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Jason Staples 鈥�23 came to UNH intending to focus his academic work primarily on data analysis, but after gaining hands-on experience in the university鈥檚 new Carbon Clinic 鈥� where students complete carbon footprint analysis for regional organizations by utilizing several tools, including , the university鈥檚 nitrogen and carbon accounting platform 鈥� he was inspired to add a sustainability dual major.

That decision, at least, didn鈥檛 require dissecting complicated data. It was a lot simpler than that.

鈥淚 live on this planet, and I intend to be here for a long time. So I want to help make it the best place it can be,鈥� Staples says.

UNH remains focused on that same endeavor, as SIMAP recently underwent a significant functionality update that now allows it to calculate all听 鈥� such as those that are produced by customers using a company鈥檚 products or by suppliers making products a company uses 鈥� and the impact is already being felt both by the organizations benefiting from the technology and the UNH students like Staples gaining real-world experience implementing it.

Scope 3 emissions can make up more than half of an organizations total emissions and were previously not able to be calculated by SIMAP (Sustainability Indicator Management and Analysis Platform), a one-of-a-kind, UNH-created tool utilized by more than 500 academic institutions, nonprofits, small businesses,听municipalities and other organizations around the world.

The recent update changes that, allowing organizations to more completely evaluate their emissions and begin focused work to reduce them. Thanks to the , which was piloted last spring, students like Staples are often on the front lines of such efforts.

鈥淚鈥檝e been working in data analytics for a couple of years, but the Carbon Clinic showed me there was an actual applied practice of taking these techniques and using them to create something real and meaningful,鈥� Staples says.

SIMAP officially launched in 2017 after evolving through several iterations from what was originally a master鈥檚 thesis at UNH in 2001. The update to include Scope 3 calculations positions SIMAP to remain an invaluable tool for carbon footprinting.

SIMAP calculates Scope 3 emissions using an EPA data set that听illustrates how 鈥渇or every dollar you spend on a certain category, here鈥檚 an estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions听happening upstream,鈥� Allison Leach, SIMAP co-developer and program manager at the UNH Sustainability Institute and co-leader of the Carbon Clinic, says. This allows the tool to calculate emissions associated with purchasing categories like construction, including those related to materials purchased, that it previously didn鈥檛 have the functionality for.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time coming 鈥� this has been on the wish list for years now,鈥� Leach says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so rewarding to be at this intersection between the development of a tool and helping people make real progress. It really empowers people to do their own calculations so they can work toward their own carbon footprint reduction.鈥�

Jennifer Andrews, Sustainability Institute project director, helped develop SIMAP, co-runs the Carbon Clinic and mentors SIMAP interns. She used the example of food and the correlated calculations now possible as one of the ways in which the updated tool will help illustrate the impact of emissions.

鈥淲hen you look at the food we purchase or the food we are serving in our dining halls at UNH, the footprint from that can be as large or larger than from our power plant,鈥� Andrews says. 鈥淭hat kind of storytelling can be powerful, and that鈥檚 what this update allows us to do that we couldn鈥檛 do before in a data-driven way.鈥�

"Getting to work closely with these businesses, it really feels like we're creating impact. It makes what we're doing feel even more worthwhile."

Beyond the advantages to the organizations, UNH students are also benefitting from the upgrade by gaining invaluable hands-on experience working with clients in real-world settings.

The Carbon Clinic utilizes SIMAP, allowing students to learn the ins and outs of the program while also helping local companies and other outlets arrive at real solutions to reduce emissions. SIMAP interns and Carbon Clinic participants also get to sharpen their general professional skills like time management and working collaboratively.

Brett Schultz 鈥�26听parlayed his experience into an internship offer through the Sustainability Institute in which he鈥檒l be performing similar work for a group of grocery stores. The sustainability dual major and the programs connected to it were some of the biggest draws that brought Schultz to UNH.

鈥淚 think UNH has a whole lot of opportunities that some college students don鈥檛 have access to, especially considering that SIMAP was developed here and some of the creators are our instructors,鈥� Schultz says. 鈥淕etting to work closely with these businesses, it really feels like we鈥檙e creating impact. It makes what we鈥檙e doing feel even more worthwhile.鈥�

Durga Raja 鈥�25听came to UNH with a general interest in sustainability but said it really took shape after taking a few classes and participating in the Carbon Clinic, first as a student and this year as a peer mentor. That has also allowed her to take on more of a leadership role, including facilitating meetings and acting as the point person for the client.

鈥淭hese opportunities really gave me a solid background in sustainability and helped develop the skills needed to continue,鈥� Raja says. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 necessarily thinking about carbon footrprinting until I joined the Carbon Clinic, but it opened my eyes to how much goes into it and how important it is.鈥�

For clients and students alike 鈥� not to mention the environment in the bigger picture 鈥� the upgrade to include Scope 3 emissions promises to be something of a game-changer for SIMAP.

鈥淚f we are really going to tackle climate change and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, we need to know the starting point,鈥� Leach says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 manage what you don't measure, and this update provides a fairly significant piece we weren鈥檛 able to estimate before.鈥�