Centre College

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

Centre College commits to promoting environmental responsibility and awareness in its statement of purpose. The Presidents' Climate Commitment Advisory Committee has developed accounting systems for all buildings' gas, water, and electricity use. The committee is also working on developing a climate action plan.

Cooling systems in most buildings have been replaced with lower-energy systems, and Centre has replaced all lighting with more efficient fixtures, including some LED lights. Centre purchases green energy credits that go toward refurbishing a dam to be more efficient.

All take-out ware is biodegradable, and all napkins are made of 100 percent recycled content. There are no trays in the dining halls. Centre offers locally grown food when available, and milk from a local dairy. An end-of-semester yard sale salvages unwanted furniture from the waste stream.

All new buildings must meet or exceed LEED Silver standards, and Pearl Hall is certified LEED Gold. Low-flow showerheads are in nearly all dorm bathrooms, and some buildings also feature dual-flush toilets and water-saving washing machines. Nearly all construction waste is diverted from the landfill.

The Environmentally Conscious Centre Organization ran a dorm energy use competition and a trash audit, and led a tour of a hydrodam near campus. The group has looked into composting food preparation waste and has instituted an optional student green fee to purchase renewable energy credits.

Facilities management uses electric golf carts rather than cars, helping to reduce gasoline consumption. The majority of students and many faculty members live within walking and biking distance to campus.

The college makes a list of all holdings available to the public at the investment office. The college does not make its shareholder voting record public.

The college aims to optimize investment return and does not invest in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The college asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting.