Carbon Footprint
Brandeis Greenhouse Gas Inventory
Brandeis University measures the following emissions as part of its greenhouse gas inventory:
Scope 1
- Stationary combustion: use of natural gas and oil in onsite equipment such as the central heating plant, residential heating, boilers, water heaters, etc.
- Direct transportation: Fuel used by university-owned vehicles.
- Refrigerants: Refrigerants used in the operation of on-campus refrigeration equipment.
Scope 2
- Purchased electricity.
Scope 3
- Faculty, staff and student commuting.
- University-funded air travel booked via the university’s travel agency (to the extent that data is available).
- Electricity transmission and distribution losses.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions as Proportion of Total
Scope 1 and 2(FY 2020)
| Source of emissions | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|
| Natural gas & oil | 58.4% |
| Electricity | 40.2% |
| Campus vehicles | 1.2% |
| Refrigerants | 0.2% |
CO2e Emissions
Scope 1 and 2
(FY 2015-FY 2020)
| Year | Emissions (in metric tonnes) | Change over prior year | Change over baseline |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2015 | 28,386 | Baseline figure | |
| FY 2016 | 25,210 | -11.2% | -11.2% |
| FY 2017 | 25,506 | +1.2% | -10.1% |
| FY 2018 | 24,159 | -5.3% | -14.9% |
| FY 2019 | 26,235 | +8.6% | -7.6% |
| FY 2020 | 24,282 | -7.8% | -14.5% |