Berea College

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

President Shinn has signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. In 1996, Berea College made an institutional commitment to embody sustainability in various aspects of its overall operation. Twelve full-time employees, including a sustainability coordinator, as well as student work-study positions, work to further the college’s sustainability initiatives. A stated goal of achieving a 45 percent reduction in campus energy use by 2015 demonstrates the college’s effort.

The student-led 10x10 Campaign is pushing the college to conserve energy and supply 10 percent of campus energy needs with renewable energy sources by 2010. Campus solar panels currently provide 0.5 percent of campus energy needs. The SENS House in the Ecovillage includes a net-metering solar electric system that allows excess power to flow back into the grid. In its first year of operation, the new gas-fired heat plant used 39 percent less gas by volume than the previous year with the old heat plant.

The Local Food Initiative (LFI) Steering Committee, made up of faculty, staff, and student volunteers, is working to develop a sustainable food system at the college. The LFI has successfully encouraged the school to incorporate more local foods, including college-grown produce and livestock, into the college dining services. Work is being done to incorporate postconsumer waste into the existing compost program.

Berea College’s administration building was the first LEED-certified building in the state of Kentucky. The college’s Ecovillage, a living and learning tool in sustainability, contains 50 student apartments, a child development laboratory, and a model sustainable home. The Ecovillage uses 50 percent less energy and water per capita than the standard household and produces a waste stream half as large. The college has a set of ecological renovation standards for all campus renovations.

Facilities management employees use a fleet of 13 small electric vehicles. A Berea student was awarded a sustainability mini-grant to research and begin constructing a biodiesel processor to utilize waste oil from the college’s food services to power campus groundskeeping equipment. Berea Bikes, a student-led community bike program, reclaims abandoned bikes and refurbishes them for use by campus community members.

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

The college aims to optimize investment return and has not made any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

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