UAlbany Sustainability programs

1
UAlbany Sustainability programs

• Presentation to G3 students
• May 6, 2011

2
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• What is sustainability?
• Brundtland definition 1987 UN commissioned
  report
• meeting the needs of the present without
  compromising the ability of future generations to
  meet their needs
• Not just going green or environmentally
  friendly
• Broader scope
• Mallia definition smarter and more efficient
  use of our resources over the long term (20
  year time horizon)

3
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Triple bottom line

4
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• The Need for Sustainability
• Cost savings (materials and avoiding carbon
  costs)
• Green economy
• Energy independence
• Healthier environment
• Executive Mandates
• EO 2, 4, 18, 24, 111, 134, 142
• SUNY plan, new strategic plan
• Federal EPACT, EPA requirement

5
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• UAlbany commitments
• Talloires Declaration
• American College and University Presidents
  Climate Committee (ACUPCC)
• Develop institutional structure
• Commit to interim actions
• Conduct GHG inventory within one year
• UAlbany emitted 63,300 metric tonnes in 2009, 76
  from energy and electricity
• Develop carbon neutral action plan within two
  years
• Interim plan completed last summer

6
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Overview of UAlbany infrastructure
• Establishment of Environmental Sustainability
  task force
• Created the Director of Environmental
  Sustainability and Energy Manager as two stand
  alone, full time positions
• Formation of student group UAlbany Students for
  Sustainability
• Created student Sustainability Councils
• Created Sustainability coordinators program for
  faculty staff
• Environmental sustainability housing
• New in fall living, learning community

7
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• In addition, all areas of the University have
  begun to integrate sustainability into their
  practices
• Emphasis is on collaborative efforts, individual
  actions that add up to a collective goal
• Communication of progress and goals is essential
  
• At UAlbany, we use our go green website,
  sustainability bulletins, student newsletter,
  alumni newsletter, UAlbany news, student
  newspaper and blast emails among our outlets to
  achieve this

8
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Alternative transportation
• UAlbany Shuttle, Free CDTA bus lines, bike share,
  carpool and ride share programs starting
• Waste management
• Give and Go program
• Electronics collection days, shredding events
• Distribution of reusable mugs and canvas totes to
  residents

• Recycling
• Paper, commingled, batteries, ink jet,
  electronics
• Recyclemania
• Energy management
• Dorm campaign, fake electric bills, office energy
  management, intersession shutdown
• Green IT
• Power management

9
UAlbany Sustainability Programs
10
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Healthy living
• Gyms in each quad, SEFCU facilities, classes
  offered (SEFCU and EAP), nutritionist on campus
• Food and dining
• Purchase of local food grass fed beef
• Elimination of trays
• Colonial quad dedicated to healthy choice
• Fall farmers market

• Green purchasing
• Mandates on paper 100 post consumer recycled
  (office, janitorial and publications)
• Energy star rated appliances
• Community outreach
• Presentations to campus and community groups
• Collaboration with elementary schools

11
UAlbany Sustainability Programs
12
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Sustainability housing
• One upperclassmen house on Colonial
• Freshman living learning community on Indian
• Contract with expectations delineated
• Calculate carbon footprint
• Participate in the implementation of one campus
  wide program each semester
• Participate in the planning of one dorm activity
  each semester

13
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Energy Programs
• Energy campaigns Dorm and Podium
• Competition against own baseline of electricity
  use
• Savings are returned to the dorms, overall goal
  set for podium
• Various programs to support this energy
  brochure, video, musical chairs in the dark, fake
  electric bills, CFL exchange, RA educational
  programs
• 5 campaigns have resulted in over 100,000 worth
  of savings in the dorms

14
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Operational policies and procedures
• Temperature set point policy
• Intersession shut down
• Upgrading buildings (window replacement,
  lighting)
• LEED certification
• Shift to hybrid, electric and off road vehicles
  from traditional diesel or gas
• Solar panels
• Geothermal heating system

15
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Empire Commons electricity bills
• Residents billed monthly on electricity use
• Lowest usage win reward
• CFL exchange programs
• Received grant from National Grid
• Look for opportunities to donate old bulbs

16
UAlbany Sustainability Programs
17
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Recycling
• Participate in Recyclemania
• Fliers reminding to recycle, did you know posters
  
• Training seminar for RAs
• Several RA programs on recycling
• Recycling bin shoot
• Returnable collection drive at home basketball
  games and apartments (cans donated to local
  charity)

18
UAlbany Sustainability Programs
19
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Sustainability Councils
• Goal of program is to communicate and initiate
  sustainability programs throughout campus
• Students apply for council and chair positions
  through the green scene web site
• Chairs receive 500 stipend

20
UAlbany Sustainability Programs
21
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Give and Go program
• Bins provided at each quad to collect items still
  usable but unwanted
• Items collected, sorted and donated to local
  organizations
• Great way to divert waste and help the community
• Closed loop paper towel purchase
• Our recycled paper at one point served as the raw
  material for paper towels used in bathrooms
• Clothing exchange on Earth Day
• Gently used clothing collected and exchanged
  within campus community
• Remaining clothes donated

22
UAlbany Sustainability Programs
23
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Closed loop paper towel purchase
• Our recycled paper at one point served as the raw
  material for paper towels used in bathrooms
  (education campaign with this)
• Alternative transportation offerings
• Car share (Connect by Hertz)
• Carpooling program
• Universal access to CDTA, UAlbany shuttle
• Bike sharing

24
Sustainability Programs and Businesses

• Operationally How can a company and its units
  support the goals of sustainability?
• Energy conservation strategies office practices,
  purchasing
• Waste reduction elimination of paper, other
  waste, sustainable meetings and events
• Recycling efforts how to improve infrastructure
  and availability of bins at events
• Ethic of corporate social responsibility
• Product stewardship, life cycle costing, triple
  bottom line
• Responsibility to shareholders and public
  perception

25
Sustainability Programs and Businesses

• Culturally
• How can management communicate the goals of
  sustainability?
• Set targets, reinforce message, set up rewards
• What types of informational material can be made
  available?
• What types of benefits given to employees
  reinforce the goals?
• How do corporate actions back up goals?
• Operationally
• Supply chain product stewardship, packaging

26
UAlbany Sustainability Programs

• Questions?
• Like us on Facebook
• UAlbany Green Scene
• Follow us on Twitter
• UAGreenScene