Scope 3 Emissions | Sustainable Operations

CU Boulder’s Scope 3 Approach to Goal Setting

CU Boulder’s 2024 Climate Action Plan established a objective to cut back Scope 3 emissions the place correct estimates might be developed and the place the college has significant affect or management.

Since adoption of the plan, CU Boulder has carried out a extra detailed evaluation of particular person Scope 3 sources, contemplating:

• the scale of every emissions supply;
• the standard and availability of the underlying information;
• CU Boulder’s capacity to affect or management the supply;
• alternatives to attain measurable greenhouse gasoline reductions;
• broader advantages equivalent to well being, mobility, fairness, waste discount and resilience; and
• potential results on the college’s schooling and analysis mission.

This evaluation confirmed {that a} single discount goal will not be equally significant or achievable throughout all Scope 3 sources. Some classes, equivalent to meals, upstream fuel- and energy-related actions (FERA), and waste, will be measured and influenced comparatively straight. Others rely closely on particular person habits, suppliers habits, or broader business motion equivalent to by way of decarbonized cement or aviation.

Based on this, CU Boulder makes use of category-specific greenhouse gasoline targets the place emissions will be measured reliably and the college has significant capacity to affect them, and different efficiency metrics the place direct emissions reductions are tougher to measure or management.

Understanding CU Boulder’s Scope 3 Footprint

CU Boulder’s newest 2025 stock estimates roughly 245,074 MTCO₂e of Scope 3 emissions, representing about 70% of the college’s measured Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 greenhouse gasoline footprint.

The largest estimated sources are:

• Category 9: Student and household journey to and from campus: roughly 31%
• Category 3: Fuel- and energy-related actions: roughly 19.5%
• Category 1a: Purchasing: roughly 14.2%
• Category 6a: Business journey: roughly 8.5%
• Category 6b: Education overseas: roughly 8.3%
• Category 7: Employee and scholar commuting: roughly 7.4%
• Category 2a: Construction: roughly 5.4%
• Category 1b: Food: roughly 4.8%

Together, these eight sources account for about 99% of CU Boulder’s measured Scope 3 emissions. Waste, upstream leased belongings, bought automobiles, and cloud computing and AI make up the remaining roughly 1%.

How CU Boulder Is Addressing Scope 3 Emissions

CU Boulder prioritizes Scope 3 motion primarily based not solely on the scale of an emissions supply, but additionally on how precisely it may be measured, how a lot affect or management the college has over it, and the place motion can create significant real-world affect.

Because Scope 3 classes differ broadly in information high quality and controllability, they require totally different approaches. Categories with stronger information and better college affect can assist measurable greenhouse gasoline discount targets. For classes the place emissions are tougher to measure or rely closely on particular person habits, suppliers or broader industries, CU Boulder might as an alternative deal with operational enhancements, engagement, or different efficiency measures.

Different Scope 3 sources due to this fact require totally different approaches. Some classes have quantitative greenhouse gasoline discount targets, whereas others use operational or efficiency metrics that higher mirror what CU Boulder can meaningfully affect.

CU Boulder’s Theory of Change

CU Boulder makes use of the next rules to information and prioritize Scope 3 methods:

• Maximize world environmental affect. Prioritize actions that cut back CU Boulder’s greenhouse gasoline emissions and may also assist catalyze broader emissions reductions past campus.
• Deliver significant co-benefits. Favor methods that, alongside decreasing emissions, enhance well being, fairness, mobility and resilience for the CU Boulder neighborhood and, the place potential, contribute to advantages on the state, nationwide or world stage.
• Support CU Boulder’s mission. Evaluate whether or not local weather actions strengthen or detract from the college’s capacity to supply high-quality schooling and analysis, and prioritize approaches that advance local weather objectives whereas supporting the educational mission.
• Focus on real-world affect. Prioritize actions that produce significant emissions reductions or different demonstrated local weather advantages relatively than measures meant primarily to cut back reported emissions by way of accounting mechanisms or actions with out proof of web emissions enchancment.

Together, these issues assist CU Boulder decide the place quantitative greenhouse gasoline discount targets are applicable and the place different methods or efficiency metrics present a extra significant measure of progress.