By Lisa Newman

In an effort to become carbon neutral, Northeastern completed a green house gas inventory of the campus, a major step in the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

The carbon footprint report, released Sept. 15, states that Northeastern’s total carbon emissions equivalent in metric tons for 2007 was 79,616, according to a release from the university. This is roughly 3.3 metric tons per person, including faculty, staff and students.

Despite its size and population, Northeastern ranked low in emissions levels, compared to other schools that have signed the commitment, said Joe Ranahan, Northeastern’s energy manager. For example, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, emits 20.7 tons per person. Another urban school that is comparable is the University of Illinois at Chicago, which emits 10 tons per person, according to the report released by the organizors of the commitment.

“We actually compare very well to other schools,” Ranahan said. “We’re a very densely populated campus and we emit some of the least amount of green house gasses per student and area. There are very few schools of our size that emit at a lower rate than us, which is pretty impressive.”

President Joseph Aoun signed the commitment last September, joining more than 500 other colleges and universities in the country. The commitment, which was initiated and headed by various university and college presidents, provides framework and support to schools becoming carbon neutral, according to its website.

Carbon neutrality occurs when there is either no carbon dioxide being released into the air, or the carbon dioxide that is being released is absorbed, according to the committment. A greenhouse gas inventory, which measures the total amount of emissions buildings release, is one of the steps that the commitment requires to all signatories.

Northeastern’s facilities department performed the inventory, which measured the amount of emissions the university produces, Ranahan said. The process included calculating the carbon equivalent of emissions produced by electricity, natural gas and fuel oil consumption, commuter vehicles, university business-related air travel and refrigerants lost due to equipment failure.

Dan Abrams, director of marketing and public relations for the Husky Energy Action Team (HEAT), said this is because of both active decision making and location.

Urban schools tend to omit less carbon because of transportation means, Abrams said. Northeastern has also made changes to become greener, including changing all lighting to carbon dioxide bulbs, providing golf carts for University transportation and using solar panels in the Curry Student Center, he said.

HEAT has been involved in pushing these green initiatives through the administration, from collecting more than 500 signatures in a petition to sign the commitment, to having at least one representative at every sustainability meeting, Abrams said. Throughout the process, HEAT will communicate its wishes to the administration, which has been responsive in the past, he said.

“The administration is very open to our thoughts and our interests,” Abrams said. “The sustainability committee has asked us to come to the meetings with a list of things we want. They want to work to achieve those things.”

The next step in the commitment is to come up with a solid plan for carbon neutrality, he said. This should to include the goal for the total amount of time it will take to become carbon neutral and interim goals for amounts of carbon reduction, he said. It will map out specific actions and possible research initiatives the university will take on to move toward a climate neutral future.

The commitment’s website, along with Ranahan and Abrams, emphasizes the importance of the role universities and colleges play in climate change. Not only do colleges create a large amount of energy, they also provide an environment that is supportive to change.

“Universities for the longest time have been the leaders of free thinking and change,” Abrams said. “When the universities begin focusing more on carbon neutrality, then other places will follow suit.”