Greenhouse gas inventories reveal that electricity and steam usage account for over 70% of campus emissions and close to 80% of our emissions are associated with campus buildings. The majority of the remaining emissions come from campus related travel.
Inventory Overview
UC Berkeley reports on ten emissions sources and analyzes emissions in three different categories:
- Scope 1 - Direct Emissions: natural gas, campus fleet, emissions from refrigerants
- Scope 2 - Indirect Emissions: purchased electricity, purchased steam
- Scope 3 - Optional Emissions: business air travel, student commute, faculty/staff commute, solid waste, water consumption
The campus reports its GHG inventory annually to both The Climate Registry (TCR) and the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) and makes it available to the public. Third party verification of the inventory is completed as part of the reporting process; inventories for 2005 through 2010 have been successfully verified.
2010 GHG Emissions Inventory
The results of the UC Berkeley 2010 Greenhouse Gas Inventory reveal an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 0.8% or about 1,500 metric tons CO2e relative to the 2009 inventory. Even with this small increase in 2010, emissions are still almost 5% below 2008 levels. Electricity use in 2010 is down 1.1% on the main campus and 1.5% overall relative to 2009.
2010 Emissions Inventory - UC Berkeley
| Emissions Sources | 1990 Metric Tons CO2e |
2009 Metric Tons CO2e |
2010 Metric Tons CO2e |
% Growth from 2009 to 2010 |
2010 Inventory Percentage Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steam | 64,077 |
77,735 |
79,449 |
2.2% |
41.4% |
| Electricity | 36,563 |
57,385 |
56,542 |
-1.5% |
29.5% |
| Air Travel | 20,310 |
19,908 |
22,146 |
11.2% |
11.5% |
| Faculty & Staff Commute | 22,886 |
15,229 |
14,805 |
-2.8% |
7.7% |
| Nautral Gas | 8,331 |
11,820 |
10,916 |
-7.6% |
5.7% |
| Student Commute | 4,055 |
3,224 |
3,243 |
0.6% |
1.7% |
| Water | 1,741 |
2,172 |
2,161 |
-0.5% |
1.1% |
| Campus Fleet | 1,266 |
1,546 |
1,384 |
-10.5% |
0.7% |
| Solid Waste | 1,006 |
1,066 |
783 |
-26.5% |
0.4% |
| De Minimis | 281 |
283 |
303 |
6.9% |
0.2% |
| Fugitive-Refrigeration | 214 |
106 |
200 |
88.7% |
0.1% |
| Total Emissions | 160,730 |
190,474 |
191,932 |
0.8% |
100% |
| Scope 1 | 10,092
| 13,755
| 12,803
|
| Scope 2 | 100,640 |
135,120 |
135,991 |
| Scope 3 | 49,998 |
41,599 |
43,138 |
Reductions needed to meet the 2014 Target
Based on the 2010 GHG inventory the campus will need to reduce emissions by 42,000 metric tons CO2e in order to achieve the 2014 target. The reduction required reflects both corrections over-time to the inventory methods as well as some emissions reductions achieved already through climate mitigation projects.
Current GHG Reduction Target - Refined Target Based on 2010 Inventory
| Year | Metric Tons CO2e |
| 1990 | 161,000 |
| 2010 | 192,000 |
| 2014 - projection | 203,000 |
| 2014 - target | 161,000 |
| Reduction Required | 42,000 |
|---|
Normalized Energy and Climate Data
In addition to reporting the absolute changes over time, the campus provides analysis of greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and transportation scaled to campus population and square footage over time in order to monitor normalized campus progress and for comparison purposes with other institutions. The following are a few highlights of these comparisons:
- While GHG emissions have grown by 19% since 1990, emissions per square foot are down by 4% (square footage has grown 24% in that same time frame).
- Electricity use has grown by 37% since 1990 (and has grown faster than square footage), while electricity use per square foot has grown more slowly at 10%.
- Since 1990, fuel use from the vehicle fleet and the commute have decreased by 31%.
- Emissions per thousand dollars of research expenditures have dropped by 27% over the last 20 years, while research dollars coming to the University have grown 66% in the same time frame.
Carbon Footprint Lifecycle Analysis
UC Berkeley recognizes that the reported emissions inventory does not fully reflect the complete carbon footprint of campus activities. A lifecycle analysis includes greenhouse gas emissions from all stages of a product/service lifecycle, including mining, manufacturing, and transportation. In 2006, a preliminary lifecycle analysis was done. UC Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory has provided some updates to the lifecycle analysis of campus emissions. Learn more.