Anna is the Sustainability Coordinator in the University of Pennsylvania Sustainability Office. The Sustainability Coordinator focuses on outreach programs and works to embed sustainability practices throughout the student experience at Penn. The Coordinator manages programs such as Green Living, Green Office, Civic Sustainability Fellows, and the Penn Employee Alliance for Climate & Environment. The Coordinator also supports the office with communication, including maintaining Penn Sustainability’s website and managing its social media.

Previously, Anna worked at Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. As an Emerson Fellow, she developed and oversaw environmental justice partnerships between the University and local K-12 schools. In her role as the Academically Based Community Service Research and Program Coordinator, she supported university-community partnerships embedded in courses and research initiatives. She also interned in the U.S. Green Building Council where she developed educational materials on LEED certification for diverse audiences. Anna holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Environmental and Sustainability Management from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently pursuing her Master’s of Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels School of Government. Anna lives in Philadelphia and loves rock climbing, thrifting, reading, and spending time with her communities.  

Alisha is the Sustainable Labs Manager in the University of Pennsylvania’s offices of Sustainability and Environmental Health and Radiation Safety. The structure of this role allows Alisha to work at the intersection of laboratory safety and environmental sustainability. She oversees the Green Labs Program at Penn, coordinates events like the annual freezer challenge, and facilitates both the Green Labs Executive Committee and Green Labs Working Group.

Previously, Alisha worked in regulated laboratory spaces. She has worked in biotechnology labs as a lab resources manager and quality assurance associate. Prior to that, Alisha was the supervisor in a wastewater treatment laboratory regulated by the PA DEP and EPA. Alisha holds a B.S. in Environmental Biology from Salem State University and is a candidate in Penn’s Master of Environmental Studies program with a concentration in Environmental Biology. Alisha lives in Philadelphia and volunteers with wildlife surveys at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

Welcome to our Greenhouse Gas Data Dashboard, a comprehensive tool designed to provide insights into Penn's complex inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. As we navigate the challenges of climate change, understanding and monitoring greenhouse gas emissions is paramount to developing effective mitigation strategies. Our dashboard offers a user-friendly interface, bringing together data from various sources to offer a holistic view of greenhouse gas emissions across different scopes and categories. Whether you're a student, researcher, or concerned citizen, this platform serves as a valuable resource for exploring trends, identifying hotspots, and tracking progress towards a carbon-neutral university. Join us as we delve into the data driving our understanding of climate change and work towards a greener, healthier planet for generations to come.

Our dashboard showcases the annual greenhouse gas emissions of Penn for fiscal years 2009-2023. Penn's fiscal year spans from July 1 to June 30. The dashboard presents both gross emissions, which represent the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by the campus before accounting for any offsets, and net emissions, which reflect the remaining emissions after applying offsets.

You have the option to click on different elements of the graph, adjust the displayed years of data, share the dashboard with others, or download the data.

Please note that the data presented may undergo changes as we continuously strive to enhance data quality and provide a comprehensive overview of our campus footprint.

Scopes

Scopes 1, 2, and 3 emissions categorize different sources of greenhouse gas emissions within an organization's or operational framework. 

• Scope 1 emissions encompass direct emissions produced by activities under an organization's control, such as those from the combustion of fossil fuels in owned facilities or vehicles. These emissions are typically the most straightforward to measure and manage.
• Scope 2 emissions involve indirect emissions generated from purchased electricity, heat, or steam used by the organization. While not directly produced by the organization, they are a consequence of its energy consumption and are thus within its sphere of influence.
• Scope 3 emissions, on the other hand, represent a broader scope, encompassing all other indirect emissions associated with an organization's activities, including those from its supply chain, business travel, waste generation, and product use. These emissions can be more challenging to quantify and control but are crucial for achieving a comprehensive understanding of an organization's carbon footprint and driving sustainability initiatives throughout its entire operation.

Offsets

It is important to note that, currently, the University cannot achieve carbon neutrality without offsets. For FY23, 23% of the carbon footprint was offset. 

• Steam Offsets: Penn’s steam offsets program is critical in reducing the university’s greenhouse gas emissions by addressing emissions associated with purchased steam. Steam, primarily used for heating and other campus operations, significantly contributes to Scope 2 emissions due to its reliance on fossil fuel combustion, specifically the grid, at external facilities.
• CLIO Offsets: Air travel comprises 5-10% of Penn’s main campus carbon emissions. Penn faculty, staff, and students who travel on university business are encouraged to choose more sustainable transportation methods when possible, but it is acknowledged that some level of air travel will continue within the Penn Community.  A Climate Impact Offset charge (CLIO) funds the Travel Sustainability Fund to procure offsets for University air travel.
• Green-e® RECs: In FY24, the University purchased Green-e® Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to support its greenhouse gas reduction efforts. These RECs were strategically employed to address emissions during the initial rollout of the University’s Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which began generating electricity in January 2024 but did not reach full production until later in the fiscal year. Green-e® RECs also helped offset emissions following a shift in steam offset strategy – realigning steam offsets to cover emissions solely from chilled water production, consistent with the program’s original intent. Because Green-e® National RECs represent solar energy produced on the electrical grid, they serve as a strong proxy for the Solar PPA and contribute to reductions in both Gross Market-based and Net emissions of the Main Campus.

Methodology

While the University internally reports its gross greenhouse gas emissions using both location-based and market-based methods, the visualization above presents emissions using the market-based approach. 

• Market-based accounting reflects the specific sources of purchased electricity, enabling the use of supplier-specific emission factors. In contrast, location-based accounting relies on average emissions from the regional electricity grid. Using the market-based method is especially important in the case of the University's Solar PPA, as it provides a more accurate representation of emissions directly associated with campus electricity consumption.

Limitations

• The Greenhouse Gas Inventory presented on this dashboard represents Penn’s main campus operations only and excludes several key properties and entities, including the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP), Morris Arboretum, New Bolton Center, and the University's Real Estate Portfolio.
• Certain emission sources, such as refrigerants and chemicals, were not historically tracked and were only integrated into the carbon footprint starting in 2022. As a result, data for these sources prior to 2022 is unavailable.
• Additionally, not all Scope 3 emissions are currently measured or reported. Scope 3 emissions encompass a wide range of indirect emissions, many complex and challenging to quantify. While categories such as air travel, faculty commuting, and refrigerants and chemicals have been included, the University continues to explore methodologies to assess additional Scope 3 categories and incorporate them into the inventory.