Georgetown U to Open Office of Sustainability
(U.S.): The university has announced plans to debut its Office of Sustainability this summer in an effort to centralize student and administration sustainability initiatives. The creation of the office was first recommended in 2012 by the Visions for a Sustainable Georgetown Initiative, a project led by small focus groups of undergraduate students and administrators that brainstormed ways the university could become more sustainable in both the immediate and long-term future.
Trinity College Dublin Achieves Environmental Award
(Ireland): The college has been awarded a green flag for the quality of its environment as part of An Taisce’s Green Campus program. Water consumption has been reduced by 25 percent due to the elimination of leaks, behavior changes and rainwater harvesting; while energy use has been stabilized despite a large building program and an increase in students. The Green Campus award is overseen internationally by the Copenhagen-based Foundation for Environmental Education.
U Alabama Creates Sustainable Investment Fund
(U.S.): The university has created a new fund that will provide $1 million over five years to develop environmentally friendly projects. The fund was created through collaborative efforts of the Coalition of Alabama Students for the Environment, the UA Environmental Council, and the UA Student Government Association. Project funding will be approved by a panel of mostly students.
U Massachusetts Amherst Libraries Win Award for Sustainability
(U.S.): The university’s Libraries have won the Gale Cengage Learning Financial Development award for their new Library Sustainability Fund. The fund has increased access to sustainability-related resources; provides opportunities to host presentations, exhibits and film screenings; and provides faculty development through a series of workshops.
North Central College Earns Earth Flag for Campuses Award
The college has earned an Earth Flag for its sustainability efforts. A green audit was performed to identify energy efficiency opportunities and potential environmental hazards. Following the audit, the college adopted several recommendations, including establishing a recycling program and other initiatives to reduce waste and energy consumption.
UC San Diego Receives Alternative Transportation Award
The university has received a SANDAG iCommute Diamond Award in recognition of the university’s contributions to alleviating the region’s traffic congestion and greenhouse gases with alternative transportation options.
Tufts U Campus Sustainability Council Releases Draft Report
The Campus Sustainability Council has released a drat report that outlines recommendations for the university to improve sustainability on campus. The Office of Sustainability will gather feedback from the campus community to determine if additional changes will need to be considered.
Harvard U Energy Plant Receives EPA Award
(U.S.): The Longwood Medical Center’s energy plant has received a 2013 Energy Star “Combined Heat and Power” award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The system produces steam, chilled water, and electricity for the five hospitals, biomedical and pharmaceutical research centers, and Harvard-affiliated teaching locations.
DOE Announces Better Buildings Case Competition Winners
The Energy Department has announced the winners the 2013 Better Building Case Competition, an annual U.S. Department of Energy contest that challenges collegiate students to develop and present real-world solutions to boost the energy efficiency of buildings across the country. The winners included Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California-Santa Barbara, University of Chicago, and Yale University.
Feeding McGill Project Wins National Award
The university’s Feeding McGill project has been awarded a silver medal for leadership in education given by the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and Deloitte at the 2012 IPAC Deloitte Public Sector Leadership Awards Gala. Since the project’s creation, Feeding McGill has supplied over 80,000 pounds of produce to university’s Food and Dining Services.
Lamar U Creates Office of Sustainability
As part of the university’s strategic plan to promote sustainability in all aspects of university life, a new office of sustainability has been established. Assistant professor of biology, Jim Armacost, has been named the first director of sustainability.
Linfield College Hires First Sustainability Assistant
(U.S.): The college has hired a sustainability assistant as an outgrowth of its new Strategic Plan. The new position will help incorporate sustainability more fully into the culture, engage students in sustainability projects, and enhance sustainable practices for campus operations and infrastructure, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality.
Cornell U Water Filtration System Wins Katerva Award
Designed by university researchers, the AguaClara water filtration system has won the Katerva Award in the Urban Design category. The system uses gravity to purify water without the use of electricity, and is currently providing clean drinking water to over 30,000 people in Honduras. AguaClara prides itself on being an open source technology, meaning all of its designs are scaleable and available online.
Franklin & Marshall College Approves Sustainability Master Plan
The Board of Trustees has approved a Sustainability Master Plan created by a task force consisting of students, faculty and staff. In addition to sustainability efforts directly affecting the campus, there are also plans to reach out to the community that will include workshops for elementary and middle school students to learn about biodiversity and composting, as well as offering seasonal cooking workshops to encourage healthy eating and use of locally-grown foods.
Duke U Development Office Earns Green Workplace Certification
(U.S.): University Development has achieved the Duke Green Workplace Certification, bringing the total to 37 certified workplaces and over 800 staff working in certified workplaces. University Development has taken numerous steps to green their events and meetings. They have also implemented energy saving practices in the workplace and encourage alternative transportation options for staff.
U Dayton Commits to Regional Green Business Certification Program
The university has committed to become part of the Dayton Regional Green 3’s Green Business Certification program The program emphasizes solid waste reduction and recycling, environmentally conscious purchasing, energy conservation, water conservation and pollution prevention. Organizations receive points for each benchmark they reach.
U Mass Amherst Debuts Interactive Campus Sustainability Map
The university has unveiled the Campus Sustainability Explorer, an online mapping tool that geographically represents all areas of sustainability on the campus. The Green Building Committee in collaboration with Campus Planning and the Sustainability Initiative developed the tool. The Explorer also acts as a decision support tool for various groups and stakeholder around campus, providing information on existing conditions for a number of academic, facility, and operational aspects.
Humboldt State U Introduces 2 Green Certification Programs
The Sustainability Office has launched the Green Room Certification and the Green Events Certification programs. In partnership with Residence Life, the Green Room Certification program awards a certificate to students who minimize their environmental impact through green living practices. The Green Event Certification program awards a certificate to campus groups and departments that implement zero waste measures at events.
U Guelph Releases Sustainability Progress Report
The Sustainability Office has published a 2011-2012-progress report summarizing current sustainability initiatives on campus and gains made since the Presidential Task Force on Sustainability released its recommendations in 2010.
Harvard U Releases Sustainability Impact Report
The university has released its first sustainability impact report that provides a campus-wide snapshot of the progress that has been made to reduce the campus’ environmental footprint and increase its operational efficiency. Available online, the report includes data on greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and transportation, as well as infographics, multi-media stories, and progress timelines.
U Alberta Creates Green Spaces Certification Program
The university has launched a new Green Spaces Certification program. The program is a three-level, voluntary certification process that encourages people in work, school, and living spaces on campus to adopt sustainable practices and green their work unit and events. Upon submission of a completed checklist, the work unit is recognized as a Green Space with Bronze, Silver, or Green & Gold certification.
Dundalk IT Earns Green Flag for Campuses Award
(Ireland): The institute has received the Green Flag from the Green Campus Program, an international environmental education and award program that promotes long-term, whole college action for the environment. The institute’s sustainability efforts focus on themes of waste, travel, energy, biodiversity and water.
Four Institutions Partner to Create Sustainability Working Group
(U.S.): The presidents of South Carolina State University, Claflin University, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and Aiken Technical College have signed a memorandum of understanding to form an environmental sustainability working group in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency. The schools will collaborate in research, teaching and various sustainability projects.
Mother Nature Network Highlights Best Environmental Programs
(U.S.): Mother Nature Network has published an article on its top 10 U.S. environmental programs. The programs and institutions highlighted include: Northland College, SUNY-ESF, Middlebury College’s Program in Environmental Studies, Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources, Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, College of the Atlantic, Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability, Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Green Mountain College, and Montana State University’s Sustainable Food and Bioenergy Systems program.
INSIGHT into Diversity Magazine Announces Higher Ed Awards
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine has announced the 48 recipients of its first annual Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award. The national award honors U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. Winning institutions were selected based on exemplary initiatives in various areas of diversity including gender, race, ethnicity, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT community.
Odebrecht Announces 2012 Awards for Sustainable Development
Engineering and construction services company Odebrecht USA and thermoplastic resin manufacturer Braskem have announced Odebrecht Organization's inaugural U.S. sustainable development award winners. A team from Rice University won first place for a project that addressed the logistics of offshore oil extraction. A Johns Hopkins University team took second place for a small-scale papermaking machine concept for students in third-world countries. Third place went to North Carolina State University for a project on the recyclability of oil contaminated cardboard.
U Illinois Senate Approves Sustainable Center
The Urbana-Champaign Senate has unanimously approved a proposal to create a Center for a Sustainable Environment, an umbrella organization that will lead campus environmental groups, academic units and the Office of Sustainability. The university will cover $450,000 annually for the center, with additional funding coming from the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund.
McGill U Releases Draft Sustainability Vision
The university has released Vision 2020, a draft sustainability vision and goals report. The report is available for comment online and across campus for “crowd-sourced track-changes” from students, faculty and staff. The university plans to finalize the sustainability vision and goals report in December and transition to action planning in January.
Montana State U to Create Office of Sustainability
The university has committed to supplement the Sustainability Center’s student fee with an additional $30,000 for the next two years to transition the center to a new Office of Sustainability. A committee is in the process of selecting a new director for the Office of Sustainability.
U British Columbia Launches Sustainability Engagement Strategy
The university has implemented a new initiative asking campus community members to contribute feedback and ideas on a campus-wide Engagement and Social Marketing Strategy. Information will be collected via surveys, focus group sessions, and a pilot program. The results of this campaign will assist the university in further achieving its reduction targets for energy, greenhouse gases, water and waste.
EAUC Announces 2012 Green Gown Awards Winners
(U.K.): Winners and commendations were bestowed across 13 categories at the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges’ 2012 Green Gown Awards. Now in its eighth year, the awards program recognizes exceptional initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges across the U.K. to become more sustainable.
George Washington U Unveils Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy
The university has released its Ecosystems Enhancement Strategy, which describes how it will enhance the ecosystems on its campus, in the region, and around the globe. Some of the strategy’s areas of focus include: strengthening habitats, promoting healthy air and climate, fostering clean and abundant fresh water, and supporting sustainable food production systems. The Office of Sustainability is forming working groups to develop action plans to meet these goals.
U North Carolina Releases Strategic Energy and Water Plan
The university has released its 2012 Strategic Energy and Water Plan. Highlights in the report include the decline of energy consumption by 31 percent since 2003, and the decline of potable water consumption per square foot by 43 percent. Upgrades to central energy and lighting infrastructure and retro-commissioning efforts account for much of the energy savings, while an integrated non-potable water system helped reduce water consumption.
Western Washington U Embraces Office Energy Reduction Program
The Western Sustainability Office Certification, a program that recognizes campus offices' environmentally friendly choices, was made available to all administration offices on campus. Five administration offices participated in the pilot program over the summer and seven more are currently participating in the certification process.
The New School Launches Campus Climate Assessment
The institution will participate in the Campus Climate Assessment to evaluate the extent to which aspects of the university are equitable and socially just. The assessment will be facilitated by EdChange, an organization dedicated to developing more equitable educational communities.
U Colorado Boulder Creates Sustainability Visioning Committee
A new committee will consider future opportunities for synergies and collaboration between the university environment and its sustainability research and academic programs. The committee will conduct an inventory of environmental and sustainability research and teaching programs identify emerging issues and provide an assessment of new opportunities that might be realized through collaborations or investment in new programs.
U Michigan Launches Sustainable Workplace Certificate Program
The university has launched Sustainable Workplace, a certificate program that assists campus offices in creating greener workplaces through adjustments in employee behaviors and equipment settings. The program focuses on behavioral changes to support waste prevention, energy reduction and increased awareness of sustainability, all of which support the university’s 2025 sustainability goals.
Harvard U Releases Online Sustainability Impact Report
The university has released a sustainability impact report that provides a campus-wide snapshot of the progress that has been made to reduce the campus’ environmental footprint and increase its operational efficiency. Available online, the report includes data on greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and transportation, as well as infographics, multi-media stories, and progress timelines.
SUNY ESF Creates Office of Energy and Sustainability
The new Office of Energy and Sustainability will help to make the campus more sustainable through improved communication of sustainability resources to the community, increased student involvement, and innovative sustainability projects. Graduate students with one-year appointments will staff the new sustainability coordinator position.
U Missouri St. Louis Hires First Sustainability Coordinator
The university has appointed its first sustainability energy and environmental coordinator. Since the appointment, progress has already been made in developing a university climate action plan, creating awareness through social media channels, and building community partnerships.
U South Carolina Releases First Sustainability Report
The university has released its first Sustainable Carolina Annual Report. The 2011-2012 report highlights the work of students, faculty, and staff from across the university on subjects as broad as curriculum development, “greening the mind”, and recycling.
Youngstown State U Students Win Green Energy Challenge
A group of 15 engineering students won first place in the national Green Energy Challenge competition with an energy-saving plan designed for the Historical Center of Industry and Labor on the university’s campus. The University of Washington, Iowa State, and Georgia Tech placed second, third and fourth, respectively.
ACTS Announces 2012 Green Gown Awards Australasia Winners
(Australia): Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) has announced the winners of the 2012 Green Gown Awards Australasia. This year there were 6 categories of recognition in addition to the ACTS Award of Excellence which was won by the University of Tasmania. In each category, one winning institution and several “highly commended” institutions were recognized.
Northwestern U Creates Diversity and Sustainability Positions
The university’s administrators and Associated Student Government have designated new positions to address diversity and sustainability issues on campus. The student senate also created the Sustainability Committee and the Diversity Committee that will meet with university officials throughout the year to discuss common objectives and goals. The Sustainability Committee will also serve as a source of funds and support for the environmental organizations on campus.
Arizona State U Faculty BBQ Goes Green
The annual staff appreciation barbeque has achieved gold certification by the university’s Green Events program. Staff Council organizers implemented sustainable measures including the distribution of electronic agendas, encouraging the use of alternative transportation, avoiding Styrofoam with eco-friendly service ware, and enlisting the Green Team to inform attendees about sustainability and proper recycling practices.
Knox College to Conduct Sustainability Audit
The college’s new sustainability coordinator has announced plans for a yearlong comprehensive sustainability assessment of the campus. Following the completion of the assessment, open forums will be held to facilitate the creation of a sustainability plan.
SEED Center Announces Inaugural Green Genome Awards
The American Association of Community Colleges' Sustainability Education and Economic Development (SEED) Center has presented five inaugural Green Genome Awards to exemplary community colleges nationwide that have taken a strategic leadership role in green economic and workforce development and sustainability. The winning colleges include Butte College (California), Central Carolina Community College (North Carolina), Delta College (Michigan), Hillsborough Community College (Florida) and West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
EPA Announces Winners of Green Power Leadership Awards
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the winners of the 2012 Green Power Leadership Awards. American University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges and Quinnipiac University received Green Power Purchasing Awards. The University of Oklahoma won the Green Power Partner of the Year Award.
