Document Type
Report
Publication Date
5-2023
Abstract
The tenth greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory was conducted for fiscal year 2022 (FY22), which began on July 1, 2021, and ended on June 30, 2022. Assembled by graduate assistants Brianna Marks and Maria Mlinarcik at the Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE), 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.
This inventory found that, compared to FY21, FY22 GHG emissions increased by 1.55%. FY21 experienced a 1.57% increase in total emissions when compared to FY20, coinciding with students return to campus and the restarting of some university activities and travel after the COVID-19 pandemic. As students gradually returned to campus 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. Despite these limitations to reporting, total emissions still appear to be decreasing when comparing pre-lockdown and post-lockdown emission values, with a 17.51% reduction observed between FY18 and FY22. 6 There are several measures Duquesne must take to ensure that future reductions continue to decrease. 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 them to utilize 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
Repository Citation
Marks, B., & Mlinarcik, M. (2023). One Step at a Time: Duquesne University’s Tenth Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/ghg-reports/6