University of Washington - Sustainability

Sustainability

Then UW President Emmert signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. To help follow through on this promise, the UW has created a Climate Action Team. He has also created an Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC), which recently created an inventory of UW's greenhouse gas emissions, an environmental stewardship coordinator position, and has formalized a policy on environmental stewardship to give full institutional support to the cause of campus sustainability.

As of February 2006, the UW joined a partnership with Seattle City Light as part of their Green Up Program. All of Seattle campus' electricity is purchased from renewable sources. Housing and Food Services (HFS) spends several million dollars annually on locally produced, organic, and natural foods. HFS does not use styrofoam containers for any of its facilities on campus, instead using compostable cups, plates, utensils, and packaging whenever possible. Students Expressing Environmental Concern (SEED) is funded by HFS and is responsible for most of the sustainable changes made to HFS. Several new residence halls are planned for 2020, all of which are expected to meet silver or gold LEED standards. All new state-funded buildings and major renovations must meet a LEED standard of at least Silver. The University of Washington was one of only six universities to receive the highest grade on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2008, an "A-". The report card identified the UW as one of 15 Overall College Sustainability Leaders among the 300 institutions surveyed.