Iowa State University

College Sustainability Report Card 2010

Iowa State University employs a director of sustainability for the Live Green! campus initiative. The Committee on Energy Conservation and Global Climate Change is developing a three-year strategic plan for the university. The Council on Sustainability educates the campus about sustainability initiatives and conducts research on energy efficiency.

The university has committed to reducing emissions 50 percent by 2050, with several interim targets. The Advisory Committee on Energy and Global Climate Change established the zero interest Live Green Revolving Loan Fund for energy conservation projects. Energy efficiency initiatives include a cogeneration plant as well as HVAC system monitoring, temperature set points, building scheduling, and building-specific utility billing.

The Farm to ISU five-year plan details dining services' goal of having 35 percent of its total food purchases be local, organic, and sustainably produced items by the 2011–2012 academic year. Dining services currently purchases from 45 local farms and processors, as well as the ISU student garden and the Horticulture and Research Farm programs. The university composts pre- and postconsumer food scraps, and one dining center is trayless.

Campus policy sets LEED Gold certification as a goal for all new construction and major renovations. The university is testing several energy efficiency technologies and has begun installing vending misers. Occupancy sensors are present in all restrooms. All new construction will include low-flow faucets and urinals and will implement greywater systems as standard procedure where feasible.

The Greenhouse Group works to promote recycling and each campus house has a volunteer recycling chair. The director of sustainability educates residential life staff on sustainability initiatives. The Student Environmental Council initiated an Adopt-a-Part-of-Campus program for campus clean-up. The Engineers for a Sustainable World student group has devised an energy audit plan for one building to estimate potential savings from efficiency measures.

The university operates a vanpool program and subsidizes public transportation by 30 percent for faculty and staff. The community bus service is free to students. The campus fleet includes hybrid, electric, and biodiesel vehicles. A gated portion of campus prohibits access to personal vehicles.

The Iowa State University Foundation makes a list of all holdings available to the public and sends the information upon request. The foundation has no known policy about disclosure of shareholder voting records.

The foundation aims to optimize investment return and is exploring, but not currently invested in, renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles. Environmental/sustainability factors are one of the considerations used to make decisions regarding investment managers.

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