University of Florida

College Sustainability Report Card 2008

President Machen signed the Presidents Climate Commitment and the university is currently working to draft plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. The Office of Sustainability, as well as the Sustainability Committee, coordinates task forces on zero waste, energy and climate change, education, and research. Students serve on the Student Government Environmental Affairs Cabinet.

The university is working on a second, more expansive version of its greenhouse gas inventory. Students initiated a dormitory energy conservation contest in 2006. Planning for the 2007 competition is underway. The university is performing lighting, centralized chiller, window, water pump motor, and other retrofits to improve energy efficiency. Plans are underway to install a solar array demonstration to power a campus vending machine.

UF sources a portion of their produce, meat, and dairy locally. Dining services began using some biodegradable containers, but is holding off on procuring more until a biodigestor is purchased, so that materials can be disposed of appropriately. The Fresh Food Challenge, held annually, brings together local chefs in a cook-off with all local ingredients.

The university has five LEED-certified buildings, two of which have achieved Gold certification. The facilities planning and construction department requires that all new building be LEED-certified. Currently, 17 new buildings and 35 existing buildings are seeking LEED certification.

The university’s master plan includes pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly planning for the city of Gainesville. Students, faculty, and staff can ride the Regional Transit buses for free with a Gator ID. The university promotes carpooling with reduced-rate parking decals for registered members. To support those who use alternative modes of transportation, the university offers eight low-emissions vehicles for hourly rental.

The university has no known policy of disclosure of endowment holdings or its shareholder voting record. Therefore, there is no known ability to access this information.

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