Study Abroad: The total number of study abroad miles increased significantly from FY17 to FY19 due to increased popularity of spending undergraduate time abroad and data improvements. It is important to note for future inventories that data must be understood and reported with the highest accuracy to avoid erratic increases. The large FY20 decrease in FY20, mostly due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions; however, a rebound in this category is expect in the next few years, so it remains essential for the University to be aware of its large impact on GHG emissions. Conservation & Efficiency: Facilities Management has continued its decades of efficiency and conservation projects and practices by performing in-depth energy and water audits of campus buildings. Over the years, this process has identified (and continues to adapt the list of) which buildings are the largest consumers of energy and water. As a large campus, Pitt still has many opportunities for both energy and water use reductions that continue to be implemented (e.g., lighting retrofits). As more is accomplished, detailed building audits are crucial to identifying ongoing opportunity areas that help reduce campus energy usage and GHG emissions. Given Pitt’s goals to reduce energy and water usage 50% below baselines by 2030, the University should expedite these energy and water conservation projects -- and expand efforts to include the regional campuses. Future: Future inventories should consider including GHG emissions contributions and reductions from the following sources, which have not been collected in any prior inventory, but should be explored, as they could substantially contribute: 1) Backup building generators throughout campus. 2) Carbon offsets in Pitt’s Scope 3 supply chains, specifically for Directly Financed Car and Air Travel. 3) Properties not owned by, but fully leased by the University. 4) Dining and retail food sales (in line with Pitt’s Cool Food Pledge tracking) 5) Separate inventories for the four Pitt regional campuses in Bradford, Greensburg, Johnstown, and Titusville.
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CONCLUSIONS
Pitt’s FY20 GHG emissions total 186,068 MT CO2e from all accountable sources (137,148 MT CO2e from Scope 1 & 2 alone); this is an overall reduction of 31.9% compared to FY08 and a decrease of 13.7% from FY19. The largest decrease between FY19 and FY20 was in Scope 3 emissions, which decreased 45%, primarily due to reductions in commuting, directly financed travel, and study abroad during the COVID19 pandemic. Pitt’s Scope 3 emissions have decreased 29% since FY08, which includes increased and improved data accounting and reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Paper usage and sourcing strategies also continue to be successful, with increasing utilization of electronic documentation (especially in the FY20 pandemic work shift) alongside a shift to using more carbon neutral paper. FY20 saw a few Scope 3 increases over FY19 in the categories of Other Directly Financed Travel, Solid Waste, Wastewater, and Scope 2 Transmission and Distribution Losses. Travel saw the largest increase over FY19 due to the new inclusion of rental car purchases and re-inclusion of Athletics travel. While solid waste and wastewater saw consumption decreases, their emissions contributions increased due to a
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