Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions

ANSER is committed to transparency in the tracking and reporting of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We work continuously to reduce our environmental impact in all facets of our business. Below is a summary of our FY23 (1 October 2022 to 30 September 2023) base-year GHG emissions, which we calculated using the methodology in The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. Our emissions are summarized in Table 1.

Facility Scope Emissions (mtCO₂-e)
All 1 0.6
Headquarters 2 26.8
Total 27.4

Table 1. FY23 Emissions

Organizational Boundary

We defined our organizational boundary using an operational control approach. ANSER maintained operational control of our four leased facilities, which totaled 85,802 sq. ft. In February 2023, ANSER divested our Advanced Technology International (ATI) subsidiary, so we do not include any ATI facilities in our organizational boundary.

Direct emissions from sources ANSER controls or operates are categorized as Scope 1. Indirect emissions from the purchase of electricity are categorized as Scope 2. All other indirect emissions are categorized as Scope 3, which we do not include in our inventory.

Operational Boundary

Scope 1: Direct Emissions

Refrigeration and Chiller Equipment
All refrigeration units are post-2010. One of our chillers uses R-22 (HCFC-22) and has a capacity of 0.85 kg. Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are ozone-depleting gases that are regulated internationally and excluded from GHG inventories.

To calculate our emissions, we used the screening method in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Simplified GHG Emissions Calculator. See Table 2 for ANSER’s Scope 1 refrigeration and chiller equipment data and emissions.

Type of Equipment # of Units Gas Emissions (mtCO2-e)
Operating Refrigerator 8 HFC-134a 0.008
Operating Refrigerator 1 HFC-134a 0.0412
Operating Chiller 1 R-410A 0.5544
Total Scope 1 Emissions (All Facilities) 0.6

Table 2. Scope 1 Refrigeration and Chiller Equipment Data and Emissions


Fire Suppression Equipment
ANSER owns one fixed fire suppression system. Since this system uses water, there are no GHG emissions to report.

Scope 2: Indirect Emissions
Emissions from Purchased Electricity
For ANSER’s former headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia, we collected utility invoices for October 2022 to September 2023. The utilities for our other facilities are included in the base rent and are not invoiced separately. As such, we are reporting Scope 2 emissions for ANSER headquarters only.

To calculate our emissions, we used the EPA’s Simplified GHG Emissions Calculator, which uses both the location- and market-based methods to quantify Scope 2 emissions. We used the 2021 Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) SRVC (SERC Virginia/Carolina) subregion. Since we do not have any market-based emission factors, the Calculator used the eGRID SRVC subregion emission factors, making the emissions calculated using the market-based method the same as the emissions calculated with the location-based method. See Table 3 for our Scope 2 purchased electricity data and emissions.

Purchased Electricity (kWh) GHG Emission Factor(lb/kWh) Emissions(lb) Global Warming Potential (GWP) Emissions(mtCO2-e)
91,896 CO2 639.7 58,785.6 1 26.66
CH4 0.052 4.8 25 0.054
N2O 0.007 0.6 298 0.087
Total Scope 2 Emissions (Headquarters only) 26.8

Table 3. Scope 2 Purchased Electricity Data and Emissions

Reducing Our GHG Emissions

New ANSER Headquarters
In May 2024, ANSER moved its headquarters to Arlington, Virginia, decreasing our corporate footprint by 37%. Our new offices are in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold-certified building. The materials used, installed, and generated in the construction of our headquarters comply with 2017 DC Green Construction Code and current applicable codes for green construction compliance (IGCC).

Our headquarters is within walking distance of the Ballston Metro station. ANSER offers a mass transit benefit, and our location has a public Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVSE) with two (2) ports for employees with electric vehicles.

Sources