University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Sustainability Task Force
Sub-Committees

All interested persons are welcome and are encouraged contact the subcommittee chair to volunteer.

1. Greenhouse Gas inventory

2. Transportation/Travel/Waste

3. Physical Campus (Building and Physical Plant) and Waste Water

4. Green Power and Energy   

5. Procurement and Investing

6. Institutional Best Practices/Emerging Technologies

7. Climate Action/Neutrality

8. Other Sustainable Initiatives

1. Greenhouse Gas inventory Sub-committee

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 by April 2008 for compilation into the final recommendations to the Chancellor. 

2. Transportation/Travel/Waste Sub-committee

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;

•  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;

• 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 minimalization

• 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

3.  Physical Campus (Building and Physical Plant) and Waste Water Sub-committee

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.

4. Green Power and Energy Sub-committee

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.

5.  Procurement and Investing

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.

6. Institutional Best Practices/Emerging Technologies Sub-committee

Co-chairs - Rob Manzke, 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.

7.  Climate Action/Neutrality Sub-committee

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.

 8. Other Sustainable Initiatives

Chair - Carrie Ziolkowski with 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.