UBC compiles an annual Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory to measure and monitor our campus emissions, which are reported in our annual Climate Action Plan Report.

About the GHG Inventory

We established a Technical Advisory Committee of academic, operations, staff and student members in 2007 to measure our GHG emissions. The initial inventory used the World Resources Institute Greenhouse Gas Protocol to quantify 2006 emissions, which include direct and indirect emissions (Scope 1 and Scope 2), and optional emissions (Scope 3).

The committee elected to adopt the broadest approach to scoping our GHGs, including faculty, staff and student daily commuting, and paper procurement, among other items. This was based on the recognition that we can influence emission reductions beyond our operational boundary.

Our strategies for reducing emissions are outlined in our Climate Action Plan.

Inventory (2006 – present)

Inventories for our Vancouver campus emissions have been completed each year since 2006:

• 2011 GHG Inventory
• 2010 GHG Inventory
• 2009 GHG Inventory
• 2008 GHG Inventory
• 2007 GHG Inventory
• 2006 GHG Inventory

2011 Emissions

In 2011, total GHG emissions for UBC’s Vancouver campus buildings, fleet and paper amounted to 63,803 tonnes CO2e, a 5.6 per cent decrease per full-time equivalent (FTE) student from 2007 levels.

Since over 95 per cent of these emissions come from Vancouver campus buildings, with 76 per cent of the total occurring at the campus steam plant, key actions focus on improving energy efficiency in campus buildings and connecting alternative energy sources to the campus district energy system. 

As required by provincial regulation, we offset our emissions from the Pacific Carbon Trust to become carbon neutral for 2011.

For more information, read the Climate Action Plan Report.