Introducing the Nitrogen Footprint in SIMAP: A Review of Improvements in Nitrogen Footprint Methodology for Institutions

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) footprint assessments have served as tools for sustainability, research, and education at institutions of higher learning by connecting institutional activities and resource consumption with environmental impacts through the lens of the N cycle. The Nitrogen Footprint Tool (NFT) Network consists of colleges, universities, and research institutions that have committed to assessing and reporting their own N footprints while contributing novel research and feedback that improves footprinting tools and methods. Institutions in the network since its inception in 2014 initially calculated their N footprints using the Excel-based NFT. In 2017, institutions began using the web-based Sustainability Indicator Management & Analysis Platform (SIMAP), which integrates the institution's N footprint with a carbon footprint. In this article, the N footprint results generated by the NFT are compared to those generated by SIMAP for six of the seven institutions that made up the first cohort of the NFT Network. A comparison, of how the changes in methodology between platforms and the changes that occurred at the institution level affected the results, and yield insights into the numerous factors that influence N footprint assessments. The accuracy of the results of an N footprint using the Excel-NFT have been improved by SIMAP. Key factors include updates to emissions factors used in SIMAP, reductions in emissions due to institution sustainability efforts, and improved data collection methods by participating institutions. The NFT Network recommends using SIMAP for institutional N footprint data tracking, goal setting, and reporting. Several best practice recommendations for using the tool for N tracking are proposed.