Macalester College

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

President Rosenberg is a signatory to the Presidents Climate Commitment. The college is seeking to hire a full-time director of sustainability in the coming year. Business services employs a student assistant who is responsible for researching green purchasing opportunities. A student group works to make sure the college fulfills its Talloires Declaration requirements.

Energy reduction measures such as occupancy sensors and fume hood controls in the science building have produced over $50,000 in savings this year. A 10-kilowatt urban wind turbine was installed on campus in 2003. A campus group focused on renewable energy, MacCARES, is petitioning the administration to purchase a utility-scale turbine. Students and administration have created the Clean Energy Revolving Fund to be used to fund energy reduction and efficiency projects.

The college is a participant in the Farm to College program and spends roughly 20 percent of its annual food budget locally. The college buys from the Macalester Urban Land and Community Health Garden located on campus, as well as a local dairy. Macalester has contracted with a local waste management nonprofit to pilot a composting program and improve the recycling program.

The Macalester Athletic and Recreation Center includes such sustainable elements as increased building envelope insulation, lighting controls, and energy-efficient electrical and mechanical systems. Currently, the college is in the design stage for a new academic building to house the Institute for Global Citizenship, and the goal is to seek LEED Platinum certification.

MacCARES has been developing ways to make biodiesel with waste cooking oil and incorporate its use as emission-free, inexpensive fuel for college-owned vans. Macalester is a member of the HOURCAR car-sharing program. MacBike focuses on teaching riders how to repair their bikes, planning rides through the greater Twin Cities, and working to increase bike advocacy.

A list of endowment holdings and the proxy voting record is available to trustees, senior administrators, and the social responsibility committee upon request.

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

A social responsibility committee is charged with identifying issues to be addressed by proxy, and has the authority to recommend specific proxy votes.