Emission Source Category
Emission Source Category |
Total GHG Emission Breakdown by Emission Source Category (%) |
|
FY 1990 |
FY 2007 |
|
Stationary Combustion Sources |
99.7 |
98.0 |
University Vehicle Fleet |
0.27 |
0.48 |
Fertilizer Application |
0.01 |
0.03 |
Animal Agriculture |
0.01 |
0.02 |
Fugitive Emissions from Air Conditioning Equipment |
0.00 |
1.5 |
GHG intensity ratios are a comparison of GHG emissions to a productivity or intensity parameter. Three intensity parameters were evaluated as part of this inventory: total population (students, staff, and faculty); total square footage of Washington University owned buildings; and total Washington University budget- operating, research and energy. While absolute GHG emissions have increased slightly from 1990-2007, GHG intensity ratios have decreased slightly. The intensity ratios indicate that GHG emissions normalized to the productivity parameters (population, square footage and budget) have decreased slightly when compared to the base year.