Utilities, Energy & Sustainability manages the sustainability program goals to assure program alignment with the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment. The commitment requires that a comprehensive inventory of all greenhouse emissions produced from electrical and fossil fuel utilities be maintained and updated annually and also requires development of action plans for pursuing climate neutrality. New facilities are designed and constructed to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Deisgn (LEED) Silver Certification. Waste minimization is promoted through competitive participation amoung State University System institutions.
Sustainability News
UWF Earns "Green College" Recognition by Princeton Review
In partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, The Princeton Review produced "The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition" and recognized The University of West Florida as "one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the USA and Canada." On April 20, 2011, this second annual edition guidebook profiled 308 higher education insitutions in the U.S. and three in Canada. This was UWF's first time being recognized.
In order to receieve "Green College" Recognition, institutions must receieve a Green Rating of 80 or higher on a scale from 60-99. The criteria that the Princeton Review considers is as follows:
- The percentage of food expenditures that goes toward local, organic or otherwise environmentally preferable food
- Whether the school offers programs including free bus passes, universal access transit passes, bike/sharing/renting, car sharing, carpool parking, vanpooling or guaranteed rides home to encourage alternatives to single passenger automobile use for students.
- Whether the school has a formal committee with participating from students that is devoted to advancing sustainability on campus
- Whether new buildings are required to be certified LEED Silver
- The school's overall waste diversion rate
- Whether the school has an environmental studies major, minor or concentration
- Whether the school has an "environmental literacy" requirement
- Whether the school has produced a publicly available greenhouse gas emissions inventory and adopted a climate action plan consistent with 80 percent greenhouse gas reductions by 2050 targets.
- What percentage of the school's energy consumption, including heating/cooling and electrical, is dervied from renable sources (this defition included "greentags" but not nuclear or large scale hydropower).
- Whether the school employs a dedicated full-time (or full-time equivalent) sustainability officer
Click here for the official UWF News story.
Click here for to download The Princeton Review's Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition