Princeton University

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

Princeton has some policy regarding campus sustainability, but has not yet made formal commitments to emissions reductions or renewable energy purchases. The University hosts an Office of Sustainability with a full-time Sustainability Manager and staff of student interns who work with the Princeton Sustainability Committee to promote sustainability initiatives on campus. The Office of Sustainability also hosts the Student Environmental Communication Network, a media project to train students how to write and produce radio programs focused on the topic of sustainability from a youth perspective.

Various projects such as a co-generation facility built in 1990 have kept the facilities running more efficiently, and lighting retrofits, occupancy sensors and water conserving fixtures are being installed. Although Princeton has not yet made any purchases of renewable energy credits, a graduate student housing area utilizes geothermal technology and the University is evaluating all possible on-site renewable energy options.

Dining services works with its vendors to provide as much local, sustainably grown food as possible, and recently participated in an international Food and Ethics Conference hosted by Princeton University by providing an almost entirely local and organic meal for participants. It is a partner with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program requiring that all seafood served in the dining halls meet sustainable fisheries criteria set by the Aquarium. Food waste is sent to a local farm for pig feed, and the University has recently been able to recycle nearly 40 percent of its waste stream.

The University has its own Sustainability Guidelines which employ LEED criteria as benchmarks for assessment in the design process. All buildings are viewed as part of a broader campus planning effort instead of individually so that energy efficiency and environmental performance goals are comprehensively applied. A notable feature of Princeton’s Guidelines is that new buildings must use a minimum of 30 percent less energy than the baseline. All campus appliance retrofitting and new purchases must be Energy Star compliant if available.

Princeton’s proxy voting record is available in the investment office only to the University Resources Committee, a subcommittee of the Council of Princeton University Community. After the fiscal year audit is completed, members of the URC can also view endowment holdings at the investment office.

The University is exploring renewable energy investment funds or similar investment vehicles.

There has been student advocacy to form a proxy advisory committee, including a resolution passed by the Undergraduate Student Government and the establishment of Princeton Coalition Advocating Investor Responsibility. However, Princeton currently asks that their investment managers handle the details of proxy voting for the securities that they hold. For mutual funds and proxies with social issues, a university administrator will vote.