| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 59.08 |
| Liaison | John Pumilio |
| Submission Date | July 17, 2013 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Colgate University
PAE-4: Sustainability Plan
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
3.00 / 3.00 |
John
Pumilio Director of Sustainability Sustainability Office |
Does the institution have a sustainability plan that meets the criteria for this credit?:
A brief description of how multiple stakeholder groups were involved in developing the plan:
The preparation of Colgate's Sustainability and Climate Action Plan was lead by Colgate's Sustainability Council and Office of Sustainability. The Council was informed by the work of seven subcommittees representing over 35 faculty and staff. Students contributed throughout the data collection process through research in our formal curriculum. Additionally, Council members presented to the President's Staff on three separate occasions. Altogether, the Sustainability and Climate Action Plan took over 18 months to complete and involved feedback and participation from hundreds of Colgate community members.
A brief description of the plan’s measurable goals :
Projects range from low-cost, high-impact behavior-change strategies such as the Green Office and Green Living Programs, to capital-intensive and technologically complex engineering projects such as the heating plant upgrade (fuel switching from #6 oil to natural gas). By 2015, our goal will be to implement these projects and in the process:
eliminate fuel oil #6 consumption on campus by replacing it with natural gas (depending on its future availability in Hamilton, N.Y.).
reduce electricity consumption by nearly 5,000,000 kWh
reduce fuel oil #2 consumption by over 10,000 gallons
reduce gasoline consumption by over 3,000 gallons
reduce diesel consumption by 800 gallons
reduce water consumption by nearly 6,000,000 gallons
reduce landfill waste by over 300 tons
reduce paper consumption by over 10,000 pounds
reduce food purchasing expenditures by over $100,000
reduce air travel expenditures by nearly $20,000
A brief description of how progress in meeting the plan’s goals is measured:
Continuous monitoring and tracking of our progress is an essential component of Colgate's sustainability program and climate action planning effort. For each sustainability initiative and mitigation strategy identified in this report we have highlighted our milestones, metrics and timelines, and those who will take the lead responsibility in pursuit of those targets. As a result, monitoring and evaluating our progress was not an afterthought but built directly into each strategy. In addition, Colgate will continuously track our progress through:
The publication of our annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
Publication of the Sustainability Office's Annual Sustainability Review.
Updating our Sustainability and Climate Action Plan on a routine basis in compliance with the ACUPCC reporting guidelines.
Tracking our sustainability "Dashboard Indicators" that offer a snapshot of our progress overtime.
Colgate's Dashboard Indicators include:
Colgate's annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory in MTeCO2
Total electricity consumption in kWh
Fuel oil #6 consumption in gallons Fuel oil #2 consumption in gallons
Wood chips consumed in tons
Landfill waste generated in short tons
Colgate's annual recycling rate
Paper consumption in pounds of paper purchased for each type of paper stock (e.g. 30% recycled, 50% recycled, 100% recycled, etc.)
Local food purchased measured as a percentage of money spent on food produced within a 250 mile radius.
The website URL where more information about the sustainability plan is available:
The year the plan was developed or last updated:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.