University of Nebraska

College Sustainability Report Card 2007

The University of Nebraska at Lincoln addresses sustainability issues by actively encouraging the growth of the alternative energy industry in Nebraska, mostly through its Rural Initiative. The Initiative awards grants to small farms for renewable energy purchases or energy efficiency efforts, and also helps to grow the Nebraska biofuels industry. The entire Lincoln campus motor pool, totaling 870 vehicles, runs on biodiesel or an ethanol blend.

As part of the University's Rural Initiative, Chancellor Harvey Perlman mandated in 2005 that the Lincoln campus's fleet of 870 vehicles be powered by biodiesel and an ethanol-blend fuel. The goal was to encourage the growth of the biofuel industry in Nebraska and also to significantly lower the University's greenhouse gas emissions. The Omaha campus fleet runs on an E10 ethanol blend.

The University employs a recycling coordinator and has been involved in some campus composting of yard and food wastes.

The University currently has no green building policy and has not built any facilities using LEED guidelines. However, the University does integrate cost-effective energy efficiency measures into building and retrofits, and is looking into designing a set of sustainability guidelines.

The University has no known policy of disclosure of endowment holdings or its shareholder voting record.

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 University has not made any public statements about active ownership or a proxy voting policy.