Planning for Carbon Neutrality

Using Environmental
Management Systems

ENVS 295, Spring 2008

 About the Course

• EMS structure
• Field trips and reports
– Description
– Indicators
– Recommendations
• Climate Action Plan
– Structure
– Indicators
– Observations
 Field Trips, Management Questions

• Food waste collection at Harris Millis worth expanding?

– First find way to measure
• RecycleMania competition participation worth trouble?
– Hardly; poor measures but good public commitment
• LEED for existing buildings?
– First expand LEED-NC practices campus-wide
• Eco-Reps program expanded to academic buildings?
– Develop measures of impact, attitude change first
• Magic Salt worth continuing?
– Yes, suggest suite of measures

Key point: MEASUREMENT METHODS NEEDED

 ACUPCC Plan Sections

Mitigation Strategies Outline

A. Buildings’ energy efficiency
– Individual buildings’ efficiency Class Focus
– Infrastructure efficiency (S Deleon)
B. Buildings’ energy sources
– Electricity sources – Buildings’
– Heating fuel sources efficiency
C. Transportation energy use – LEED and existing
– Commuting buildings
– Fleet energy sources and efficiency – Fume hoods
(L Miller thesis ’07))
D. (Air travel) – Commuting
– (D Purcell memo ’08) – Offsets
E. Market mechanisms
– Offsets
 EMS for Buildings’ Energy Efficiency

• Scope
– Central plant, looped systems, pipes
– Buildings’ efficiency: new and existing
• Indicators
PLAN
DO
CHECK
ACT
 EMS for Buildings’ Efficiency cont’d

• Policy options
– Infrastructure
• Cogeneration on campus or local community
• Additional investments in piping, central plant
– Buildings
• Energy Efficiency bonds for campus-wide projects
• LEED emphasis on energy
• Increased use of building control systems
• Fume hood program

• Current management questions

– Fume hoods
– LEED and existing buildings
Efficiency & Fume Hoods
Efficiency & LEED
 EMS and Offsets

• Scope
– Departments (Sustainability Office, President’s Office, Athletic)
– Events (Seminars, Fairs, Concerts, Symposiums)
– Campus operations (Energy, Transportation, Programs)

• Indicators
PLAN—Offset 100% GHG emissions
DO—Develop offset operation systems and guidelines
CHECK—Verify GHG offset investments are functional
REACT—Focus the program on the most functional offsets
 EMS and Offsets cont’d

• Policy options
– Offset emissions using commercial offset vendors
– Direct offsets: fund UVM projects which provide offsets
– Indirect offsets: fund community projects which provide offsets
– Implement pilot project: department wide, categorical, or optional
– Postpone policy decisions concerning offsets until 1/20/2009

• Management question
– Should the University fund purchases of carbon offsets?
– Should there be a list of preferred vendors if so who decides?
– What is the most effective way to lower GHG emission impacts
of University operations and at the same time achieve the goals
of the ACUPCC?
 EMS for Commuting

• Scope: GHG Emissions from Faculty, Staff and

Student commuting.

• Indicators
PLAN
DO
CHECK
ACT
 EMS for Commuting continued

• Policy options
– Permit scrutiny (enforce proximity limits?)
– Reduce amount of on campus parking spaces
– Promote use of alternative transportation (bus, walk, bike, etc.)

• Current management question

– How can Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) improve
the accuracy of data on commuters in the face of social norms
– How does TPS decrease parking availability and/or demand
without impacting surrounding neighborhoods
Commuting Issues
Summary of Lessons Learned &
Recommendations
 Questions, Comments?

• Class website
 American College & University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment
Presidents’ Climate Commitment (500+)
• Completing an emissions inventory
• Within two years, setting a target date and
interim milestones for becoming climate
neutral—May 2009
• Taking immediate steps to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by choosing from
a list of short-term actions
• Integrating sustainability into the curriculum
and making it part of the educational
experience
• Making the action plan, inventory and
progress reports publicly available.
 GHG Emissions Scope Choices
Scope 1:
• Heating fuel use*
• Fleet fuel use*
• Refrigerants*
• Agriculture (on campus)
Scope 2:
• Electricity use* (purchased)

Scope 3:
• Commuting fuel use*
• Waste
• Air travel*
Market mechanisms, Offsets
Bold = UVM GHG inventory scope *= required by ACUPCC
Scope 2: Emissions from utility Scope 1: Emissions from the Scope 3: Indirect emissions
production not at the institution direct activities of the including agriculture,
campus transportation, waste disposal