Measuring Northwestern’s Carbon Footprint
2016 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE)
- Gross emissions*: 292,768
- Net emissions**: 215,540
Emissions by Campus
- Evanston: 204,382
- Chicago: 88,386
*Includes Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions.
**Northwestern purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs) to address indirect GHG emissions associated with the University's purchased electricity
Gross Emissions by Scope
percentage of total emissions
- Scope 1: 35%
- Scope 2: 43%
- Scope 3: 22%
Scope 1 Sources
- Natural gas and oil used in buildings: 98%
- Vehicle fleet: 2%
- Refrigerants: <1%
Scope 2 Sources
- Purchased electricity: 100%
Scope 3 Sources
- Travel: 59%
- Transmission losses: 26%
- Commuting: 14%
- Paper purchases, wastewater, solid waste: 1%
Purchased Electricity Fuel Sources
Fuels used to generate electricity purchased
- Coal: 35%
- Nuclear: 33%
- Natural gas: 26%
- Wind and hydro: 4%
- Other: 3%
Year-Over-Year Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG Emissions (MTCDE)
2012
- Gross emissions: 306,044
- REC-attributed emission reductions: 58,570
- Net emissions: 247,474
2013
- Gross emissions: 304,881
- REC-attributed emission reductions: 47,370
- Net emissions: 257,512
2014
- Gross emissions: 308,148
- REC-attributed emission reductions: 61,146
- Net emissions: 247,002
2015
- Gross emissions: 305,743
- REC-attributed emission reductions: 70,593
- Net emissions: 235,150
2016
- Gross emissions: 292,768
- REC-attributed emission reductions: 77,227
- Net emissions: 215,540
Achieving Net Zero GHG Emissions
Northwestern is committed to reducing its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 30% by 2030 (from a 2012 baseline) and achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050.
- 2012 - 213,292 MTCDE
- 2016 - 174,344 MTCDE (18% reduction from 2012 baseline)
Strategies for Reducing Emissions
- Avoidance: reduce energy use
- Efficiency: use energy more efficiently
- Intensity: switch to low-carbon energy sources
- Offsets: Purchase RECs