Reflecting the University of Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan and commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2037, the results of Pitt’s Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory for the Pittsburgh campus are summarized below, showcasing Pitt’s progress on GHG reductions and commitment to annual GHG inventories. The Pitt GHG Inventories represent a strong collaboration between research, academics, and operations.
The University’s ninth GHG Inventory tallies Pitt’s Pittsburgh campus FY23 GHG emissions as 210,319 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e). These results are 23.1% below our 2008 baseline — and officially miss the 34.1% incremental reduction target anticipated for 2023.
The full FY23 GHG Inventory report and Pitt Sustainability GHG dashboard detail and showcase how Pitt has tracked and reduced its GHG impact over time, in line with international protocols and best practices.
As Pitt actively works towards carbon neutrality by 2037 (still aiming for our incremental target of 50% reductions in GHG emissions below 2008 levels by 2030), key takeaways from the FY23 University of Pittsburgh GHG Inventory for the Pittsburgh campus include:
Overall – For FY23, 210,319 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents were associated with the University’s Pittsburgh campus, 23.1.% below our FY08 baseline. However, FY23 GHG emissions were 2% lower than FY19 (the last pre-pandemic-influenced GHG inventory year). They were also 21.6% higher than FY22, which in retrospect now joins FY20 and FY21 as influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, in part relating to Scope 3 (travel) GHG emissions (which have clearly rebounded from the pandemic).
Overall, the Pittsburgh campus population & building square footage are continuing to grow, with FY23 seeing both Pitt population (employees + students) and building square footage growing. The top 3 GHG emissions sources for FY23 were electricity, steam, and air travel. GHG emissions increases occurred in all categories except refrigerants, fertilizers, purchased steam, and student commuting.
Scope 1 Emissions
- Steam – The second largest contribution to FY23 GHG emissions was from steam, which contributed 23.6% of FY23 emissions; steam is primarily used for heating and both generated on-campus and purchased (Scope 1 and 2, respectively),
- Fleet Vehicles – Since FY08, Pitt’s GHG emissions from fleet transportation have relatively increased more than any other category. For FY23, fleet GHG emissions increase 7.9% compared to FY22, but are 26.1% lower than FY19. This positive result is attributed in part to the addition of propane-powered shuttle buses, which helped decrease gasoline and biodiesel use.
- Refrigerants –In FY23, Pitt used a total of 1,381 pounds of refrigerants, which translates to 974 MT CO2e (less than 1% of total FY23 GHG emissions). Trends demonstrate the University’s shift away from more potent refrigerants in preference of refrigerants with lower global warming potential.
Scope 2 Emissions
- Electricity – Purchased electricity remains the largest contributor to Pitt’s overall GHG emissions (34.6% of all FY23 emissions).
- FY23 GHG emissions from purchased electricity were down 48% compared to FY08 — and down 1.5% from FY19; these reductions are due to both the University’s renewable electricity procurement and a shift in the regional electricity generation mix to lower carbon sources (i.e., reductions in electricity produced by coal, with coinciding increases in electricity generation from nuclear, natural gas, and renewable sources).
- Renewables – For FY23, 17% of Pitt’s annual electricity consumption was attributed to renewables; the University remains on track to reach its renewable electricity goals of 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2037.
- Electricity Consumption – Beyond GHG emissions, total campus-wide electricity usage in FY23 was 10% lower than FY19, but 10% higher than FY22 (a decrease of 18,201 MWh), attributed to a growth in Pitt-owned building square footage.
Scope 3 Emissions
- The largest increase between FY22 and FY23 GHG emissions was from Scope 3 emissions, which increased 27,243 MT CO2e compared to the pandemic-influenced FY22. However, Pitt’s Scope 3 GHG emissions are still down 12% compared to FY19.
- Commuting – Commuting was Pitt’s fourth largest GHG emissions contributor in FY23, with GHG emissions from commuting increasing 1.5% compared to FY22, but still 65% lower than FY19. This sustained reduction in commuting emissions post-pandemic reflects both avoided commutes from hybrid work schedules and an increase in active commuting.
- Travel – University travel (including Athletics and study abroad) experienced a 181% rebound compared to FY22. Given a similar relative increase between FY22 and FY21, travel in FY22 is now retroactively considered pandemic-influenced.
People get on a Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus outsdie of Cathedral of Learning in 2019 - Food – Reflecting Pitt’s commitment to the Coolfood Pledge, food-related GHG emissions were added to GHG inventory process in FY21; this category was up 32.3% in FY23, reflecting more on-campus catering as more events returned to campus post-pandemic.
- Paper – Notably, GHG emissions from the Scope 3 Paper category stayed relatively low, , reflecting a 90% decrease since FY17.
The FY23 GHG Inventory estimates emissions 23.1% below our 2008 baseline, which do not meet or beat the 34.1% incremental reduction target anticipated for 2023. Given the many activities laid out in the Pitt Climate Action Plan that are already underway, but not yet reflected in the FY23 data, it is anticipated that the University remains on track to meet its goal of 50% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030 (below the 2008 baseline) and carbon neutrality by 2037.
In line with Pitt’s commitment to carbon neutrality for the Pittsburgh campus by 2037, Pitt GHG Inventories are completed annually — and the GHG inventory process has already started for the FY24 inventory. The campus-wide process is guided by Dr. Melissa Bilec, Co-Director of the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, and Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Sustainability.
The FY23 Pitt GHG Inventory was completed by Isabella Cicco (doctoral student in Civil and Environmental Engineering), with data provided from offices and departments across the University. The reports serve as guidelines for the Chancellor’s Advisory Council on Sustainability, its Carbon Commitment Committee (which has already reviewed the results), and other committees, groups, and/or individuals working to reduce Pitt’s GHG emissions.
If your office, department, or group would like to a presentation on the findings, please email sustainability@pitt.edu.