Brown University

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

As early as 1990, the University established Brown Is Green, an initiative run by faculty, staff, and students devoted to promoting environmental initiatives on campus. A resource efficiency manager position, formally known as the environmental coordinator, was established in 1992, and an energy manager was hired in 2006 to further the initiative.

The University has been pressured by students and others for several years to purchase renewable energy credits. However, it has yet to supply the campus with any renewable energy beyond a small array of solar panels installed on campus.

Brown has led and participated in measures within Rhode Island, such as the Rhode Island Local Food Forum, to integrate local food into university dining, as well as into area restaurants and stores. The Community Harvest program, which began in 2002, has brought Rhody Fresh milk and a seasonal weekly farmers’ market to campus. Food scraps and waste are donated to a local pig farm.

Construction at Brown utilizes local utility rebate programs and commissioning to ensure environmentally conscious design. LEED standards are used, but not required, as the primary guideline for design, and several buildings are in the process of LEED certification. Buildings constructed under these guidelines achieve a 20 to 30 percent reduction in energy use over standard designs. The Department of Plant Operations implements resource conservation measures related to utilities, and has recently initiated lighting and other utility replacement programs.

The University makes its proxy voting record available to members of the university community, such as faculty, staff, students, and alumni on a password protected website. A list of endowment holdings is only available to trustees and senior administrators.

The University prioritizes investing to maximize profit and has not made any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies (which includes faculty, alumni and student representatives) advises the president and makes vote recommendations for social issues on proxies. Brown’s investment managers vote all other proxy issues.