Environmental Impact

The Office of Campus Sustainability, along with the Facilities Planning and Management team, continually monitor metrics related to Catholic University’s use of energy and water utilities and our generation of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. These metrics help us understand the environmental impact of Catholic University and Office of Campus Sustainability initiatives as well as provide insight into campus operations to support decision making.

Energy, in the form of electricity or natural gas, accounts for the majority of campus utilities. Electricity is primarily used for cooling, lighting, and powering general appliances and computers. Natural gas is primarily used for powering boilers and other steam system components that warm buildings on campus. Energy use over the past decade has remained mostly consistent, with a peak in FY 2019 and a dip in FY 2021 due to a decrease in campus occupancy during the pandemic. In FY 2022, we started seeing a slight year-over-year increase in energy use with the return of faculty, staff, and students to campus on a more regular schedule and the addition of two new buildings to campus: Garvey Hall in FY 2024 and the Conway School of Nursing Building in FY 2025.

Water is used for faucets, toilets, and showers as well as to heat and cool buildings on campus. Water use has followed a similar trajectory as energy, remaining mostly consistent but with a significant decrease in water use during the pandemic and increases in subsequent years due to the return of campus activity and the construction of two new buildings. Water use has remained stable over the past three years.

Progress toward goals:

• Energy: As of the end of FY 2025, the University has achieved a 9% reduction in energy use compared to FY 2016, missing the target to achieve a 20% reduction by FY 2025.
• Water: As of the end of FY 2025, the University has seen a 16% increase in water use compared to FY 2016, missing the target to achieve a 20% reduction by FY 2025.

Waste refers to all items discarded and removed from the University, including recycling, compost, and trash. University waste data is available starting in FY 2020. From FY 2021 to 2022, we saw an increase in trash generation (waste sent to landfill), which can be attributed to the increased use of masks, cleaning supplies, and single use items during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in the years since the community returned to campus, the diversion rate has increased significantly, from a low of 24% in FY 2022 to a high of 51% in FY 2025.

Progress toward goals:

• Waste: As of FY 2025, the University has achieved its goal to divert over 50% of waste generated on campus from landfill.

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are emissions of gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. These include gases carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane, among others. GHG emissions, which are produced by everyday activities like driving and heating buildings, contribute to climate change.

In GHG inventories, all emissions are placed in three categories. These categories provide an understanding of the sources of emissions and how to mitigate them. 

Scope 1 emissions are emissions that the University controls directly. These include the use of natural gas on campus for heating and cooling, refrigerants, and fleet vehicle fuels.

Scope 1 emissions in 2025 totaled approximately 6,776 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (MTCO₂e). The largest component of Catholic U's scope 1 emissions is natural gas fuel use on campus.

Scope 2 emissions are from purchased energy sources such as electricity. 

Catholic University has maintained zero Scope 2 emissions every year from 2019 through 2025 through the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). RECs are certificates that represent the generation of one megawatt-hour of electricity from a renewable source, allowing institutions to offset their electricity consumption with renewable energy.

Scope 3 emissions are from sources not owned by the University but still impacted by its operations. These include air travel, daily commutes by students and faculty, and waste generated on campus, among others.

Scope 3 emissions in FY2025 totaled approximately 4,195 MTCO₂e. The largest contributors were employee commuting and transmission & distribution (T&D) losses associated with campus electricity use.

In 2025, Catholic University emitted approximately 10,972 MTCO₂e. While emissions remained consistent with 2024, this represents a 48% reduction from the 2016 baseline of 21,061 MTCO₂e which is a significant improvement over the decade.

Since 2016, total GHG emissions have declined significantly, driven largely by a reduction in Scope 3 emissions, particularly employee commuting, air travel, waste, and wastewater generation. Scope 1 emissions fluctuate across years due to variation in heating demand, refrigerant releases, and fleet fuel use. Scope 2 emissions have remained at zero each year since 2019 due to the University's purchase of RECs.

In 2024, there was a notable drop in total emissions compared to 2023, particularly in employee commuting and air transport. 

Note: The data for 2024 and 2025 was calculated using a new methodology. These changes are most visible in Scope 3 emission values, particularly air transport and employee commuting. It is important to interpret those figures with the understanding that they reflect this methodology change alongside any shifts in the actual travel habits and patterns of the university community.

Progress towards goals:

• As of the end of FY2025, the University has achieved an approximately 48% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to FY2016, significantly exceeding the Sustainability Plan target of a 20% reduction by FY2025.

Conclusion

Since the initiation of the Five-Year Sustainability Plan, Catholic University has made impressive strides towards advancing sustainability across our campus and broader community.

While the initial five-year period for the Sustainability Plan has concluded, the Office of Campus Sustainability will continue to make progress to achieve and improve upon the goals outlined in the plan. The next Sustainability Plan will be released in conjunction with the next Campus Master Plan in FY 2027.

Sustainability is a sustained collaborative effort.

Feel free to reach out to us at sustainability@cua.edu and check us out at www.catholic.edu/green.