2010 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Update, Published October 2011
Read Vanderbilt News article here.
In recognition of Campus Sustainability Day on October 26, 2011, Vanderbilt released its 2010 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report. The report shows that overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the campus and medical center decreased by almost 10 percent from the all-time high reached in 2008 while achieving a 4 percent decrease from 2005 to 2010, even though VU has seen a 7 percent growth in square footage since 2008.
GHG emissions per person, per student, per research dollars, per inpatient day, and per ambulatory visit have all also trended significantly in the positive direction since 2005.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced new methodology for assessing GHG emissions in October 2009 which and required some universities, including Vanderbilt, to report those emissions to EPA for the first time. Quantifying GHG emissions over time allows the Vanderbilt community to better understand its own unique impact on the environment now and in the past and determine the most effective improvement strategies to implement in the future.