Greenhouse gas inventory at an institution level: a case study of Massey University, New Zealand

Abstract

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from four major sectors such as energy, agriculture, waste and forestry were measured in 2004 at the Turitea campus of Massey University in New Zealand and 2,200 ha of its associated farms. Emissions from these sectors in 1990 were also estimated to compare the 2004 emissions with the base year of the Kyoto protocol. Where possible, the standard guidelines provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were followed. However, sometimes at the level of institution, such as a university, some of the data necessary to calculate a GHG inventory were not readily available. This meant that new methods for calculating some emissions have to be developed and followed. The annual gross GHG emissions in terms of CO2 equivalents (CO2e) from Massey University and its associated farms in 2004 were 26,696 ± 2,674 Mg which were about 7.9% above the level of 1990 emissions. It was estimated that the forestry sector removed about 4,094 ± 439 Mg of CO2e through carbon sequestration in 2004, leaving overall net emissions 8.6% below the base-line GHG emissions of 1990.