Haverford College

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

President Emerson and former President Tritton both signed the Presidents Climate Commitment. The Committee for Environmental Responsibility created a set of environmental policies that became official college policy in 2003. The college recently appointed a sustainability coordinator.

In 2007, the students' association voted to raise tuition by $60 per student in order to purchase 100 percent of the college's electricity from renewable sources. As a result, the campus is powered entirely by wind energy. Geothermal wells have been incorporated into the latest renovation projects, and the college has completed lighting retrofits.

Local and sustainable purchases include eggs, tofu, coffee, honey, and produce. Dining services uses reusable dishware, offers biodegradable containers for take out, and has installed a new dishwasher that is energy efficient and uses less water. Dining services and the Committee for Environmental Responsibility are working to develop a composting program for the dining halls.

The college has an informal, unwritten agreement that all new construction will follow LEED certification guidelines. The Gardner Integrated Athletic Center is Haverford's first LEED-certified project, having achieved Gold certification. The school is in the process of constructing a green roof above Stokes Hall.

The student group Food Fight seeks to protect the environment and human health through the promotion of sustainable food on campus. Ehaus is an environmental house/co-op where students can live and practice a more sustainable lifestyle.

Bus and van service is provided for Haverford students to take classes at nearby colleges. All small vehicles purchased by the college are now electric. Haverford is a partner in a car-sharing program and staff can purchase public transit passes with pretax dollars.

The college provides detailed information on its portfolio holdings to a number of external organizations, and anyone on campus who wishes may obtain a copy of its holdings on a quarterly basis.

The college aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds through three limited partnerships, with a total commitment of just under $50 million.

Haverford uses an indexed approach to its investments in domestic and international equities. The Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility (CISR)—which has four trustee members, four students, two faculty, and two administrators—is charged with participating in and offering shareholder resolutions through a special CISR portfolio. The portfolio invests directly in many of the companies that receive the greatest number of shareholder resolutions.