The University of Western Ontario took another step toward measuring its carbon footprint last month as they rolled out its first-ever greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions report.
The report, “Western’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory: 2009 Emissions,” breaks down the university’s emissions into three categories – direct emissions, purchased energy and indirect emissions. The GHG totals were reported as equivalent carbon dioxide (eCO2), a figure that equates all GHG to CO2. Physical Plant Environmental Coordinators Mary Lopez and Syed Zaidi presented the results on Aug. 12.
According to the findings, Western’s total GHG emissions tallied 96,550 tonnes of eCO2 in 2009.
That total represents 3.01 tonnes per capita. For comparison, a 2010 United Nations report showed Calgary with a per capita GHG emission of 17.7 tonnes, Toronto at 9.5 tonnes and Vancouver at 4.9 tonnes. For a university comparison, the University of Toronto tallied 2.97 tonnes in 2009. (Among Canadian universities, only the University of Toronto and University of British Columbia have undergone similar reviews.)
The direct emissions category accounted for 57,289 tonnes of that grand total. Direct emissions include all pollution from manufacturing, company-owned vehicles and reimbursed travel, livestock and any source directly controlled by the owner. Stationary combustion, which on Western’s campus means natural gas use, represented 55,115 tonnes (96 per cent) of that total. Refrigerants, tallying 1,813 tonnes (3 per cent), ranked a distant second.
The purchased energy category, which on Western’s campus means electricity, accounted for 29,398 tonnes.
Combined, the two energy categories represented nearly 90 percent of the campus GHG emissions.
Although not surprised by the findings, Lopez and Zaidi contend the sizable percentage represented by energy use should be a call to action for all. “Everyone has a part of that number,” Lopez says.
“You expect big emissions from things like coal plants,” Lopez continues, “but what we have found out about universities in Canada is that they are very large energy users. There are a large number of people, and those people are using energy throughout the day for different purposes and everything they use is energy intensive.”
Totals surrounding the indirect emissions category told a more personal story for members of the university community.
As a whole, commuting to and from campus represented the largest portion of indirect emissions. Staff/faculty commuting emissions tallied 2,228 tonnes; students came in slightly higher at 2,435 tonnes. Combined, commuting represents near half of the 9,862 tonnes attributed to indirect emissions. Directly financed air travel ranked second by accounting for another 2,984 tonnes of eCO2.
Activities associated with indirect emissions, Lopez explains, often resonate more for people even though they make up a far smaller percentage of the total emissions of an institution. Energy use, especially energy use not paid for by the individual, seems abstract. But when the result of an activity takes money from an individual’s pocketbook directly, like gasoline for their car, they tend to take notice.
Reduction recommendations from the researchers centred on a number of areas, but mainly focused on energy use and conservation, transportation and governance. Key among the recommendations, the researchers called for better record keeping among all departments on campus. These numbers will be vital going forward as reduction strategies are finalized and additional stakeholders start to take note.
In an effort to reduce GHG emissions, both federal and provincial governing bodies have developed mandatory reporting programs. Under Ontario Regulation 452/09, organizations with emissions of 25,000 tonnes of eCO2 or greater must report. Environment Canada also requires GHG quantification, but specifies participation from organizations emitting 50,000 tonnes eCO2 or greater.