University of Washington

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

President Emmert signed the Presidents Climate Commitment and charged the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee with developing a campus climate plan. The president established the Office of Environmental Stewardship to coordinate campus policy and operations and formalized a policy giving full institutional support to campus sustainability.

The Seattle campus's electrical purchases are from 100 percent renewable sources and are carbon neutral. The university completed a carbon emissions inventory and is developing a comprehensive climate action plan. Energy conservation projects have saved over 43 million kilowatt-hours per year.

Dining services spent 26 percent of the 2007 budget on locally produced, organic, and natural foods. UW works toward a goal of zero waste, composting postconsumer food waste and offering compostable dishware. The university’s recycling rate is 44 percent, with a goal of 60 percent.

In compliance with state law, UW declared that all state-funded new building and major renovations will be LEED Silver-certified, at a minimum. The university has achieved four LEED certifications and 15 projects are in design, construction, or completed and pursuing LEED certification.

A coalition of student organizations encouraged the president to sign the Presidents Climate Commitment in 2007. Several students are appointed each year as voting members of the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee. The departments of housing and food services and facilities services actively work with student groups to promote sustainability on campus.

The U-PASS program offers a considerable package of incentives to students and employees encouraging the use of alternative transportation options. The university operates shuttle services between campuses and maintains a fleet of over 300 alternative-fuel, hybrid, and electric vehicles.

UW makes a list of endowment holdings and its shareholder voting record available to the campus community and the public upon request, as per open records law. The investment office typically meets with parties interested in the investment program to provide additional context and research support.

UW is invested in renewable energy funds and energy-conscious real estate funds. The investment policies follow a set of ethical considerations, which state that due consideration will be given to the degree of corporate responsibility exercised by the companies in which investments are made.

UW delegates proxy voting to its investment managers with the proviso in its ethical guidelines that due consideration be given to corporate responsibility. Shareholder engagement also includes letter writing campaigns and sponsorship of shareholder resolutions.