Q: What does it mean to be carbon neutral?
A: “Carbon Neutral” means operating with zero net greenhouse gas emissions.
Q: What are greenhouse gases?
A: Greenhouse gases” are the six greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Greenhouse gas emissions tend to be stated in metric tons of equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide for simplicity.
Q: How is carbon neutrality achieved?
A: To achieve carbon neutrality, an entity either (i) produces no emissions in its operations, or (ii) balances the carbon emissions it does produce with actions that reduce an equivalent amount of carbon emissions somewhere else.
Q: How does Catawba College measure carbon emissions?
A: Catawba College tracks carbon emissions in accordance with the guidelines established by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment. These guidelines require measurement of Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions.
These emissions are defined by Second Nature as follows:
- Scope 1: Direct Emissions – Scope 1 emissions are those that are physically produced on campus (e.g., on-campus power production, campus vehicle fleets, refrigerant leaks). These sources are “owned or directly controlled” by your institution.
- Scope 2: Indirect Emissions – Scope 2 emissions are mostly associated with purchased utilities required for campus operation. They are indirect emissions resulting from activities that take place within the organizational boundaries of the institution, but that occur at sources owned or controlled by another entity, such as emissions caused indirectly by the College’s purchases of electricity. These are emissions from coal, natural gas, and other generating sources that supply power to Catawba College through the electric grid.
- Scope 3: Induced Emissions – Scope 3 includes emissions from sources that are not owned or controlled by the campus, but that are central to campus operations or activities (e.g., non-fleet transportation, employee/student commuting, air travel paid for by your institution). Source: https://secondnature.org/signatory-handbook/measuring-progress/
Q: Can you describe Catawba’s Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions?
A: Catawba’s emissions generally consist of the following:
- Scope 1: Direct Emissions – Catawba’s Scope 1 emissions come from the use of natural gas for heating, water heating and cooking, the campus vehicle fleet, refrigerant leaks, and some nitrogen fertilizer use.
- Scope 2: Indirect Emissions – Catawba’s Scope 2 emissions come from our electricity provider’s use of coal and natural gas to produce the electricity the College purchases from the power grid.
- Scope 3: Induced Emissions – Catawba’s Scope 3 emissions come from all required Second Nature categories, including emissions from employee and student commuting, study abroad air travel, and directly financed travel. The College chose to report on emissions related to solid waste and wastewater treatment and removal, purchased paper, estimated losses from electricity in transmission and distribution, and upstream emissions from energy-related actives. Although some emissions reporting protocols include emissions related to production of food and supplies other than paper, Catawba does not currently include these categories in its Scope 3 emissions.
Q: What has Catawba done to lower its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions?
A: Over the last three decades, Catawba College has implemented a series of energy efficiency and renewable energy project that have lowered its Scope 1 direct emissions and its Scope 2 indirect emissions. These include:
- Installation of geothermal heating and cooling system for many of the College’s buildings that consists of 16 wells across campus.
- Installation of 837 kilowatts of photovoltaic panels that provide solar power.
- Installation of 76 solar thermal modules capable of producing 3,169,200 BTUs of hot water per day.
- Construction of 20,000 square feet of LEED-certified building space.
- Numerous energy efficiency projects including LED lighting and other improvements.
Q: What are carbon offsets?
A: Carbon offsets are projects that reduce or eliminate carbon emissions at another site. Entities can purchase the rights to emissions reductions created by an offset project.
Q: What are Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)?
A: Developers of renewable energy projects can sell the carbon-free aspects of their generated electricity as credits, which are called Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). Buyers of RECs can use these credits to offset the electricity they use that was produced by carbon-intensive methods such as coal or natural gas.
Q: Where has Catawba College obtained RECs?
A: Catawba College has purchased Renewable Energy Credits from two North Carolina Solar Farms. These Renewable Energy Credits come from the 3 MW Scotland Neck Solar Installation in Halifax County and the 5 MW Chocowinity Solar Project in Beaufort County.
Q: How are Catawba College’s Offsets and RECs certified?
A: Catawba College’s North Carolina RECs are certified through Green-e, a globally trusted certification body through the Center for Resource Solutions. The Buncombe County Landfill Gas Project is a third-party verified carbon offset project on the Climate Action Reserve.
Q: What is Catawba College’s gross emissions footprint?
A: Catawba College’s total gross emissions footprint is 5,407 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MTCDE) with the following breakdown:
- Gross Scope 1: 1,083 MTCDE
- Gross Scope 2: 2,480 MTCDE
- Gross Scope 3: 1,844 MTCDE
Q: How do Catawba College’s gross emissions compare to other North Carolina schools?
A: Catawba College’s gross emissions fall below its in-state peers on a per full-time equivalent student (FTES) basis:
- Catawba College: 4.8 MTCDE per FTES
- Duke University: 10.5 MTCDE per FTES
- UNC Chapel Hill 11.9 MTCDE per FTES