Each year, Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives (OSI) collaborates with an independent consultant to inventory Emory’s atmosphere-warming greenhouse gas emissions. OSI does this to fulfill Emory’s 2021 climate commitments and to track the institution’s progress toward its goal of achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.
OSI recently published its most recent greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which reported emissions for Emory’s fiscal year 2024. The report provides the full story of Emory’s emissions reduction journey—progress made, obstacles identified, and opportunities ahead. Below, we break down OSI’s top ten takeaways from the report and five action items for Emory community members who want to reduce their own personal carbon footprints on campus and at home.
Top Ten Takeaways
1. Since 2010, Emory has reduced its GHG emissions by 32.62%.
Emory is well on its way to achieving its 2030 goal of 50% emissions reductions, but the institution must continue to reduce its emissions by about 2.9% annually from a 2010 baseline level to achieve its science-aligned emissions reduction goals.
2. Emory’s emissions have grown annually after hitting a low point in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emissions continued to rise in 2024, but the rate of emissions growth is decreasing as Emory approaches pre-pandemic emissions levels.
Emory has achieved overall emissions reductions since 2010. In order to achieve its 2030 goal, Emory must reverse the recent trend of increasing emissions shown in the chart below. This year, Emory’s greenhouse gas emissions growth decreased to only 1.29%, but Emory must achieve substantial reductions before 2030 to meet its goals.
3. Purchased electricity is the largest source of emissions at Emory.
Emory’s operations produce greenhouse gas emissions from many sources. Emory’s on-campus steam plant burns natural gas and fuel oil to heat campus buildings; many of Emory’s fleet vehicles run on gasoline, diesel, and biofuels; Emory’s landfilled waste produces methane when decomposing in landfills. Emory’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, however, is the generation of the electricity it purchases from its utility. While these emissions are produced at power plants around the state, they are attributable to Emory, the end user of the electricity. While purchased electricity is Emory’s largest source of greenhouse gases at 39.48% of 2024 emissions, emissions from this source decreased 7.75% in 2024, showing substantial progress. Several factors are driving this positive change, including initiatives to reduce energy consumption in Emory’s buildings and an increasing proportion of carbon-free energy sources on Georgia’s power grid.
4. Emory’s indirect Scope 3 GHG emissions, which include emissions from air travel, commuting, and waste, have increased dramatically since 2021.
Indirect Scope 3 GHG emissions are any GHG emissions that are attributable to Emory’s operations but are not produced directly on campus and are not produced through the generation of Emory’s purchased electricity. Emissions categories including Emory-sponsored travel, student, faculty, and staff commuting, and landfilled waste, are included under indirect Scope 3 emissions. These emissions now comprise 37% of Emory’s total carbon footprint and are close to becoming the largest scope of Emory’s emissions. Scope 3 emissions increased 13.19% from 2023. Air travel alone constitutes 13% of Emory’s GHG emissions, while commuting comprises roughly 10% of Emory’s GHG footprint, with staff commuting alone accounting for 7.6%. Changes in Scope 3 emissions categories are particularly significant because many of these categories, like emissions from travel, commuting, and landfilled waste, are closely tied to the behaviors of Emory community members and can be positively influenced by policy or culture change.
5. Emory has invested in Georgia Power’s Customer Renewable Supply Program (CRSP) to purchase clean energy and boost the quantity of solar energy on Georgia Power’s grid.
As you may see around campus, Emory has invested in solar energy on building roofs and parking decks. However, Emory cannot site all the clean energy it needs on campus. Accordingly, Emory has made robust investments in renewable energy credits (RECs), which represent the use of renewable energy produced off-campus to power Emory’s operations. Emory began receiving RECs in return for its investment in Georgia Power’s CRSP program in 2025. Based on projected production figures, these RECs are likely to significantly reduce Emory’s emissions from purchased electricity and move Emory closer to its goal of 50% emissions reduction by 2030.
6. While Emory’s emissions have continued to increase year-to-year since 2022, Emory has simultaneously reduced its emissions per campus square foot and per Emory community member despite campus growth.
From 2019 to 2024, Emory’s building footprint grew by almost 5.75%, but emissions per square foot decreased by 7.5%. The number of students, staff, and faculty at Emory increased by 9.8% from 2019 to 2024, and emissions per person decreased by 11% This shows that the policies and programs Emory is leveraging to reduce emissions are working, but they must be accelerated to reduce total emissions as Emory continues to grow.
7. Emory Healthcare accounts for 27% of Emory’s total GHG emissions footprint, producing a net quantity of 62,251 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024.
Emory Healthcare facilities located along Clifton Road have long been included in Emory’s annual GHG emissions inventory. But for the first time in 2024, Emory leadership and OSI chose to distinguish emissions attributable to Emory Healthcare from emissions attributable to Emory University in the inventory. At 27% of total emissions, Emory Healthcare is a substantial contributor to Emory’s carbon footprint and should accordingly be targeted for transformative emissions-reducing interventions. The largest sources of Emory Healthcare emissions are purchased electricity, stationary fuel, staff commuting, and landfilled waste. Notably, Emory University Hospital’s electricity use accounts for 20% of Emory’s total electricity-related emissions.
8. Emory may need to institute campus-wide policies to reduce air travel emissions, especially now that these emissions account for almost 13% of Emory’s GHG emissions.
Emory traveled over 51.75 million miles in 2024. That’s over 100 round-trip trips to and from the moon. That number represents a 16.45% increase from 2023. Since 2010, air travel emissions have increased by 152% and the number of miles flown by Emory has increased by 137%. Since 2010, air travel has been Emory’s largest and most quickly growing source of emissions increases. Air travel represents an opportunity for cutting emissions while also reducing institutional costs. Emory can implement policies and programs to reduce air travel emissions, including incentivizing lower emissions intensity travel for flights less than 300 miles and limiting the number of flights that campus departments can take that are over 2,300 miles, which are the largest driver of Emory’s air travel emissions.
9. Student, faculty, and staff commuting collectively account for 10% of Emory’s emissions.
For Emory to reach its 2030 goal, it is critical to reduce commuting emissions, particularly for staff, the group with the largest carbon footprint for commuting of all three campus populations. Commuting decreased for all three commuter populations from 2023 to 2024; however, there were decreases in reported ridership of Emory’s shuttle system and increases in the number of reported individual car trips for both staff and students. Emory will need to reverse this trend and promote sustainable commuting options to achieve its climate goals.
10. Emory does not operate in a decarbonized economy, meaning that GHG emissions will not decrease on their own and instead require robust policy interventions, financial investments, and active engagement of the entire Emory community.
Rapid operational decarbonization is required to meet both Emory’s 50% emissions reduction goal by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. This means that maintaining business as usual is not sufficient. Emory should continue to invest in decarbonization strategies, campus-wide policies, personal actions, and reductions in energy demand both on the campus and statewide. Fortunately, each reader is capable of contributing to Emory’s GHG reduction goals. Read on to learn about actions you can take today to reduce your contribution to Emory’s carbon footprint.
Action Items for the Emory Community
1. Fly fewer miles each year.
As the number of miles flown annually by faculty and staff increases, associated emissions continue to increase. Nearly 50% of the flights taken in 2024 were either to attend or speak at conferences. Emory employees and student researchers should consider being selective about the conferences they attend or attending conferences virtually. Emory employees who must travel for work or study should consider driving or taking a train when possible or selecting the most direct flight route to reduce emissions.
2. Take advantage of resources and incentives for sustainable commuting.
Emory is home to many walking and biking paths that make sustainable commuting safer and easier for community members. Emory shuttles are free for all riders commuting to and on campus. Emory also has a bike rental program, fix-it stations, and student groups that foster bike culture. Since student, faculty, and staff commuting constitutes 10% of Emory’s emissions, choosing a sustainable commute option is one of the most impactful actions you can take to decrease Emory’s carbon footprint. Read more about options for sustainable commuting through Transportation and Parking Services’ Smart Commute Program.
3. Decrease your energy use in the office, dorm, or laboratory
The energy used to power, heat, and cool Emory’s buildings accounts for over 70% of the enterprise’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Research labs account for 43% of Emory’s energy usage, despite occupying only up to 14% of the campus’ square footage. Steps labs and offices can take to become less energy-intensive can be found in OSI’s Green Labs and Green Offices program; read up and get certified to learn how to reduce your lab or office’s carbon footprint!
4. Minimize your landfilled waste.
Though landfilled waste makes up only a very small proportion of Emory’s total GHG emissions at about 1.5%, landfilled waste also has wide-ranging negative impacts beyond GHG emissions. There is no “away” when we throw “away,” and landfills can cause health impacts and environmental damage in nearby communities. Learn how to properly sort your waste into Emory’s five-bin system and always throw organic waste like food scraps and brown napkins into the green compost bin. Students, faculty, and staff can also apply to serve as Zero-Waste Ambassadors—peer-to-peer educators in residence halls, offices, and labs, and during events to educate about proper waste management.
5. Read the full report and explore Emory’s Sustainability Vision for 2015-2025.
OSI’s vision for Emory is to be a model of transformative practices and sustainable choices at every level. From the copy room to the operating room, from the classroom to the residence hall—among academic units, healthcare units, and operational units—Emory will more deeply engage the challenges of sustainability and expand our leadership in higher education. To learn more about how you can get involved in Emory’s sustainability work, read Emory’s Sustainability Vision and Strategic Plan for 2015-2025. This plan outlines Emory’s sustainability goals for the decade, and each community member can find a goal to work toward there. You can also explore the full 2024 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report here to learn more about Emory’s climate impacts and opportunities for emissions reductions.
Questions? Feedback? Contact us at emorysustainability@emory.edu.