2008 GHG Report for Foothill College
Submitted on September 15, 2008; last updated on November 26, 2008
Summary Statistics
Making fair comparisons between higher education institutions is always challenging due to the rich diversity of higher education. The unverified nature of the information in this database and unavailability of unbiased normalization metrics means such comparisons are even more difficult. Users should therefore approach direct institution to institution comparisons with caution and recognize that all comparisons between institutions are inherently biased.| Total | Per Full-Time Enrollment | Per 1000 Square Feet | % Offset | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2) | 5,546 metric tons of CO2e | 0.4 metric tons of CO2e | 8.6 metric tons of CO2e | 0% |
| Gross emissions (Scopes 1 + 2 + 3) | 24,780 metric tons of CO2e | 1.7 metric tons of CO2e | 38.4 metric tons of CO2e | 0% |
| Net emissions | 24,780 metric tons of CO2e | 1.7 metric tons of CO2e | 38.4 metric tons of CO2e | N/A |
Emissions Inventory Methodology and Boundaries
| Start date of the 12-month period covered in this report | July 1, 2007 |
| Consolidation methodology used to determine organizational boundaries | No information provided. |
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If any institution-owned, leased, or operated buildings or other holdings that should fall within the organizational boundaries are omitted, briefly explain why.
N/A |
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| Emissions calculation tool used | Clean Air-Cool Planet |
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Please describe why this tool was selected.
The CA-CP tool was selected because it was recommended by the ACUPCC and it is the only tool that is designed for college campuses. |
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Please describe the source(s) of the emissions coefficients used.
Foothill used the default GWP (Global Warming Potentials) emissions coefficients in the v5.0 CA-CP tool, which are based on the 3rd Assessment ICPP (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). A GWP is an estimate of the warming which will occur in the atmosphere from one unit of greenhouse gas emission. |
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| Which version of IPCC's list of global warming potentials did you use? | Third Assessment Report |
| Who primarily conducted this emissions inventory? | Student researcher(s) |
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Please describe the process of conducting the inventory.
Completing the first GHG inventories for Foothill College was a labor intensive learning experience, of which one student intern, Sarah Snow, worked approximately 1.5 months. Most of this effort comprised gathering, calculating and analyzing data for the CA-CP tool. A significant effort also involved researching topics related to the process. A district sustainability committee, comprised Central Service employees from several departments, was created to guide and oversee the ACUPCC project. |
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Please describe any emissions sources that were classified as de minimis and explain how a determination of the significance of these emissions was made.
De minimis emissions must comprise less than five percent of total institutional emissions if they are to be excluded from the GHG emissions inventory. There is only one category that Foothill chose to exclude under the de minimis category: administrative air travel. While Foothill was able to calculate air travel for faculty and staff, the manner in which administrative air travel is accounted for makes an accurate number almost impossible to attain. Knowing that air travel for faculty and staff is only one percent of Foothill’s total emissions, even a ceiling assumption that administrators fly four times as far as faculty and staff, falls under the five percent de minimis bar. |
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Please describe any data limitations related to this submission and any major assumptions made in response to these limitations.
The largest assumptions, and greatest sources of uncertainty, were made for items categorized as Scope 3, in particular student-commuting habits and estimate of vehicle miles traveled (VMT). This single category comprises 69% of Foothill’s overall GHG emissions. Please see attached GHG Emissions Inventory Report for detailed information on data limitations and assumptions made. |
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Emissions Data
Emissions from the following sources (in metric tons of CO2e)
| Scope 1 Emissions | |
|---|---|
| Stationary Combustion | 2,959 metric tons of CO2e |
| Mobile Combustion | 78 metric tons of CO2e |
| Process Emissions | 0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Fugitive Emissions | 109 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 1 emissions | 3,146 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 2 Emissions | |
| Purchased Electricity | 2,400 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Heating | 0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Cooling | 0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Purchased Steam | 0 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 2 emissions | 2,400 metric tons of CO2e |
| Scope 3 Emissions | |
| Commuting | 18,974 metric tons of CO2e |
| Air Travel | 191 metric tons of CO2e |
| Solid Waste | 69 metric tons of CO2e |
| Total Scope 3 emissions | 19,234 metric tons of CO2e |
| Biogenic Emissions | |
| Biogenic Emissions from Stationary Combustion | No information provided. |
| Biogenic Emissions from Mobile Combustion | No information provided. |
Mitigation Data
| Carbon Offsets | |
|---|---|
| Carbon offsets purchased | No information provided. |
| Offset verification program(s) | No information provided. |
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Description of offsets purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
No information provided. |
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| Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) | |
| Total RECs purchased | No information provided. |
| Percent of total electricity consumption mitigated through the purchase of RECs | No information provided. |
| Emissions reductions due to the purchase of RECs | No information provided. |
| REC verification program(s) | No information provided. |
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Description of RECs purchased (including vendor, project source, etc.)
No information provided. |
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| Sequestration and Carbon Storage | |
| Sequestration due to land owned by the institution | No information provided. |
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Description of how sequestration was calculated
No information provided. |
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| Carbon storage due to composting | No information provided. |
Normalization and Contextual Data
| Building Space | |
|---|---|
| Gross square feet of building space | 645,522 sq ft |
| Net assignable square feet of laboratory space | No information provided. |
| Net assignable square feet of health care space | No information provided. |
| Net assignable square feet of residential space | No information provided. |
| Population | |
| Total Student Enrollment (FTE) | 14,635 |
| Residential Students | 0 |
| Full-time Commuter Students | 3,674 |
| Part-time Commuter Students | 16,072 |
| Non-Credit Students | No information provided. |
| Full-time Faculty | 206 |
| Part-time Faculty | 484 |
| Full-time Staff | 382 |
| Part-time Staff | No information provided. |
| Other Contextual Data | |
| Endowment Size | No information provided. |
| Heating Degree Days | No information provided. |
| Cooling Degree Days | No information provided. |
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Please describe any circumstances specific to your institution that provide context for understanding your greenhouse gas emissions this year.
As a community college that does not provide student housing, Foothill's largest emissions category is comprised of vehicle miles traveled by students. |
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Supporting Documentation
| Completed inventory narrative | No information provided. |
| Completed inventory calculator | Download (Foothill 2.xls) |
Auditing and Verification
These emissions data have been audited, verified, or peer-reviewed.|
Please briefly describe this verification, if any.
The results of Foothill College GHG emissions inventory have been thoroughly scrutinized by members of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Environmental Sustainability Coordinating Committee. For a list of the reviewers and their role in the district please see the section titled “Contributors and Reviewers” on the title page of this document. No formal audit has been performed. |