What are greenhouse gases?
Greenhouse gases (GHG) trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet, therefore leading to global warming. The main gases responsible for this are carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, among others. There are three factors that indicate how much influence one greenhouse gas can have on global warming. The first is how much of a single greenhouse gas is present in the atmosphere. The second is how long the gas will be in the atmosphere or its lifetime. And third, is how effective it is at trapping heat in the atmosphere, otherwise known as its Global Warming Potential (GWP). Greenhouse gas emissions are commonly measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e). According to the EPA, carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) means the number of metric tons of CO2 emissions with the same global warming potential as one metric ton of another greenhouse gas. To convert emissions of a gas into CO2e, emissions are multiplied by the gas’s GWP.
Reaching our climate action goals would not be possible without assessing and reporting our greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability Management internally calculates all greenhouse gas emissions related to campus activities.
When reporting our GHGs, we categorize them into three different scopes.
SCOPE 1
Scope 1 emissions are direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the entity. This includes emissions from on-site fossil fuel combustion or University-owned transportation fleets.
SCOPE 2
Scope 2 emissions refer to indirect emissions resulting from the generation of heating, cooling, steam, or electricity generated off-site but purchased by the entity. This includes most of the energy usage at the University.
SCOPE 3
Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions from sources not owned or directly controlled by the entity but related to the entity’s activities. This includes student or employee commuting or travel associated with the University.
Below is a table of the annual greenhouse gas inventory. To learn more about how the greenhouse gas inventory is calculated click here.
| Fiscal Year | Greenhouse Gas Emissions (MTCO2e) |
| 2011 | 67,712 |
| 2012 | 57,748 |
| 2013 | 56,948 |
| 2014 | 62,015 |
| 2015 | 59,372 |
| 2016 | 49,667 |
| 2017 | 55,421 |
| 2018 | 57,680 |
| 2019 | 56,311 |
| 2020 | 51,157 |
| 2021 | 54,492 |
| 2022 | 56,533 |
| 2023 | 55,102 |
| 2024 | 54,024 |