Pennsylvania State University

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

The Environmental Key Initiative, part of Pennsylvania State University’s finance and business strategic plan, aims to incorporate sustainable practices into all operations and to make the university a leader in environmental stewardship. Members of the initiative team ensure that environmental stewardship is integrated into all units. Penn State is in the middle of an aggressive awareness campaign that calls upon all members of the institution to do their part.

Penn State has finalized its greenhouse gas inventory and has committed to make a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012, dropping its emissions to below 1996 levels. The emissions reduction plan includes annual purchases in excess of 20 percent of their electric power from renewable resources, making it the third largest university purchaser of renewable energy.

A farm-to-college program maintains ties between local farms and the university. Much of the food for the dining commons, including 70 percent of the milk, 100,000 pounds of cheese, mushrooms, and ice cream, come from university and local farms. Preconsumer kitchen waste, leftover food, and napkins are captured as part of the composting operation.

Penn State requires LEED certification for all new buildings and major renovations. The School of Architecture building achieved a Gold rating and the forest resources building achieved a Silver rating. The Rec Hall Fitness Center project will achieve a Silver rating and Penn State’s Lubrano Park will be the first-ever LEED-certified baseball stadium.

The university offers incentives including free bus service. The master planning process has resulted in a more pedestrian-friendly campus. The campus fleet includes hybrid vehicles, as well as vehicles that run on biodiesel and other alternative fuels.

While the Office of Investment Management has not received any requests for a proxy voting record, this information would be made available upon request. The university provides a list of all investment holdings each year, available to the university community and also to the public in the investment office.

A number of the university’s venture and private equity managers or funds may have investments in companies with renewable energy strategies. The university has not ruled out opportunities in this area, but is not actively exploring these investment vehicles, as the investment managers have discretion.

Currently, the university asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting. However, the Penn State Investment Council has approved proxy-voting guidelines and the university is in the process of implementing these guidelines for its investment managers.