THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT Carbon Inventory, Lessons Learned, & Next Steps Ramy...

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT

Carbon Inventory, Lessons Learned, & Next Steps

Ramy SerourPh.D. Candidate

Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences and Center for Integrative Environmental Research

University of Maryland

Matthias RuthRoy F. Weston Chair in Natural Economics

Director, Center for Integrative Environmental ResearchCo-Director, Engineering and Public Policy

University of Maryland

Towson University, March 4, 2009


UMD College Park

1. Climate Commitment2. Carbon Inventory3. Climate Action Plan


• ACUPCC

• Spring 2007: Signature of Commitment• By November 15, 2007:

•Create Institutional Structure to Guide Plan Development and Implementation

• By September 15, 2008: •Complete GHG Inventory•Update Biennially

• By September 15, 2009:•Plan for Carbon Neutrality


• ACUPCC• Early Action • Make climate and sustainability part

of curriculum and student experience• Expand research on Carbon neutrality• Develop mechanisms to track progress• Start 2 or more of:

LEED Silver for new buildings Energy Star appliances Carbon Credits for Air Travel Encourage Public Transportation 15% of Electricity Renewable Sources Sustainable & Climate-friendly Investing by UM-FoundationWaste minimization measures


• ACUPCC• Early Action• Reporting

• Year 1: GHG Inventory• Year 2: Climate Action Plan• Year 3 and Alternating Years: GHG Inventory and Climate Action Plan Progress Report

Greenhouse Gas InventoryApproach

Establish GHG Inventory Taskforce Define Scope (operational) and Physical

Boundary (organizational) Use Clean Air Cool Planet Carbon Calculator

(standardized, comparison) Learn from Other Universities Gather and Enter Data Analysis, development of recommendations

and report Report posted online Briefings to key leaders and stakeholders

Greenhouse Gas InventoryScope

Greenhouse Gas InventoryPhysical Boundary

Definition I: Exclude Space Not in Maryland

Definition II: Exclude Space that we neither own nor pay for electricity

Buildings/operations where UMD is tenantGraduate Hills & GardensGraham Cracker Sorority housesSouth CommonsGround leasesUMUCUSM Shady Grove

275 buildings representing 13.2 million square feet of building space: College Park buildings, Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute facilities, Maryland Agriculture Experiment Station state-wide

Greenhouse Gas InventoryLessons Learned

• Consistently stick to scope definition throughout data gathering process.

• Reconcile data figures from multiple sources (e.g., student size at UMD).

• Avoid double counting.• Make the inventory as comprehensive as possible

(e.g., commuter related emissions).• Standardize updates and improve future inventory

process

Greenhouse Gas InventoryFindings

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000 350,000

400,000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

eCO

2 (

Met

ric

To

ns)

Year

UMCP Carbon Footprint


Purchased Electricity26%

Co-gen Electric15%

Co-Gen Steam24%

Student Commuters14%

Faculty/Staff Commuters

6%

Air Travel10%

University Fleet2%

Solid Waste1%

Refrigeration1% Stationary Sources

1%

FY 2007


Reason #1: Investment in Co-generation

-

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

450,000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Tota

l em

issi

ons

(MT

CO

2e)

Hypothetical emissions (100% purchased kwh)

Emissions (including cogen.)


Reason #2: More student housing (+2873 beds) Less student commuting (-1269 permits)

FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007

Increase s in # beds on/near UM

-

149

345

1,107

936

336

Sh uttle UM ridership

1,224,757

1,465,600

1,392,753

1,497,071

1,660,447

2,030,816

# student park ing permit s purchased

21,230

21,955

21,714

23,151

22,105

19,961

(# rides/year;duplicated)

Greenhouse Gas InventoryEmissions Reduction Strategies

Emissions Reduction Strategies

1990 present 20xx

Emissions

Matthias Ruth. Center for Integrative Environmental Research



Conservation

Green ConstructionPower Plant and

Distribution EfficiencyRenewable Energy

Carbon Offsets

1990 present 20xx


Emissions



Emissions

Conservation

Green ConstructionPower Plant and

Distribution EfficiencyRenewable Energy

Carbon Offsets

1990 present 20xx 20yy


Climate Action Plan

• Power and Operations

• Transportation

• Campus Services and Activities

• Administrative Policies

• Education and Research

• Outreach and In-reach

• Financial Strategies

Climate Action Plan

• Compilation of action plan items• Dialog with the campus

community• Quantification of emissions

reduction potentials and cost• Identification of co-benefits• Identification of implementation

mechanisms• Prioritization of actions• Implementation• Periodic updating

For more information…

Ramy [email protected]

http://www.cier.umd.edu

Also Visit http://www.sutainability.umd.edu

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