Document Type

Report

Publication Date

5-2025

Abstract

The twelfth greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory was conducted for fiscal year 2024 (FY24), which began on July 1, 2023, and ended on June 30, 2024. Assembled by graduate assistants Meghan Phillips and Marie Ferrick at the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering (EEE), these findings were compared with those derived from the previous inventories to assess trends in Duquesne University’s GHG emissions. Furthermore, this inventory discusses options for reducing Duquesne’s carbon footprint in future years. Duquesne University’s total market-based GHG emissions were 71,701.31 MT eCO2 for FY24. After calculating the full-time student equivalent and the full-time faculty/staff equivalents, SIMAP was able to generate the emissions per weighted campus user (WCU). This resulted in a carbon footprint of 8.73 MT eCO2 per WCU in FY24. The largest contributor to Duquesne’s GHG emissions was on-campus stationary combustion, which includes the natural gas cogeneration plant and auxiliary boilers. During FY24, the cogeneration plant accounted for 57.98% of Duquesne University’s emissions. The second[1]largest contributor of GHG emissions during FY24 was Fuel- and Energy-Related Activities (FERA), which accounted for 23.42% of emissions, while student and employee commuting accounted for 10.86% of emissions. Purchased electricity (electricity not generated at the co-gen facility) made up 10.39% of emissions. In previous years, emissions from purchased electricity did not count towards the reported total emissions, as they were offset entirely with renewable energy credits (RECs). Since FY22, purchased electricity emissions were not completely negated by REC purchasing as in previous years, with these emissions accounting for 0.93% of the total in FY24. Other emission sources, such as directly financed athletics and business travel, the university fleet, fertilizer, solid waste, wastewater, and paper purchasing contributed to total emissions as well. However, these sources were comparatively insignificant. Although Duquesne University began completing GHG inventories in 2006, assessing long-term trends in this data is difficult as all fiscal years prior to 2018 utilized a different reporting methodology. However, the adoption of SIMAP as Duquesne’s primary emissions calculation tool and implementation of a detailed protocol for data collection has allowed for standardization of GHG emission calculations. Therefore, this report, as well as future reports, will focus on changes in emissions from FY18 to present. This inventory found that, compared to FY23, FY24 GHG emissions increased by 16.68%. During the COVID-19 pandemic total GHG emissions initially decreased and in subsequent years have gradually increased, coinciding with students returning to campus and the restarting of some university activities and travel. Through FY21, campus activity increased but was not yet operating at full capacity. The unique nature of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted total reported emissions during FY21, making it difficult to distinguish between GHG emissions variations from campus activity and emissions improvements purposefully made by the University. Since FY23, the emissions per weighted campus user exceeded pre-lockdown levels, with a 16.54% increase observed between FY18 and FY24. There are several measures Duquesne must take to ensure that future emissions do not continue to increase. These steps could include (1) increasing the purchasing and use of renewable energy, (2) improving the energy and water efficiencies of campus facilities, (3) providing alternative transportation options for commuters and/or incentivizing sustainable transportation, and (4) increasing composting or considering additional sinks/offsets that will help neutralize Scope 1 and Scope 3 GHG emissions.

Description

Greenhouse Gas Inventory for Duquesne University

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