Sustainability Annual Report 2022-23

Welcome

We are excited to share with you the 2022 Sustainability Annual Report!

In this report, you will find information about Scripps College's environmental impact, categorized by energy, water, waste, and climate. Equally important are the social dimensions of sustainability, reflected in academics, research, internships, and administration.

This report is the result of a year-long effort to piece together historical data to form a comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. Above all, we hope this data will help inform long-term sustainability goals and the establishment of a carbon neutrality date as part of our Second Nature Carbon Commitment

We hope you find this report insightful, and we invite you to share any questions or observations with us.

Sincerely,

Lauren Ng Sustainability Coordinator

TipsforViewingthisReport:

There are two ways you can navigate:

1 Jump to a specific section by using the "menu" navigation bar on the upper left corner

2 You can also use the bottom arrow keys to browse page by page

Other notes:

• This report uses fiscal years, which begin July 1 and end June 30. For example, 2022 refers to July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022.

History of Sustainability at Scripps College

Please scroll through to continue reading.

2008 President Lori Bettison-Varga creates the Presidential Advisory Council on Sustainability (PACS), now known as the Sustainability Committee, as a representative body of students, staff, and faculty to convene and advise the College on matters of sustainability.

2008-2013

Many projects were achieved, such as:

• the launch of the student-run Green Bikes program in 2011 the first olive harvest in 2012 the first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) report for Scripps College, completed by a student intern in 2013. STARS is a self-reporting framework for universities to measure their sustainability performance, and Scripps received a bronze rating. This sparked conversation about long-term sustainability planning and the merits of committing to a reporting structure to maintain momentum.

Acknowledgements

We would like to give a special thanks to the following people and departments for providing support and information in writing the 2022 Sustainability Annual Report.

EXECUTIVETEAM: President Suzanne Keen, Dean Calvo, Diane Holmes

SUSTAINABILITYTEAM: Lesley Swick, Lauren Ng, Anna Huff ‘25, Isabel Evans ‘23, Ishta Nabakka ‘23, Kelly Fuller '24, Sydney Hamel ‘25

SUPPORTTEAM: Andre Ibanez, Cole Doyle, Eulena Jonsson, Garrett Solomon, Jessica Jauregui-Gonzalez, Joya Salas, Kathy Tate Wilson, Office of Assessment and Institutional Research, Office of Human Resources, Perla Dorantes, Study Abroad and Global Education (SAGE)

SUSTAINABILITYCOMMITTEE: Faculty: Aly Ogasian, Marion Preest. Staff: Cheryl Pump, Garrett Solomon, Josh Reeder, Joya Salas, Lauren Ng, Lesley Swick. Students: Loren Mello, Cecelia Blum, Helen Gillett

The Annual Report Team!

From left to right: Lauren Ng, Anna Huff 25, Sydney Hamel 25

Climate

Summary

In 2022, Scripps emitted a total of 5,850 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCDE), adecreaseofabout6%comparedtoourbaselineof6,214 MTCDEin2019. We reduced our emissions by 364 metric tons CO2e, the equivalent of removing 78 gas vehicles from the road for one year. A significant factor was the decrease in air travel.

Our largest source of emissions came from purchasedelectricity,whichcontributedto62%ofourtotalemissions. Second largest was gas (oncampus stationary), which contributed to 24% of emissions.

KeyRecommendations

• Establish a carbon neutrality goal that meets science-based targets using 2019 as the baseline year.

• Engage key stakeholders in developing a Climate Action Plan to provide a roadmap for achieving emissions reductions goals.

• Consider long-term climate impacts in capital projects and campus planning.

Select Year

 2019

 2020

 2021

 2022

Source

Purchased Electricity

Other On-Campus Stationary

Study Abroad Air Travel

FERA: Natural Gas

T&D Losses

Refrigerants & Chemicals

Directly Financed Air Travel

Solid Waste

Direct Transportation

Fertilizer & Animals

Historic Emissions

GHG emissions are divided into three scopes for accounting and reporting purposes.

Scope1 refers to direct emissions that occur from sources that are owned by Scripps (e.g., on-campus stationary sources/natural gas, campus-owned vehicles, refrigerants & chemicals, and fertilizer).

Scope2 refers to indirect GHG emissions, primarily purchased electricity.

Scope3 refers to emissions that result from campus activities but from sources not owned by Scripps (e.g., air travel, commuting, solid waste, and procurement).

Energy

In 2022, Scripps College used about 51 million kBtu of energy - a 6% increase from 2019. With the return to a fully operating campus, as well as the addition of a new science building in 2024, it will be increasingly important to prioritize energy efficiency, electrification, and renewable energy procurement to achieve emissions reduction goals.

Recommendations

• Articulate goals for energy reduction using 2019 as the baseline year. Integrate energy efficiency and reduction into building operations and maintenance processes. Implement framework for capturing dollar and kWh savings from energy efficiency projects.

• Explore possibilities for renewable energy procurement.

This year, we increased our use of gas by 30% compared to 2019. Gas produces about 970 lbs of carbon dioxide per megawatt-hour compared to electricity which produces 513 lbs Along with decreasing our overall energy consumption electrification through efficiency measures, electrification will also be key to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On-Site Renewables

How Clean is our Electricity?

The type and quantity of emissions produced depends on how electricity is generated in our eGRID subregion

In California, our electricity produces 37% less CO2 per megawatt hour than the national average.

Learn more about California's fuel mix

Scripps College has rooftop solar panels on the Performing Arts Center, Routt Hall, and Lang Steele. Combined, we have a total of 568 panels with a solar array size of 187 kW.

This translates to:

312,500 kWh of renewable energy per year or 1 8% of our campus energy use

This is equivalent to:

• carbon sequestered by 262 acres of U.S. forests in one year emissions avoided by switching 8,394 lamps to LEDs emissions avoided by removing 47 gas-powered vehicles from the road for one year

Water

Summary

In 2022, Scripps College used about 44milliongallonsofwater for about 32 acres of campus. Overall, this corresponds to a water use intensity of about 31 gallons/square foot.

Recommendations

• Submeter water usage to building-level and indoor vs. outdoor use.

• Set goals for water reduction using 2019 as the baseline year.

Historical Water Use

Water Use 2022

DroughtResponse

As we continue to experience the effects of climate change, ScrippsCollegemustadapttoahotter,drierfuture 2020 to 2022 is now the driest three-year period on record in California. Coupled with declining snowpack in the Sierra Nevada (which Claremont relies on for 45% of its water supply), conservation is imperative.

Inresponsetocitywaterrestrictions,ScrippsCollegehasimplementedthefollowingmeasures:

• Conversion of select areas to drip irrigation

• Additional pruning and mulching

Projectsthatarestillpendingcompletioninclude:

• Installation of flow restrictors in shower heads

• Cooling tower float valve replacement

For updates on state and local water conditions, visit California Water Watch

Solid Waste

Summary

In 2022, Scripps disposed of 194tonsoflandfillwaste, a 64% increase from 2019 (the last year of normal operations). The increased use of disposable items likely contributed to this increase. Our diversionratewas35%, about the same as 2019.

KeyRecommendations

• Define institutional goals for overall waste reduction and diversion rate.

• Create policies that limit the purchase of single-use and non-recyclable or compostable items.

• Develop a plan for achieving 100% diversion of food waste from the dining hall.

2022 Waste Breakdown

This year, Scrippsdiverted35%ofitswastefromthelandfill. This data shows that there is great potential for increasing our diversion, especially through recovering recyclables and food waste.

This data was obtained from the City of Claremont. Food and recycling quantities are estimated based on volume, while trash and green waste are actuals.

Historical Waste

We saw a 64%increaseinlandfillwaste in 2022 compared to 2019. The mandatory use of disposables in FY 2022 contributed to this increase. We also experienced a severe windstorm that caused heavy damages, resulting in a cleanup effort with large amounts of debris.

Landfill waste was also high in 2020. This could be due to the sudden campus closure in March 2020 which resulted in significant waste.

Food Green Recycling

Note: Scripps campus was closed in March 2020 due to COVID-19 Campus remained closed until FY 2022

Transportation

Summary

In 2022, the number of drive-alonetripsdecreasedby57% compared to 2019. An astounding 25timesmoretelecommutingtrips were made in 2021 compared to 2019. The impact of COVID-19 on remote work policies has contributed significantly to these trends.

Scripps offers staff an incentive of $3/day for commuting via alternative transportation (carpool, telecommute, walk, bike, etc.) In addition, the majority of our students live on campus, which significantly reduces the emissions from commuting to and from class.

Recommendations

• Start collecting data on employee commute distances to fulfill our Scope 3 reporting requirements.

• Articulate goals for reducing transportation emissions, such as continuing to increase our Average Vehicle Ridership.

• Articulate goals for enhanced accessibility and mobility.

LA County aims to increase Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) to reduce commute-related traffic congestion and air pollution.

For the last three years, Scrippshasoutperformedthe1.5 AVRtarget, a trend that is likely to continue with the increase of telecommuting and decrease in "drive alone" trips.

Learn more about Metro Rideshare programs.

ScrippsGreenBikesProgram

Initiated by students in 2011, the Scripps Green Bikes program has enhanced bike culture on campus through reducing barriers to owning a bike and providing no-cost bike repairs through the studentrun Bike Shop.

Administered by Tiernan Field house, the program has engaged250studentsthisyear through both day rentals and semester/year-long rentals.

In addition, Green Bikes is dedicated to promoting materials reuse and circularity - bike parts are repurposed and reused, and when paring down inventory, bikes are donated to local bike shops and other 5Cs.

Landscape and Buildings

Summary

The design of our buildings and landscape play a key role in protecting ecological diversity, conserving resources like water and electricity, and creating spaces that promote health and well being. Although historic buildings and infrastructure pose ongoing challenges to sustainable campus operations, Scripps benefits from a temperate climate. For instance, this year we were able to implement outdoor classrooms in response to the pandemic. By holding class outside, energy is saved through using natural lighting and reducing heating/cooling needs.

Recommendations

Identify opportunities for retrofitting existing buildings to maximize energy and water efficiency

• Pledge to build capital projects aligned with leading sustainability standards (e.g., LEED, WELL, etc.)

Replace chillers using R-22, a refrigerant with high global warming potential, with more climate-friendly alternative

Identify opportunities for more sustainable land use, such as converting ornamental turf

EcologicalStewardship

Scripps College is a bee-friendly campus. We recognize the essential role that bees play in our local ecosystem and take a thoughtful approach to relocating beehives

We also have over350plantspecies on campus, including at least 26ediblevarieties - you can locate them on this map

Out of the 960treesoncampus, we have about 70 distinct types, including native trees such as California Live Oak, California Sycamore, and California Pepper Tree.

In addition to providing valuable ecosystem services, trees also improve public health and sustainability by creating shaded spaces, reducing energy use to cool buildings, and storing carbon.

NativePlants

MorethanhalfofourcampusispopulatedwithCalifornianatives. Why are native plants important? Native plants conserve water because they are adapted to the local climate. They also provide important ecological benefits like supporting pollinators and providing food and shelter for birds and the insects they depend on.

This year, California native desert willow (chilopsis linearis) was planted along the path leading to Tiernan Field House.

EquipmentElectrification

About 80%ofourlandscapingequipmentiselectric, and as the remaining 20% fuel-based equipment breaks, we phase it out and replace it with its electric counterpart.

ScienceBuildingBuilttoLEEDStandards

The Nucleus science center is currently under construction and anticipated to be completed in Fall 2024.

This 65,000-square-foot building will be designed to LEED Goldstandards, incorporating features such as low-flow water fixtures, enhanced storm water management, and energy efficient lighting.

Real-TimeEnergyData

In October 2021, we started collecting real-time energy usage data using Melrok IoT devices

These devices capture building-levelenergyuseinaslittle asone-minuteintervals. This will allow us to establish a baseline of performance for each building and directly see the impacts of scheduling changes, occupancy changes, temperature variation, and other factors.

More than half of our campus is populated with California natives, such as: California Live Oak California Fuchsia California Buckwheat Mountain Lilac and California Sagebrush

In 2019 the student Native Plant Club collaborated with Grounds to design and establish this native plant garden

Artistic rendering of what the planned science building will look like from multiple viewpoints

Snapshot of the energy usage data captured by Melrok Each colored line represents a different building on Scripps campus

On-Campus Internships

In Spring 2022, the Office of Sustainability hosted three interns from Professor Neiman’s Political Economy of Food course.

Zury Marroquin '22

Zury created a Scripps Sustainability Map on ArcGIS. It includes the locations of solar panels, water filling stations, edible plants, and more. Explore it here

Kendall Lowery '22

Kendall created a Food Justice Zine. It includes a recipe for Spring Fruit Jam, an edible food map, information on campus mutual aid organizations, and resources on food justice. View the completed zine here

Isabel Evans '23

Isabel researched Green Revolving Funds. At the end of the semester, she presented her argument for establishing one at Scripps in front of the VP of Business Affairs and Interim President Newhall. Her final presentation can be found here

Student Research

Sylvie Alexander '22 is interested in how seaweed can help mitigate climate change.

Main Interest?

The field of carbon dioxide removal, which explores methods for sequestering CO2 from the ocean.

Thomas J. Watson Fellowship

Icelandic Seaweed Research

Sylvie studied abroad in the fall of 2021. She went to Iceland and conducted an independent study on the organic carbon content of two native Icelandic intertidal seaweed species.

She was also a recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, a one-year grant for independent exploration outside of the United States. Starting in January 2023, Sylvie's exploration will take place across Norway, France, Chile, Tanzania, and Japan, investigating seaweed’s social and ecological applications.

Sylvie spent a semester abroad in Iceland These photos are from the sites she studied

Left to right: Lauren Ng (internship supervisor), Zury Marroquin ’22, Kendall Lowery ’22, Isabel Evans ’23, Professor Neiman

Zury Marroquin's ArcGis Sustainability Map Kendall Lowery's zine

A snapshot of Isabel Evans' slide presentation

Capstones

Sustainability and Environmentally Focused Capstones from Scripps Class of 2022

Natalie Akins

"Stress and the City: The Impacts of City Living and Urbanization on Mental Health"

Certain challenges common in urban environments may lead to chronic stress, which is not only detrimental to the body but associated with certain mental disorders. As urbanization continues to increase worldwide, how does the prolonged stress of urban living impact the brain and increase the risk of psychiatric disorders? Solutions to reduce stress like proper urban planning and design that implements green space and addresses chronic homelessness can be beneficial for improving and sustaining better mental health across the globe.

"As urbanization continues to increase worldwide, how does the prolonged stress of urban living impact the brain and increase the risk of psychiatric disorders?"

Anna Burns

"Examining Soil Microbial Diversity in Transition Zones between Corn Fields and Restored Prairie in the Upper Midwest"

"Footprints on the Prairie: Examining the Interlocking Land Histories of the Liberty Prairie Reserve, Illinois"

My theses began with a question about the microbes in the prairie soils near my home in Illinois - how effective are current prairie restoration efforts at reinstating the microbial biodiversity that is crucial for grassland ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration? This question led me to consider how prairie soils record history, particularly in the footprints that pedogenic processes, Indigenous stewardship practices, extractive colonial agriculture and recent restoration efforts leave in the soil prokaryotes. I then analyzed the soil microbiome in a restored prairie site through 16S rDNA metagenomic analysis, placing microbiology in conversation with human histories to examine the prairie ecosystem.

"How effective are current prairie restoration efforts at reinstating the microbial biodiversity that is crucial for grassland ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration?"

Kendall Lowery

"The Tree of Life: Observations from the Olive Grove"

Scripps College is famous for its olive trees and the award-winning olive oil that they produce — however, despite the considerable age of the trees, the campus community has only harvested the annual crop of olives for the past decade. In this thesis, I set out to learn why the trees were planted on the campus in the first place. To this end, I immerse myself in the history, culture, and commerce of the olive oil industry, and ultimately use the fruit as a lens through which we can explore the colonial history of Scripps College and Southern California.

"

...I immerse myself in the history, culture, and commerce of the olive oil industry, and ultimately use the fruit as a lens through which we can explore the colonial history of Scripps College and Southern California."

Summer Internships

Real-world applications of sustainability. By Scripps students for Scripps students.

How did you hear about this opportunity?

Personal connection

Main skills:

Manual labor, customer service

Main projects:

Transplanting plants, harvesting, weeding, interacting with community members to show them how to harvest their shares, general farm maintenance

A day in the life:

Tasks always varied depending on where in the season we were at and what the weather was like I would often arrive around 8am (although hours are flexible depending on your availability) I would start by watering the plants in the greenhouse, and then I would help with whatever needed the most help The most common tasks included weeding, preparing garden beds for new crops, transplanting plants from the greenhouse into the ground outside, and harvesting crops Some days were CSA days, where members of the community who had a subscription to the farm would come and harvest certain items to take home with them On these days, I would help show CSA members how to harvest specific crops and would answer any questions people had about the farm My day would usually finish around

"When I started the internship, I didn't know much about farming or gardening, but my supervisor was very knowledgeable and willing to teach me about why she uses certain farming techniques and how these techniques directly impact the health of the soil and the plants."

How did you hear about this opportunity?

A professional connection I had a school project about local political parties that I ended up meeting a Scripps Alumni during She connected me with a connection at CAW

What project(s) did you work on?

Social Media Strategy, Created a toolkit for AB1857 (which passed yay!), facilitated the creation of relationship of CAW with a composting app, various legislative policy tasks

What skills did you use the most? (Canvassing, manual labor, data analysis, writing...) Canva/Digital Art, Social Media Auditing/Analysis, Marketing, Summarization

Day in the life:

9am - Arrive at the office

9am-10am - Check the performance of the posts from the day before on IG, FB, TW, LinkedIN

10am-12pm - Create the days posts and future posts for the week, update content calendar 12pm-1pm - Lunch Break 1pm-2pm - Meet with Supervisor to strategize and check 2pm - 5pm - Whatever tasks needed to be completed for the day Some examples: attending a legislative committee to speak on behalf of CAW, watching a live-streamed legislative session and keeping notes on on our bills, networking coffee meetings with professionals, reading various articles to stay up to date on plastic news, working on long-term

"Go on as many networking coffee meetings as you possibly can, I wish I went on double the amount I did. Be confident in your own abilities, you are going to do amazing!"

How did you hear about this opportunity?

I found out about this through a Scripps alum who used to work at ILFI!

Main skills:

Data analysis, data collection, Google Drive, Salesforce

Main projects:

I worked on a data collection project across all of the building projects certified by the International Living Future Institute to enable the organization to better communicate their broader climate impact I also worked on organizing Google Drive folders and logging case studies on the new website

A day in the life:

At 8:00am, I got up to take the Light Rail (Seattle subway system) to Capitol Hill to The International Living Future Institute's headquarters Starting the workday, I attended to emails, online book orders to fulfill, and other office tasks Then, digging in, I combed through folder after folder, cross-checking data logs and logging data in a centralized Salesforce report After lunch, I continued the data collection, edited case study profiles on the new website, and got to take ILFI courses towards getting my Living Future Accreditation Finishing my day, I took the Light Rail back home

"I learned a lot about the significance of having data available and accessible to be able to communicate an organization's (like the International Living Future Institute) impact, especially when ILFI as an organization is focused on climate mitigation strategies through sustainable design and architecture."

Anna Huff '25

Impact Team Intern @ The International Living Future Institute

Sage Wong-Davies '25

Farm Intern @ Kalamazoo Nature Center - DeLano Farms

Quincy Johnston '24

Communications Intern @ Californians Against Waste

Scripps Garden

Started in 2002, the Scripps Student Garden is a gathering place for students to cultivate fruits, vegetables, flowers, and community.

2022 Program Highlights

DormCompostingProgram

This year, the Scripps Student Garden expanded their dorm composting program to all residence halls. Each dorm kitchen has a compost pail, which is emptied weekly by volunteers who collect the organic waste and compost it in the garden.

Engagement

The garden engaged hundreds of students through workshops, events, and social media. Workshops this year included resin jewelry making, pressed flowers, and cyanotype art.

Volunteering

Coordinators host weekly volunteer trips to Huerta del Valle community garden in Ontario. They also collaborated with the Pomona Farm to host a farm stand at the 2022 Scripps Sustainability Fair.

Find them on Instagram @scrippsstudentgarden.

The Words of Sophie Nav

Howdoesthegardencontributetothecommunity–atScrippsandbeyond?

Whatdoesitmeantoyouandtootherstudents?

Working in the garden is what made me feel connected to Claremont. I think it's incredibly important when you move to a new place (as many of us students have in moving to Claremont) to become acquainted with the local environment. Gardening is a powerful way to meet people in your community and to both literally and metaphorically grow roots in a new place.

Whatisyourhopeandvisionforthefutureofthegarden?

I hope that the student garden will become a home base for more Scripps students, and that through gardening they will find community and nourishment at Scripps.

The2021-2022Garden Coordinators: SophieNavratilandSophiePerry Affectionately known as "The Sophies"

The Garden Club hosted a Farmers' Market in Seal Court

The Garden Club alongside flourishing calendula at the last meeting of the year

Scripps Scrapps

Started in 2018, Scripps Scrapps is a dorm recycling program that seeks to increase social equity, decrease waste, and promote reuse of secondhand items. By collecting donations during move-out in the Spring and selling them to students in the Fall, the program helps students save money on decor and furnishings while recovering items that would have otherwise been tossed or donated.

This year, we diverted 2.8 tons of waste from the landfill. This is equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 9 acres of U.S. forests in one year

Scripps Scrapps is self-sustaining.

100%oftheFallSaleproceedsgoback intotheprogram, such as paying student wages and storage fees.

Every item purchased helps ensure that we can continue operating Scripps Scrapps for years to come.

The amount of items collected filled two shipping containers!

Our team of 9 students were essential to making Scripps Scrapps a success

Events

10th Annual Scripps Sustainability Fair

Friday, April 22, 2022

The 2022 Sustainability Fair came back in full swing with over500attendeesfromacrossthe5Cs.

We had 20 student clubs, organizations, and staff departments attend and share their amazing work around sustainability. Participants also enjoyed activities including jam making, yoga on Bowling Green, massages, sustainable raffle prizes, and a smoothie bike.

Read more about the fair

2021 Olive Harvest

Friday, November 5th, 2021

The olive trees here at Scripps produce award-winning olive oil. Started in 2012, the Olive Oil Project was the culmination of faculty, student, and staff efforts to embrace an ethic of sustainability and turn Scripps College's edible landscape into a classroom for hands-on learning. Read the story behind Scripps Olive Oil

This year, our community of volunteers helped harvest 600 pounds of olives from our campus! These olives were delivered to Santa Ynez to be pressed and bottled into extra-virgin olive oil. This unique tradition is made possible by our dedicated Grounds team. Read more about the 2021 Olive Harvest.

Each year, students are invited to submit label designs for the olive oil bottles. Check out the award-winning design by Hayley Pierpont '22.

We harvested 600 pounds of olives!

Prof Neiman and Kendall Lowery ’22 hosted a “jam session” using Seville oranges harvested from campus

The Scripps Student Garden teamed up with Pomona Farm to host a farm stand

Student volunteers ran the information booth at the fair

Volunteers threaded through the branches to collect ripe olives Olives were collected in large barrels to be transported to the mill

The olive harvest brings the community together!