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Greenhouse Gas Inventory
 

 

Stony Brook University maintains on an annual basis a comprehensive report on utility cost and consumption. Much of the data used in the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory was gathered from this source. We also relied on information provided by the staff at the cogeneration facility that services the university. Our Department of Transportation and Parking Operations provided us with the fuel information from the University fleet. 

Reporting Year Scope 1
(MTCO2e)
Scope 2
(MTCO2e)
Total Emissions % Reduction from Baseline
1990 (Baseline Year) 114,027 123,311 237,338 --
2010 148,254 23,501 171,755 28%
2012 148,526 19,409 167,935 29%
2014 160,695 17,220 177,915 25%
2015 151,404 17,393 168,797 29%
2016 152,078 17,494 169,573 29%
2017 153,846 14,089 167,935 29%
2018 159,579 14,585 174,164 27%
2019 149,742 18,103 167,845 29%
2020 129,309 11,528 140,884 41%
2021 129,080 21,678 150,846 36%
2022 132,168 19,129 151,297 36%
Changes to Operational Boundaries

As part of SBU's commitment to tracking GHG emissions from the past decade, a change was made to the university's baseline data. In addition to the completed inventories that cover 2014 up to the current year, SBU has changed its baseline year to 1990 in order to track progress towards state energy requirements. As a state entity, SBU is required to reduce GHG emissions  to meet EO22 goals.

The decision to use 1990 as SBU's baseline year will provide a clear picture of how effective university conservation measures have been on total university emissions. In order to remain consistent regarding future inventories, SBU will continue to include these boundaries in our emission reduction strategies.

Baseline Results

The total emissions found in the new baseline year of 1990 were 237,388 MTCO2e. This figure was fairly equally distributed between Scope 1 and Scope 2, with 52% of emissions being indirect (Scope 2). The majority of these indirect emissions were from consuming purchased energy. Emissions sources from 1990 are displayed in Figure 1 below.

baseline

GHG Emissions 2010-2019

Starting in 2019, SBU has committed to preparing an annual GHG Emissions Inventory for the university using the SIMAP tool, created by The Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire. In addition to completing the university’s 2019 report, SBU has also submitted emissions inventories for the past five years. These reports together with the existing inventories filed in 2010 and 2012 provide a clear look at the progress made in relation to the 1990 baseline.

With the completion of the 2019 inventory, SBU is reporting a 36.81% reduction in net emissions against the baseline year. These figures place SBU in good standing in their goal to accomplish a 40% reduction in net emissions by 2030, as per the New York State Energy Plan requirements. Net emission figures are represented below.

 ghgemiss

Scope 1

When comparing current day emissions to those from 1990, SBU has shown a slight increase of 16.53% in Scope 1 emissions. Much of this increase is the direct result of the 45 megawatt cogeneration facility operating on SBU campus since 1995. Since 2010, increased efficiency in the cogeneration plant has led to a 10.53% decrease in Scope 1 emissions at SBU. Net Scope 1 emissions are shown below.

scope1 

Scope 2

The introduction of the cogeneration plant in 1995 also had a dramatic effect on the university’s Scope 2 emissions. As shown in figure 4 below, SBU’s Scope 2 emissions have decreased over 85% since 1990. Additionally, SBU has seen its Scope 2 emissions decrease over 27% since 2010, meaning the reduction perhaps goes deeper than just a change in source.

scope2

 

    For More Information on SBU Emissions

    Visit Second Nature's webpage for more information on the university's completed GHG Emissions Inventories and how conservation measures are changing our campus.

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