Case Western Reserve University

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

Through the Energy Advisory Committee, the Residence Hall Recycling Representative program, special interest housing groups focused on energy efficiency, and particularly through the Adopt a Building Energy Ambassador program, university students, staff, faculty, and administrators are involved in campus sustainability initiatives. All participants in campus sustainability programs have access to energy consumption information.

The university has made a commitment to reduce energy use by 15 percent by the end of 2007. Motion sensors and efficient lighting fixtures installed in the main library, one of the largest users of electricity on campus, have reduced energy consumption by 30 percent. Retrofits of HVAC systems, windows, lighting, and the installation of motion sensors across campus have also contributed to energy savings. These interventions have resulted in a 13 percent reduction in energy consumption among the academic buildings on campus.

The university dining services provider, Bon Appétit, sources food from 30 local farms and producers. Bon Appétit’s current goal at Case Western is to procure 20 percent of each meal from local producers. A wide array of organic, sustainably produced items are offered, including grass-fed beef and local farm-raised seafood and dairy products. Bags are biodegradable, packaging is made from recycled products, 90 percent of to-go containers are paper instead of Styrofoam, and dining services began a composting program in the spring of 2007. An extensive recycling program is also in place, with a recycling coordinator and student representatives working throughout campus.

High performance and green building specifications have been incorporated into the university’s requirements for new construction and renovations in existing buildings. The university’s $130 million housing project, the Village at 115, is registered for LEED certification.

Case Western partners with Ohio’s first car-sharing company, CityWheels, and new memberships from the university receive a 15 percent discount, resulting in ten new memberships to date.

The university makes neither its proxy voting record nor its list of endowment holdings public.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is also currently invested in renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles.

The university instructs its investment managers to vote proxies in the best economic interests of the portfolio.