Abstract

Global climate change poses a threat to ecological, social, and economic systems. UNC Asheville identifies sustainability as one of its three core values, and the university campus offers an opportunity to explore campus-level responses and solutions to the problem. In addition, the UNC System mandates a goal of carbon neutrality at UNC institutions by 2050. Through the summer of 2020, I collected data and collaborated with various departments across campus to complete a greenhouse gas inventory of the UNC Asheville campus and operations. The greenhouse gas inventory aims to guide and inform a campus Climate Action Plan and initiatives to decrease campus emissions. My main research questions were the following: What are UNC Asheville’s campus greenhouse gas emissions, and what initiatives could UNC Asheville take to mitigate those emissions through a campus Climate Action Plan? I conducted a campus-wide greenhouse gas inventory, collecting and updating data from departments and offices across campus. Major findings from my research included the following: despite a fluctuating student body size and growing square footage of buildings on campus, electricity use per square foot has decreased. Scope 2 emissions, purchased electricity, were the largest portion of greenhouse gas emissions on campus. A coordinated campus-wide effort to update annual greenhouse gas inventories is needed in tandem with implementing the proposed Climate Action Plan.

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