The first greenhouse gas inventories for the University of Pittsburgh’s Bradford campus indicates Pitt-Bradford has made progress in limiting the amount of carbon dioxide it contributes to the atmosphere.
Completed by Pitt’s Office of Sustainability, the first Pitt-Bradford greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories tally emissions for Fiscal Years 2019 and 2022, neither of which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The inventory calculates GHG emissions from vehicles, electricity and natural gas used by buildings, chemicals used in refrigerants and fertilizer, commuting, University-sponsored travel, study abroad, solid waste, wastewater, and paper use. The report also makes
Moving forward, Fiscal Year 2019 will be Pitt-Bradford’s baseline year against which progress towards the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2037 will be measured. Between 2019 and 2022, Pitt-Bradford’s GHG emissions dropped 6.7% to 7,874 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. During Fiscal Year 2022, Pitt-Bradford produced 6.17 metric tons of carbon dioxide per full-time equivalent student.
The report makes recommendations to reduce Pitt-Bradford’s carbon footprint further. “As buildings are renovated, sustainability and efficiency features and practices are incorporated,” said Jack Rae, Director of Facilities at Pitt-Bradford campus. “The largest areas of emissions on the campus come from purchased electricity and natural gas used to heat buildings and water.”
In Summer 2024, for example, Pitt-Bradford’s Frame-Westerberg Commons received new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems with more efficient motors. Additionally, a large ceiling fan installed in the vaulted ceiling of the KOA Dining Hall will push warm air from the ceiling downward during the winter.
Bathroom remodeling in two Pitt-Bradford residence halls included new low-flow fixtures to reduce the amount of water consumed. LED lights with timers replaced fluorescent lights that use more energy.
As items such as fluorescent bulbs and batteries are replaced across the University, they are recycled, as are metal from used furniture and waste oil from vehicles and landscaping equipment. Although a small part of the campus’s carbon footprint, responsibly using and recycling resources is an important aspect of Pitt-Bradford’s operations.
Pitt-Bradford is also starting to replace some landscaping equipment with electric models, which also help reduce noise. Pitt-Bradford is also exploring adding electric trucks to its fleet.
The report also recommends that Pitt-Bradford continue to expand on-site renewable electricity production beyond the existing rooftop solar arrays on the George B. Duke Engineering & Information Technologies Building and the Richard E. and Ruth McDowell Sport & Fitness Center. The Duke solar array began producing electricity in Fiscal Year 2023, is not reflected in these first inventories.
Examining opportunities for more sustainable energy production is one of the tasks of Pitt-Bradford’s Sustainability Committee is considering. Led by Dr. Matt Kropf, Associate Professor of Engineering Technology, and Dr. Julia Morgan, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, the committee is working with Rae and the University-wide Office of Sustainability to develop Pitt-Bradford’s first Sustainability Plan.
The University’s Office of Sustainability intends to inventory Pitt-Bradford’s greenhouse gas emissions every three years.