A Comprehensive Inventory of Princeton University Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Abstract

As anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions continue to rise and contribute to climate change, the need for GHG emissions reductions becomes increasingly urgent. The first step in reducing emissions is identifying the sources of emissions, thus the importance of GHG inventories. This study is a GHG inventory for Princeton University that includes scope 1, scope 2, and scope 3 emissions. The study seeks to include as many sources as possible, especially indirect scope 3 sources that have not previously been examined. Through quantifying various emissions sources, this research found that Princeton University emitted approximately 159,097 MT CO2 equivalents in FY’16. 41% of emissions came from scope 1 sources, 22% from scope 2, and 37% from scope 3. Faculty and staff commuting was the largest scope 3 contributor with 17%, followed by University-related travel with 8%. This information can be used in order to examine ideal GHG emissions reduction strategies, thus this study also briefly suggests several reduction strategies that may be of interest to the University.