This page delves into some of the frequently asked questions about UVA's goals to be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel-free by 2050. The following table summarizes the sources of climate-warming emissions that are tracked in UVA's annual greenhouse gas inventory, as well as which contribute to the carbon neutral and fossil fuel free goals.

What are UVA's climate goals?

UVA will be carbon neutral by 2030 and fossil fuel free by 2050.  More details on goals and progress.

What is the difference between these goals?

Carbon Neutral:  All carbon emissions are mitigated to zero. 

Fossil Fuel Free:  No fossil fuels are used on Grounds to support UVA operations, including heating and cooling, electricity sources, and transportation.

What does UVA's carbon neutrality goal include?

UVA’s carbon neutrality includes emissions related to the functional operation of the University. This best aligns with The Climate Registry’s Protocol and Operational Control Approach, which includes emission sources UVA has the authority to affect through operating policies and initiatives. UVA’s GHG emissions are generated from four distinct sources:  Fuel, Transportation, Electricity, and Operations Support. Fuel includes coal, natural gas, distillate oil, and propane used on Grounds. Transportation includes direct emissions from UVA-owned buses, fleet vehicles and jet.  Electricity emissions are the result of electricity purchased from the electrical grid.  Operations Support includes greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer and refrigerants. 

In greenhouse gas inventory terms, this means that UVA’s carbon goal includes all emissions for Scope 1 (fuel, fleet transportation, fertilizer, and refrigerants) and Scope 2 (purchased electricity).

What are the boundaries for the goals?

The 2030 carbon neutrality and 2050 fossil fuel-free goals include all UVA Academic and Medical Center-operated properties for which utility data is available from UVA Energy & Utilities (E&U), regardless of location (the vast majority of these are on or contiguous to Main Grounds, and generally agency 207 or 209). This includes approximately 570 buildings encompassing over 16 million square feet. Operational control is defined by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. Using these criteria, a methodology of evaluating operational control was developed based on availability of utility spend data (provided by E&U) and building operation as well as ownership status (provided by Geospatial Engineering Services). Most of these buildings use thermal energy provided from one of UVA’s heating or cooling plants and electricity via Dominion Energy.

As additional properties contiguous to Main Grounds are acquired by UVA, and as new buildings are constructed, they are added to the inventory (if UVA has operational control) and factored in as growth. Remote buildings under UVA’s operational control are included if detailed utility use is available. Additional buildings will be added as/if this information becomes available back to the baseline year. Not included in the goals: UVA Real Estate Foundation-owned buildings and other University Affiliated Organization-owned or operated properties (unless they are on Grounds and connected to UVA district energy, in which case district energy is included in the goal, but electricity use is not, per GHG Protocol guidelines), as well as University Physicians Group, and College at Wise. Leased and satellite properties are not included if they are outside of UVA’s operational control or when utility data is not available. 

What about UVA's Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions?

Across higher education, Scope 3 emissions are a challenging area due to a lack of robust and easily accessible internal data availability (decentralization) and lack of standardization of both boundaries and calculation methodologies. While Scope 3 emissions (e.g., indirect emissions from purchasing, commuting and food) are not included in the 2030 carbon neutrality goal because of these challenges, they are still included in UVA’s annual GHG inventory to the extent feasible. While not directly included in the GHG emissions reduction goal, the University will continue to track, manage, and mitigate indirect Scope 3 emissions where possible. However, more importantly than calculating exact numbers across Scope 3, strategies to reduce the environmental impact of these emissions are actively being implemented and pursued.

As better data on additional sources of Scope 3 emissions becomes available over time and methodologies become more robust and accurate, these sources will be incorporated into the University’s GHG footprint. For example, Scope 3 emissions associated with university-affiliated air travel (e.g., study abroad travel) began to be included in the 2021 GHG inventory for the first time.

What about UVA's properties that are not located in the Charlottesville area?

UVA is actively expanding data sets to develop a larger inventory. As data availability increases for properties outside of the properties already included, UVA will seek to include additional owned North American properties in the GHG inventory, in alignment with Climate Registry Operational Control methodologies. Though these properties aren’t currently calculated, emissions reductions strategies are still actively assessed and implemented when possible. 

How are these goals calculated and how is progress assessed?

UVA’s greenhouse gas inventory is calculated each calendar year, measured against a 2010 baseline, using the web-based Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP). The methodologies in this tool align with the World Resource Institute's Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. SIMAP 
calculates emissions from activities that release carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), refrigerants, and other greenhouse gases. These emissions are converted to metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) using global warming potentials provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Assessment Reports. Calculation results are reviewed within Facilities Management, by SIMAP reviewers, and then posted publicly on the UVA Sustainability website. In this report, “carbon emissions” and “carbon footprint” refer to the total GHG emissions converted to carbon dioxide emissions equivalent (CO2e). For more detail see the annual UVA GHG Inventory reports.

What happens between now and 2030?

See UVA Sustainability Climate Action for details on UVA’s climate strategies.

What is the role of carbon offsets and RECs?

UVA’s primary approach in meeting the University’s 2030 carbon neutrality goal focuses on direct emissions reductions, in other words, strategies that can be implemented on Grounds. This approach provides operational and cost benefits while increasing resiliency. Renewable energy procurement - both on and off Grounds - will be pursued as a complement to direct mitigation. Carbon removals projects, if used at all, will be reserved as a measure of last resort.

Because of questions regarding the validity and impact of offset credit to meet climate objectives, in 2022, the UVA Committee on Sustainability appointed a task force to make recommendations on intial guidance for the University. The initial recommendations led to the development of UVA's Carbon Removal Procurement Requirements, which were endorsed by the University president and executive leadership (PERT) in fall 2023. 

UVA's detailed framework can be found on the carbon removals and offsets page.

How can I get involved?

There are so many ways to get involved with sustainability at UVA. Check out the Take Action section of the UVA Sustainability website.