Clemson is committed to drastically reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on our campus. President Barker committed that Clemson would actively pursue initiatives to become carbon neutral by signing the American College & University President's Climate Commitment. As part of our commitment, a comprehensive inventory of all GHG emissions has been compiled. In order to monitor our progress, the emissions were characterized in different groups and are updated annually. The results are reported in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivavlents (MTeCO2). The visual below presents three categories of emission sources defined as Scope 1, 2 and 3.
Simplifying the Types of GHG Emissions
Our purchased power from Duke Energy represents our primary source of GHG emissions. In 2008, our electrical purchase was responsible for 55% of our total GHG emissions. Interestingly, air travel for our faculty and staff represents 11% of our total GHG emissions. The charts below provide a simplified breakdown of the major sources of GHG emissions directly related to our university.
2008 Total GHG Emissions pie chart and graph
As we monitor our annual GHG emissions, as presented in the graph below, 2008 reflects a reduction in our GHG emissions. Our challenge ahead is to drastically reduce our GHG emissions. We hope to capture a significant gain by relying on Duke Energy, our sole provider of electricity, to cut their emissions in half - by approximately 50 million tons - by 2030.
Longitudinal Performance
The entire Environmental Stewardship presentation as presented by Sightlines is available as a download.