Did you know that Hope College has been tracking data for our Scopes 1 and 2 Carbon Footprint Calculations since 2005?! This long-term data collection allows us to clearly see a sustained decline in our overall carbon footprint. These reductions are especially meaningful because they have occurred alongside significant growth—including expanded campus infrastructure and increased numbers of students, faculty, and staff. The progress reflects improved operational practices and intentional changes across campus.
The graph also highlights the important role of our local electricity provider, the Holland Board of Public Works. The first major dip after 2013 corresponds with the retirement of the James De Young coal-fired power plant, while the second notable decrease in 2017 aligns with the launch of the Holland Energy Park, which introduced cleaner energy generation to the grid and helps sustain Holland’s Snowmelt System.
Our Green Revolving Fund was launched at the end of 2022 which has allowed for additional decreases thanks to Dr. Jeff Christians and student interns from our Engineering Department. They have been working with our Physical Plant team to study projects around campus that will help us reduce our operating budget and decrease our environmental impacts. Â
Background Information:
Scopes 1, 2, and 3 categorize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources an organization owns or controls, such as vehicles. Scope 2 includes indirect emissions from purchased energy, primarily electricity. Scope 3 accounts for all other indirect emissions across the value chain, including supply chains, commuting, and waste. Together, these scopes provide a comprehensive view of an organization’s carbon footprint, with Scope 3 often being the largest and most challenging to address.
Hope College Commitment to Sustainability:
Hope College strives to create a future in which our planet and all its inhabitants flourish. Rooted in the Christian faith, we embrace our calling to care for the Earth and we celebrate restoring God’s creation and sustaining our future as synergistic goals. We commit to building a sustainable world that promotes the holistic well-being of future generations and affirms the dignity of all people. By means of our academic curriculum, our scholarly work, our student life programs, the management of our campus, and our engagement with the local and global community, we educate students for a sustainable future that values the rights and opportunities of every individual, each of whom is created and loved by God. We humbly embrace this calling and shoulder these responsibilities with joy.
—Adopted by the Administrative Council, summer 2021
http://donate.hope.edu/sustainability
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