Why did we sign the PCC?
Outside of the obvious reasons that climate change may prove to be the greatest challenge of present and future generations, UConn decided to sign the PCC in March 2008 for numerous reasons.
Positioned Ahead of the Curve
UConn was well-positioned to become a signatory to the American College & University President’s Climate Commitment (PCC). Prior to signing, we had already taken several of the steps that would be required within two years after signing the commitment. UConn’s Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) had completed greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories for the Storrs Campus for 2005 and 2006, and the 2007 inventory was already underway. Immediate actions taken to reduce GHG emissions included energy-efficient lighting retrofits in select buildings, converting waste cooking oil into biodiesel fuel for shuttle buses, and the 2006 startup of our Cogeneration Facility, which is the highly-efficient centralized source of electricity, heating and cooling for the main campus. Our use of on-campus cogeneration avoids as much as 30,000 tons per year of CO2 emissions by displacing UConn’s need to purchase power from distant fossil-fueled power plants that comprise the regional electric grid.
Leaders in Green Building
Recognizing that the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions at UConn result from the energy used to heat, cool and power campus buildings, in March 2007, UConn’s Board of Trustees adopted an ambitious Sustainable Design & Construction Policy. This policy made UConn one of the first public universities in the nation to prescribe LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver certification as a minimum performance standard for all major construction and renovation projects. In fact, in 2007, the Burton Family Football Complex / Mark R. Shenkman Training Center became the first LEED Silver-certified athletic facilities in the NCAA.
Green Purchasing and Recycling
We have also undertaken energy saving initiatives such as our University purchasing policy, which specifies that all appliances must meet EPA’s Energy Star standards for efficiency. In terms of public transportation, UConn maintains a highly-used shuttle bus service. In 2007 UConn began what we hope to make an annual tradition - participating in the national RecycleMania contest.
Education & Outreach
UConn also further integrates sustainability into our curriculum and educational experience. Such a curricular integration aligns with one of three major components of the new Academic Plan – Our World: The Environment. In January 2008, UConn participated in the nationwide Focus The Nation teach-in and other activities. During the three-day event, more than 3000 students participated in panel discussions, webcasts, a showing of the new environmental documentary film, “The 11th Hour,” or more than 60 courses, in various disciplines, each of which dedicated a class to investigating the issue of climate change. We had also raised community awareness through outreach and educational events, often in collaboration with the EcoHusky student group. Notable events included the Eco-Madness dorm energy & water conservation contests, the Town/University Climate Change Conference last November, and the 4th annual Earth Day/Spring Fling celebration.
Plan Before You Sign
Although we had made progress in reducing our GHG emissions and had become more conscious of our overall environmental impacts, there was still much to do to make UConn a more environmentally sustainable institution. By signing the PCC, President Hogan committed UConn to specific climate action goals, ultimately toward a carbon-neutral campus by 2050. In order to implement these goals, UConn could employ the existing organizational framework of our 30-member Environmental Policy Advisory Council (EPAC) to oversee development and implementation of a comprehensive plan to achieve climate neutrality and strategies for communicating our progress. There was also a plan in place to create an EPAC Climate Action Task Force, with new Energy and Transportation Workgroups to assure that the appropriate focus and level of expertise was brought to bear on these issues. In addition, the long-standing EPAC Recycling and Environmental Literacy Workgroups would realign their efforts as needed to address the metrics specified by the PCC.
A Good Start...and a Long Way to Go
Even though UConn had already achieved the requisite number of listed action items to satisfy the terms of the PCC during the initial two-year planning process, we viewed the remaining items on the list as guidance for immediate action. In the end, the choice was clear. On March 25, 2008 President Hogan signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. And the rest, as they say, was the future.
