business and environment series: short - university of minnesota sustainability
TRANSCRIPT
University of MinnesotaSustainability
May 2012Amy ShortSustainability DirectorUniversity of Minnesota
The Twin Cities campus is…
Older than the state of Minnesota….more than 150 years old
Urban
In a climate of extremes
Bisected by one of the world’s great rivers and a national park
250+ buildings
Research Intensive
Host to 80,000 people daily
Spending $45 Million per year on Energy
Sustainability Matters Because…
• Sustainability Unifies
• Sustainability Inspires and Transforms
• Sustainability Pays
Sustainability Matters to Students
“College-bound students are increasingly interested in sustainability issues. Among 8,200 college applicants who participated in our spring 2011 ‘College Hopes & Worries Survey,’ nearly 7 out of 10 (69%) told us that having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would influence their decision to apply to or attend the school.” - Robert Franek, Princeton Review
69% of Students Say a School's Commitment to the
Environment Influences College Decisions
2011 Twin Cities data reveals…
247 Faculty engaged in sustainability research
37 Academic departments involved in sustainability
73Departments offer sustainability-related undergraduate courses
Sustainability Matters to Faculty
Sustainability Matters ….
Internal Measures• Climate Action Plans • Annual Reports• Goals & Measures
External Measures• President’s Climate
Commitment (ACUPCC)
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE STARS)
• Surveys
• Administration and Planning• Curriculum & Research• Operations
• Energy – Use of, Source, Buildings• Waste (recycle, water, food)• Dining• Residential Living • Purchasing
• Transportation• Student Involvement• Social Concerns• Carbon Footprint
Campus Sustainability Measurement
Assn for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education – AASHE http://www.aashe.org/index.php
Systemwide Sustainability Goals Reporting
• Framed by 2004 Regents Policy
• 35 Goals and 95 Measures
• Annual Reporting
Policy Guiding PrinciplesLeadership * Modeling * Operational Improvements * Energy * Research * Education and Outreach
Connect the dots:• goals• measures• communications
Work Teams, Grass Roots, and Subcommittees
Campus Sustainability Committees
Systemwide Strategic Sustainability Committee
Sustainability Structure
Policy Guiding PrinciplesLeadership * Modeling * Operational Improvements * Energy * Research * Education and Outreach
Policy Guiding PrinciplesLeadership * Modeling * Operational Improvements * Energy * Research * Education and Outreach
Sustainability Unifies: Workteams
Energy
Sustainability Unifies:Student Leaders
“This inspired me to think about the U as a whole system and I want to make sure that if students on one campus are working on a campaign or project, others could learn from them and utilize their resources.”
– Emma Wright, student employee & leader
2011 Student Engagement Leadership Workshop
Sustainability TransformsCurriculum and Research
Sustainability TransformsCampus
Click photos for a virtual sustainability tours!
Nearly 2 Million Sq. Ft.
shown to meet new Green Building Standards
Sustainability Transforms
Transforming Campus
....a Living Laboratory
Nature Nook Raingardens
Edible LandscapeOrganic Gardens
Renewable Energy ProjectsUMM Three Sisters Garden
UMC Nature Nook
Sustainability Pays
2008 2016 2021 2026 2031 2036 2041 2046 20500
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
700000
-29%
-49%
CO2 Reduction Goals
Reduc-tion Goal from CAP 1.1
Pro-jected Reduc-tion from Strategies TBD
Year
Met
ric
To
ns
of
CO
2e
Estimated Reduc-tion by 2016
Climate Action Planning ProcessYears 2011 - 2016
StrategyDescription
Est. Tons Reduced
Computer Efficiency
4,000
Lighting Efficiency
5,400
Building Recomissioning
48,000
Sustainable Building
35,900
Lab Efficiency 55,900
Reduce Campus Size
11,000
Reduce Coal Use
27,300
ACUPCC - Climate Action Plans
Sustainability Pays
6,600 Campus Residents
• Purchases: green cleaners, sustainable carpet, furniture, compostable dining ware
• 162 energy efficient washers• 200,000 loads! = 3.5 million gallons
water saved annually
http://www.housing.umn.edu/sustainability/
Conservation• Annually recycled 6 million pounds
and reduced costs by $180,000
Build Local Economies• Food from local providers (2010)
– 183,000 pounds local produce – 920,000 gallons local dairy – 22,000 pounds local bakery
• $200,000 Corn Cob Contract for Biofuel
Sustainability Pays
Sustainability Inspires and Transforms
Follow “It All Adds Up” on Facebook
http://www1.umn.edu/italladdsup/
Coffman Union Garbage Dump and Sort: Recycling and Reuse Awareness EventsMN Team Recycle
Getting Around
80,000 visitors to campus per day.
• Fleet 73 hybrid vehicles & 2 hybrid buses
• UPass discounted unlimited bus access
• Bike Share with city and Nice Ride MN
Step It Up! ZAP Twin Cities! Bicycle Commuters: 40 round trips = 50 points
Click images for more!
It All Adds Up “Refresh” 2012:
President Kaler driving Centaurus II Solar Car Built by Students!
In closing….
Follow UMN Sustainability on Facebook and Twitter