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Sustainability

Greenhouse Gas Inventory

Every year, the Office of Sustainability’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory Team performs an inventory of Colorado College’s (CC) carbon emissions. The data from the inventory is used in the annual report, the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Technical Report. The goal of this report is to provide an overview of CC’s carbon emissions. This year’s report covers emissions data for Fiscal Year ‘20 (FY20), or July 1st 2019-June 30th 2020. It includes Colorado College’s gross emissions, as well as net emissions that take into account carbon offsets and carbon sinks.

The Report

The report provides information about greenhouse gases and the different "scopes" CC uses to differentiate sources of carbon emissions. It also explains carbon neutrality, carbon offsets, and Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The report covers all data collected during the FY20 greenhouse gas inventory process, beginning with an explanation of methodology and ending with graphs from SIMAPⓇ, the online platform used for the inventory. Below is a quick snapshot of the current state of emissions at CC. 

*** CC reached carbon neutrality on January 1st, 2020. However, in this year’s report, the data shows that CC has remaining net emissions. This is because we reached carbon neutrality halfway through our emissions reporting period; offsets could only be applied to emissions from January 1st, 2020 onward. Next year’s report will fully capture CC having met carbon neutrality—net emissions will be zero. ***

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Report an issue - Last updated: 04/28/2021

Read Our Latest Report

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Quick Facts

  • CC’s Baseline Year: 2008
  • Units Used to Quantify Carbon Emissions: Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent or MTCO2E
  • Achieved Carbon Neutrality: January 1st, 2020, which means CC has 0 net emissions
  • Renewable Energy: CC is 100% on Renewable Energy 
  • % of Decreased Emissions Since 2008:
    • Scope 1 emissions have decreased 36% 
    • Scope 2 emissions have decreased 92%
    • Scope 3 emissions have decreased 20%
  • How Did We Do It?: On-campus projects (building renovations, efficiency upgrades, on-site renewable energy) and investments in carbon offsets and Renewable Energy Certificates
  • Main Source of Carbon Offsets: An investment in the Larimer County Landfill Gas Destruction Project in Fort Collins, Colorado, that converts landfill waste into electricity