All interested persons are welcome and encouraged to
contact the subcommittee chair(s) to volunteer.
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Co-Chairs: Paul
McGinley and
Michael Demchik
This chair and sub-committee is charged with data
collection, and the completion of a comprehensive
inventory, using the Clean Air Cool Planet's (CACP)
Campus Carbon Calculator, of all GHG emissions for all
campus entities. In addition to careful documentation of
data and sources the chair Work with other
sub-committees and other campus entities to ensure
timely completion of Task Force progress milestones as
well as provide progress updates at each task force
meeting. Finally the chair and sub-committee members
will submit a final report to the UWSP Sustainability
Task Force in the fall of 2009 for compilation into the final
recommendations to the Chancellor.
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Chair: Eric Olson
Transportation
Emissions from our campus fleet, commuting, and campus
air travel are a major component of many institutions
greenhouse gas emissions. To neutralize these emissions,
institutions will have to:
- transition to more efficient campus fleets; fuel
the fleet with non-fossil fuels like electricity,
biofuels, or hydrogen; and use the vehicles only
when necessary
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implement transportation management strategies -
including universal access transit passes,
market-rate pricing, commuter benefit programs,
telecommuting/flexible scheduling, bicycle
sharing/rental programs, web-conferencing, car
sharing, and educational outreach programs - to
encourage commuters to use more sustainable
transportation options
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offset remaining emissions
Air Travel
Recommend the adoption and implementation of a written
policy stating our intention to purchase carbon offsets
for campus air travel. We may also wish to incorporate
actions to reduce air travel into this policy- such as
arranging for our travel agent(s) to track and offset
the campus air travel emissions.
Waste Minimization
Waste management include those associated with removal
and transport of waste materials on campus. Methane
emissions from landfills could also be attributed waste
management practices. Actions that institutions can take
to reduce and eventually eliminate emissions associated
with our waste management practices include:
- reducing the volume of material flows on
campus
- establishing and continually improving
comprehensive recycling and composting programs
- promoting the concept cradle-to-cradle
sustainable product design, in which "waste
equals food" by purchasing goods that are
designed to be recycled and/or composted (see
also "Procurement")
- establishing programs to reuse or resell
items left behind by students
- working with the local and regional
community to improve recycling and composting
infrastructure and policy
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Co-Chairs: Anna Haines
and
Bob Oehler
This subcommittee will address campus structures and the
rest of the physical campus – landscaping, parking lots,
stormwater, etc.
In terms of the buildings, emissions associated with
building, maintaining, and operating campus buildings
over their lifecycle represent a large portion of
institutional greenhouse gas emissions. Actions that we
may recommend to reduce and eventually eliminate these
emissions include:
- foresighted campus planning to minimize the
physical footprint of campus facilities
- meeting or exceeding the U.S. Green Building
Council's LEED Silver standard or equivalent for
new construction
- meeting or exceeding the LEED Silver
standard or equivalent for facility renovation
projects
- meeting or exceeding the LEED Existing
Building Silver standard for campus facilities
- progressively raising the bar for building
performance, conducting research, and
experimenting with zero-emissions, net-energy
producing buildings
- promoting education for sustainable design
and engaging students to work on projects on
campus
In terms of the physical campus, landscaping, parking
lots, and stormwater do not necessarily contribute to
greenhouse gas emissions, but each of those physical
components can contribute to a more sustainable campus
by using native species, continuing to use rain gardens
to reduce campus stormwater runoff, reduce impervious
cover through innovative use of porous pavement, green
roofs, as a few examples. This subcommittee will need to
start by reviewing the campus master plan, the current
landscaping policy, the Sustainability committee’s
landscaping policy (what happened to it – is it current
campus policy?) and then prepare a set of actions.
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Co-Chairs: Bob Oehler
and
Michael Demchik
Recommend the practical installation and operation of
one or more renewable electricity generating devices on
campus; purchase renewable electricity produced off-site
but directly connected to campus; purchase renewable
energy credits (RECs, also known as Green Tags); or any
combination thereof such that 15% (UWSP is now
approximately 23% ) of the institution's total
electricity consumption is either derived directly from
renewable sources or mitigated through the purchase of
RECs. On-campus installations of the following
electricity sources may count towards meeting the terms
of this action option: wind, solar, geothermal,
low-impact hydropower, clean biomass, and biodiesel.
Emissions generated as a result of energy consumption
(including both electricity and heating/cooling) are
likely to represent the majority of a campus' greenhouse
gas emissions. To neutralize these emissions, UWSP will
have to:
- reduce energy use as much as possible,
through behavior change initiatives to encourage
conservation and upgrades to more efficient
buildings, infrastructure, and appliances
- generate our own energy from renewable and
carbon neutral energy sources - like solar,
wind, geothermal, biogas, and biomass
- work with our electricity providers to
increase the percentage of renewable energy in
their fuel mix
- continue to purchase electricity derived
from renewable sources by buying Green-E
certified renewable energy credits (RECs)
- offset remaining emissions
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Chair: Bob Oehler
Procurement
Emissions associated with procurement can be
significant, and also represent a great opportunity to
reduce emissions associated with activities beyond the
campus border in a way that is competitive and
financially attractive. A proactive sustainable
procurement plan can be a powerful leverage point for
reducing not only UWSP’s carbon footprint, but also that
of the school's suppliers. Actions that we may recommend
can take to reduce and eventually eliminate emissions
associated with their procurement policies include:
- buying locally produced goods and services
to reduce emissions associated with transport
- buying lower impact products, such as those
made from recycled materials, thereby reducing
the lifecycle emissions associated with
extraction and processing of materials
- supporting 'cradle-to-cradle' sustainable
product design by purchasing goods deliberately
designed to be recycled and/or composted
- promoting education around the concepts and
practices of climate neutrality and
sustainability by engaging with suppliers
throughout the supply chain
- encourage suppliers to use alternative fuels
in transportation of goods
- buying Energy Star rated electronics and
appliances
Sustainable/Socially Conscious institutional
Investing
Recommend the establishment of an advisory committee
on responsible investment with student and faculty
participation to review and make recommendations on
climate-related shareholder resolutions at the
Foundation or companies in which UWSP’s endowment is
invested. We could recommend that we incorporate other
climate-friendly/social conscious investment strategies
–such as direct shareholder engagement with major GHG
emitters and positive investments in climate-friendly
technologies and investment funds – into our policies.
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Co-Chairs: Rob Manzke
and
John Coletta and
Sara Polodna
This chair and sub-committee is charged with following
media releases of campus and national sustainability
leaders as well as browsing web sites with the purpose
of keeping committee members abreast of best practices
of other institutions and emerging technologies.
Reporting for this will sub-committee will consist of a
bi-weekly (e-mail, list serve, etc.) to Task-force and
sub-committee membership as well as interested campus
constituents.
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Chair: John Blakeman
The commitment of this chair and sub-committee is most
profound and far reaching. This chair and sub-committee
is charged with the development of an institutional
action recommendation for becoming climate neutral.
These climate action recommendations are to be developed
by April 2009 and should include a target date as well
as interim milestones for achieving climate neutrality.
The recommendations should explain how the institution
intends to achieve climate neutrality by the proposed
target date. It should also describe planned actions to
make climate neutrality and sustainability a part of the
curriculum and/or other educational experience for all
students as well as actions to expand research,
community outreach and/or other efforts toward the
achievement of GHG reductions for the institution and/or
the community and society. Finally, the recommendations
should describe mechanisms for tracking progress on
goals and actions. Signatories may choose to incorporate
their climate action plan into a more comprehensive
sustainability plan.
The final UWSP climate action recommendation should be
in the form of a brief summary report that is
comprehensible by and accessible to the general public.
The sub-committee chair is responsible to ensure a
comprehensive record and compilation of information
about the process of developing the recommendations.
This record should include minutes from meetings, input
from stakeholder groups, and a longer, more detailed
report with descriptions of emissions reduction
activities, recommendations for contingencies if
recommended (e.g., if targets are missed, or if the plan
needs to be amended), and information about key actors,
technologies, etc.
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Co-Chairs: Carrie
Ziolkowski and
Holly Nickel
This chair and sub-committee is charged with considering
all aspects of campus behavior expanding on the concepts
presented in the ACUPCC implementation Guide. The
recommendations from this sub-committee will consider
campus activities/behavior in reference to the above
categories and others such as local foods, organics,
sustainable lifestyles, etc.
