MENU
Facilities Services
Search

Climate Change Accountability Reports

As part of BC's carbon neutral public sector, SFU is required to submit a Carbon Neutral Action Report (CNAR) to the BC Climate Action Secretariat (Ministry of Environment) and the BC Ministry of Advanced Education. The Report summarizes SFU's annual greenhouse gas emissions from the government mandated reporting areas: direct and indirect fuel used for operating building systems (heating, cooling of buildings and electricity) and from consumption of office paper.

SFU is unable to comment on the data trends for its 2019 GHG emissions, given the context of COVID-19 and the corresponding provincial Directive, issued on 31st March 2020. There were many actions taken, and continued, in 2019 to maintain a reduction in SFU’s GHG emissions.

Examples of actions taken to minimize emissions included:

  • The completion of the Sustainable Energy and Engineering building on the Surrey campus, built to LEED Gold standard (pending certification);
  • Upgrading building control systems to integrate more buildings at the Burnaby campus in the direct digital control (DDC) system, to enable greater oversight and energy conservation; and
  • Promoting energy saving behaviours through campaigns such as the BC Cool Campus Challenge.

A Carbon Neutral Action Report is submitted to the BC Climate Action Secretariat each year (reports can be viewed on Carbon Neutral Action Reports BC website).

Current report

Below is the current Climate Change Accountability Report.

Previous reports

Below are previous Climate Change Accountability Report (formerly known as Carbon Netural Action Reports prior to 2019).

 

Carbon Neutral 2010

Starting in January 2010, Simon Fraser University along with other British Columbia public sector organizations must meet the Greenhouse Gas Reductions Act and Bill 44 Carbon Neutral Public Sector. This legislation has provided the catalyst for developing climate action plans to reduce Green House Gas (GHG) emissions.

Simon Fraser University's inventory is approximately 16,500 tones of carbon equivalents annually (2007 GHG Inventory). The 2007 inventory provides an excellent benchmark for assessing ongoing reductions and mitigation efforts.

GHG emissions being monitored are grouped under 3 categories.

  • Scope 1 - Direct emissions from consumption of fossil fuel. Natural gas, oil, steam, and fugitive emission primarily used for heating and hot water in buildings as well as emissions from diesel, and gasoline (fleet and other mobile equipment).
  • Scope 2 - Indirect emissions from electricity.
  • Scope 3 - Indirect emissions related to paper consumption

All of Simon Fraser University's three campuses are included in this inventory.

Facilities Services is working in cooperation with many departments to capture the emissions data including, Document Solutions, Financial Services, Central Stores, IT Services as well as Facilities staff from the 3 campuses. Emissions data is reported quarterly on Smart Tool, an online government site.

To achieve carbon neutrality, Simon Fraser University will be required to purchase offsets for its emissions each year. This is estimated to be approximately $500,000 (based on $25/tonne, 2007 inventory).

 

Carbon Reduction Capital Projects

The 2007 inventory identified that the Burnaby campus' heating plant accounts for close to 80% of Simon Fraser University’s emissions.

Funding is currently being sought from government to replace the existing heating plant with a new district heating plant that will utilize alternative fuels

Search
Search
close