THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT Carbon Inventory, Lessons Learned,

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

• Ramy Serour
• Ph.D. Candidate
• Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences
• and Center for Integrative Environmental
  Research
• University of Maryland

Matthias Ruth Roy F. Weston Chair in Natural
Economics Director, Center for Integrative
Environmental Research Co-Director, Engineering
and Public Policy University of Maryland
Towson University, March 4, 2009
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THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT

• UMD College Park
• Climate Commitment
• Carbon Inventory
• Climate Action Plan

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT

• 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

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT

• 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-Foundation
• Waste minimization measures ?

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND CLIMATE COMMITMENT

• 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

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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

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Greenhouse Gas InventoryScope
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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 tenant
• Graduate Hills Gardens
• Graham Cracker Sorority houses
• South Commons
• Ground leases
• UMUC
• USM 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

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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

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Greenhouse Gas InventoryFindings
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Greenhouse Gas InventoryFindings
FY 2007
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Greenhouse Gas InventoryFindings
Reason 1 Investment in Co-generation
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Greenhouse Gas InventoryFindings
Reason 2 More student housing (2873 beds)
Less student commuting (-1269 permits)
( rides/yearduplicated)
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Greenhouse Gas InventoryEmissions Reduction
Strategies
Emissions Reduction Strategies
Emissions
1990 present 20xx
Matthias Ruth. Center for Integrative
Environmental Research
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Greenhouse Gas InventoryEmissions Reduction
Strategies
Emissions Reduction Strategies
Emissions
Conservation Green Construction Power Plant
and Distribution Efficiency Renewable
Energy Carbon Offsets
1990 present 20xx
Matthias Ruth. Center for Integrative
Environmental Research
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Greenhouse Gas InventoryEmissions Reduction
Strategies
Emissions Reduction Strategies
Emissions
Conservation Green Construction Power Plant
and Distribution Efficiency Renewable
Energy Carbon Offsets
1990 present 20xx
20yy
Matthias Ruth. Center for Integrative
Environmental Research
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Climate Action Plan

• Power and Operations
• Transportation
• Campus Services and Activities
• Administrative Policies
• Education and Research
• Outreach and In-reach
• Financial Strategies

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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

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For more information

• Ramy Serour
• rsorour1_at_yahoo.com
• http//www.cier.umd.edu

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