Executive Summary, Pitt FY21 GHG Inventory, Pittsburgh Campus

This report presents and assesses the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory for the Pittsburgh Campus of the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, including direct and indirect activities of the University. Since the initiation of Pitt’s GHG inventory process in 2008, this is the University’s seventh GHG inventory report for its Pittsburgh campus, building on and comparing to the previous five inventories from FY 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2020 (Bilec et al., 2020a, 2020b; Bilec & C.B.A., 2010; Bilec & H.G., 2018; Bilec & K.J.K., 2013; Bilec & V.H., 2015).

Overall, the University of Pittsburgh’s FY21 GHG emissions were 165,101 metric tons CO2e (MT CO2e), a 11% decrease in GHG emissions from FY20, when they were 186,068 MT CO2e. 1 Decreases were seen across several categories, including commuting, directly financed travel, study abroad, refrigerants, and fertilizers. By category and overall, much of this large decrease for FY21 is attributable to low campus occupancy and an almost entirely virtual learning experience due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. FY20 also included 3.5 months of campus-wide shut down due to the pandemic – and the FY22 GHG inventory is expected to continue to reflect pandemic response trends.

Since FY08, there have been numerous changes in campus operations and infrastructure, resulting in ongoing GHG emissions reductions and opportunities. For FY21, the overall distribution of Pitt’s GHG emissions by source activity is shown and detailed in Table 1

For FY21, purchased electricity was again the largest GHG emitting source for the University, accounting for 52% of all GHG emissions. Total campus-wide electricity usage was 3% lower than FY20 (a decrease of 6,715 MWh), despite a modest number of building additions to the inventory process (which resulted in a 0.4% increase in gross building area served – or 45,709 square feet).

Overall, emissions from purchased electricity are down 38.3% between FY08 and FY21 (53,156 MT CO2e). Scope 2 transmission and distribution losses from electricity continued their downward trend through FY21. Since FY08, marked changes in the regional electricity generation mix have significantly reduced the percentage of electricity produced by coal, with coinciding increases in electricity generated from nuclear, natural gas, and renewable sources.

The second largest contribution to FY21 GHG emissions was from combined oncampus and purchased steam, which went up 2.4% (2,274 MT CO2e) between FY20 and FY21. The University should continue to reduce steam consumption, shift to more efficient generation of purchased steam, and explore lower carbon generation sources for thermal energy.

Behind purchased electricity and combined on-campus and purchased steam, the third largest contributor to Pitt’s GHG emissions was natural gas consumption (other on-campus stationary), which contributed 8,167 MT CO2e in FY21, a 15% increase compared to FY20.

GHG emissions from Scope 1 Refrigerants continued their general downward trend since FY11, reflecting a 18.4% decrease in emissions compared to FY20.

While commuting has previously been Pitt’s third largest GHG emissions contributor, in FY21, GHG emissions from commuting decreased 66% compared to FY20 (17,049 MT CO2e less than FY20). This significant drop is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic response, which created virtual campus learning and working for most Pitt students and employees in FY21, thus creating many avoided commutes.

Scope 3 emissions overall were tremendously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with all Scope 3 categories seeing massive a 52% decrease in GHG emissions compared to FY20 (and 73% compared to FY19 pre-pandemic). The Scope 3 Paper category also experienced a large emissions decrease (by 67%), continuing the downward trend in this category since FY17.

For the first time, food-related GHG emissions were included in the Pitt GHG inventory process, reflecting the University’s commitment to the Cool Food Pledge (Cool Food, 2022)