University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

Former Chancellor Moeser signed the Presidents Climate Commitment and the university is a signatory to the Talloires Declaration. UNC employs numerous full-time staff that support a range of sustainable initiatives. The chancellor's cabinet has adopted a campus sustainability policy, an energy-efficient purchasing policy, and a lighting policy.

A carbon emissions inventory has been completed and will be refined by September 2008. The university has increased energy efficiency by replacing lighting, initiating HVAC powerdown programs, and retrocommissioning buildings. A 32-megawatt cogeneration system produces steam and electricity. A chilled-water system is connected to a 5-million gallon thermal energy storage system.

UNC defines locally produced goods as having been produced within a 150-mile radius of campus; the school currently purchases from 28 North Carolina producers. From July 2007 through May 2008, dining services and conference centers composted 39 percent of food waste, and 48 percent of campus discards were recycled.

Every project at UNC is expected to meet LEED Silver standards. The university prescribes 31 of the LEED points as mandatory for each project and offers a list of recommendation credits. There is one completed LEED building on campus and five are in the planning phase, three of which are pursuing Platinum certification.

The Renewable Energy Special Projects Committee is an official student government committee that funds and implements renewable energy investments on campus. Other campus organizations actively organize the student body for environmental and climate change-related issues.

A fare-free bus system provides over 6 million rides annually. A car-sharing service is available and three hybrid vehicles are available for rent. A community bike-loan program offers bike rentals for use around campus and Chapel Hill. The campus development plan specifically addresses environmental issues, including storm water, transportation, and utilities.

The UNC Management Company makes a list of endowment holdings available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community. This information is available at the investment office.

The UNC Management Company aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds. A number of UNC's equity managers consider environmental and sustainability factors when making investment decisions. The company is exploring, but not currently invested in, community development loan funds.

The UNC Management Company does not have the ability to vote proxies, as the entire endowment is invested in mutual funds.