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Campus Sustainability
NACUBO Goes Green: NACUBO agreed to fund renewable wind energy projects to offset carbon emissions generated from participants at the 2008 Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference and all future events.
News
On-Demand Webcasts
In the News
- Vow to Reverse Global Warming (Business Officer Magazine, February 2008)
- NWF Report: Higher Education in a Warming World (February 2008)
- Accelerate the Pace of Change towards a More Sustainable Food System (December 2007)
- Call for Pilot Institutions and Reviewers for National Sustainability Rating System (October, 2007)
- Latest College Sustainability Report Card Released (October, 2007)
- Communities of Opportunity: Smart Growth Strategies for Colleges and Universities (August, 2007)
- AASHE Releases Guide to Help Campuses Fund Sustainability Projects (August, 2007)
- Annual Review of Sustainability in Higher Education Released (August, 2007)
- Presidents Promise to Protect the Environment (June, 2007)
- Student-Led Sustainability (Business Officer Magazine, April 2007)
- New Sustainability Resources Available from C2E2 (November, 2006)
- The Sustainable University, "The Chronicle of Higher Education" (October, 2006)
- Environmental Management Systems Benchmarking Survey Launched (June 13, 2006)
- Higher Education Associations' Sustainability Consortium Launched (May 10, 2006)
- EPA Issues College & University Green Power Challenge (May 10, 2006)
- Showcasing Sustainability (May, 2006)
- Campus Climate Challenge Underway (Oct., 2006)
Programs
3rd Annual Smart and Sustainable Campus Conference - On March 31 - April 2, 2008, NACUBO joined the Environmental Protection Agency; the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education; the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers; the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association; the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence; the Society for College and University Planning; and the University of Maryland College Park to deliver a comprehensive symposium on smart growth and sustainable practices that serve the economy, the community, and the environment. Sessions and workshops were offered in the areas of campus planning, engaging the campus in sustainability, facility construction and operations, and assessment and measurement.
On-Demand Webcast: Creating a Greenhouse Gas Inventory - What Does it Take? Learn how to conduct a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory from your peers during this informative Webcast. The American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) requires signatories to complete a comprehensive inventory of all GHG emissions within one-year their pledge. If your institution has signed, or is considering signing the Commitment, this helpful Webcast will explain the general principles of conducting a GHG inventory, while providing examples from two contrasting campuses that have used different methods.
On-Demand Webcast: Commit to Change: Leading Your Campus Towards Climate Neutrality - Is your institution one of the almost 500 that have signed the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment? Thinking about signing, but want to learn more? Join three CFO’s and a facilities director to learn about the strategies they have employed to lead their campus team toward climate neutrality. Our speakers will also provide a PCC overview and implementation refresher, discuss the far reaching impact of the Commitment, and approaches for financing sustainability on your campus.
Learn How to Engage in a Sustainable Future. More than 30 national higher education and academic disciplinary associations have come together to co-sponsor "Education for a Sustainable Future." Join your colleagues on Tuesday, November 27, 2007, from 1:00--2:30 p.m. (EST) and learn about the latest trends in sustainability on campus. Several higher education experts will highlight case studies examining the implementation of sustainable projects and practices. Cost is $32/per site.
2nd Annual Smart and Sustainable Campuses Conference
On April 18-19, 2007, NACUBO joined with with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA), the Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA), the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2), the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP), and the University of Maryland College Park to deliver a comprehensive symposium on smart growth and sustainable practices that serve the economy, the community, and the environment. Sessions and workshops were offered in the areas of campus planning, engaging the campus in sustainability, facility construction and operations, and assessment and measurement.
AASHE 2006 Conference -- The Role of Higher Education in Creating a Sustainable World. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education held their annual conference on October 4-6 in Tempe, AZ. The goal of the event was to significantly advance sustainability in higher education, with an emphasis on considering all components of sustainability in decision-making.
Smart and Sustainable Campus Conference
On November 3-4, 2005, NACUBO joined with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA), the Society for College and University Planning, and the University of Maryland College Park and delivered a comprehensive symposium on smart growth and sustainable practices that serves the economy, the community, and the environment. Sessions and workshops were offered in the areas of transportation, sustainability and green campus initiatives, energy, and procurement, among others.
Resource Links
Sustainability
Business officers may be more concerned with green $$$ rather than a green campus. However, it is true that improving the environmental sustainability of a campus has long-term economic benefits. Sustainable development refers to “meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” College campuses around the country are incorporating environmental principles into both curricula and facility operations in an effort to advance the principles of sustainability. Such an approach extends beyond new academic offerings and the “greening” of campus through recycling programs to adopting a comprehensive environmental management system that addresses environmental impacts of a campus and provides an organized approach to management decisions.
Greening the Campus
Why go green? The green campus concept offers your institution the opportunity to take the lead in rethinking its environmental culture, eliminating wasteful inefficiencies, and embracing positive environmental policies. Admittedly, greening initiatives are challenging and require commitment and buy-in from all tiers of an institution. However, the payoffs are more than just financial.
- Greening produces environmental and economic sustainability that preserves your institution for years to come.
- Greening enhances the institution’s reputation as a leader by example. It is not enough to merely teach classes on environmental management, but to live it throughout the rest of the campus.
- Greening enables economic efficiency and savings. Recommendations from routine environmental audit programs that target waste and inefficiency can lead to very real cost savings by reducing energy and water use, minimizing the campus waste stream, and overall improved environmental compliance.
- Greening offers your students real-life work and learning opportunities.
- Greening improves the overall quality of life on your campus.*
Greening the campus requires a thorough review of all administrative and operational functions including: pollution prevention (solid and hazardous waste management), hazardous materials management/handing/disposal, water quality/use/conservation, air quality, energy use/conservation; and environmental management systems.
NACUBO Contact: Michele Madia., director, environmental leadership. |
