Barnard College

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

Barnard College is a partner with New York City's PlaNYC sustainability initiative, which includes a commitment to reduce carbon emissions 30 percent by 2017. The Committee on Administrative Services focuses on sustainable business practices and includes student participation. The college uses Green Seal products.

In an effort to meet its obligations to PlaNYC, the college has made a variety of standard efficiency upgrades to systems, including the installation of compact fluorescent lightbulbs, motion sensors, and high-efficiency boilers. Barnard is also partnering with the Clinton Climate Initiative to help reduce its emissions. The college considered purchasing renewable electricity, but the plan was abandoned due to cost constraints.

Barnard sponsors a biannual Harvest Dinner, which serves local, seasonal, and sustainable food. Dining services will be working with the college's Eco-Reps program and its produce vendor to purchase more local food. The college serves exclusively cage-free eggs at breakfast, and the retail coffee shop serves only fair trade coffee. All take-out containers are biodegradable, and a discount is offered to customers who bring their own mug. The kitchen composts food scraps in a biodigester. Recycling is mandated for paper, glass, and plastic, and the college has a program for disposing of electronic waste.

The college seeks LEED Silver certification for new construction. The new Nexus building will have a vegetative roof. Through its partnership with the Clinton Climate Initiative, the college is developing a campus-wide energy efficiency upgrade plan. Renovation projects will use green building practices, including low-VOC paints, high-efficiency lighting, and green-label products.

Barnard has an Eco-Reps program to encourage awareness, student waste reduction and energy reduction initiatives, and competitions. In fall 2007, the student government initiated the Go Green Campaign to engage students with sustainability issues.

Barnard is a largely residential campus located in a densely populated urban area. Access to public transportation is widely available, although the college does not offer a discounted or free transit pass. The public safety vehicle is a hybrid.

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

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.