[Area of sustainability]
Metrics (how are we doing?)
Data (downloadable Excel files)
News stories
Contacts
Links to other web pages with more info
What can I do to participating in helping the U do better?
Administration
Sustainability Policy:
President's Climate Commitment Signatory (ACUPCC):
All 3 campuses have signed the "President's Climate Commitement"
The UW has not signed the Tallories Declaration:
We have a 'sustainability' component in the UW master plan (under 'Goals and Objectives')
We have a 'sustainability' component in the UW strategic plan (goal #5):
We have an advisory council, The Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC) which meets regularlyl and consists of administrators, faculty, staff and students. The current chair is Sandra Archibald, Dean of the Evans School of Public Affairs. ESAC reports to the President, Provost and Senior Vice President.
Sustainability Office
The UW in 2008 created the Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability office, a unit of the Strategy Management department that operates within UW Finance & Facilities. The office coordinates campus wide information, responds to internal University and external inquiries, supports the Advisory Committee, and facilitates development of the Climate Action implementation planning (as required by ACUPCC).
Endowment Investments
The UW does not have a formally established and active body on shareholder responsibility in relation to the institution’s endowment that makes recommendations on proxy voting, investment screening, or shareholder advocacy to support sustainability?
Electricity
The electricity purchased by the UW from Seattle City Light is carbon neutral. In addition, the UW purchases 6% 'Green Power' to offset the small percentage of Seattle City Light Power which is from non-renewable sources.
We have 2 solar panel installations which generate a very small amount of electricity (primarily for demonstration purposes).
how are we doing? [metrics]
Electricity consumption at UW Seattle is tracked and managed by Facilities Services.
data file: electricity consumption and cost from July-December, 2009
how to get involved:
- report an idea for electricity conservation here
- do an energy audit for your department/office
List of Facilities conservation measures:
Water
how are we doing? [metrics]
Great: We consume # gallons of water per day which is down #% from 2005 when we began our conservation efforts.
Water consumption at UW Seattle is tracked and managed by Facilities Services.
data file: water consumption and cost from July-December, 2009
how to get involved:
- report an idea for water conservation here
- do an water audit for your department/office
List of Facilities conservation measures:
Description of HFS conservation efforts:
Gas & Fuel oil
?
Food
UW Housing & Food Services page:
Supplies
Procurement policies/guidelines:
Paper
Dawg Prints copy centers use 100% recycled paper and default to double-sided printing.
Equipment
Guide for green computing from IT
Garbage/Waste
2008 Diversion rates:
Seattle: 49% Seattle
Bothell: Estimated at 40 yards of recycle for every 50 yards of waste
Tacoma: 30-35% (estimated)
Recycling
Composting
Seattle Composting - Facilities page:
UW Tacoma composting page:
UW Housing & Food Services page:
UW HFS composting tour:
Batteries/Media
Hazardous waste
Sewage
Runoff
GHG
As reported in the UW Climate Action Plan, our targets for Green House Gas reduction are 15% by 2020 and 36% by 2035:
Link from facilities page:
Link from ESS page:
GHG reporting to ACUPCC (by all 3 UW campuses)
Commuting
Fleet
NOTE: the sustainability brochure talks about all the cool ways Fleet services tries to protect the environment, but there is no sense of that from this web page.
Professional travel
Grounds
The University Seattle and Bothell campuses utilize a Green Seal certified contractor to provide integrated pest management services which involves the use of non-toxic methods to control pests. In addition, a bee specialist is used to provide poison-free removal of stinging insects such as wasps, hornets, yellow jackets and honeybee nests and swarms.
Goats have been used at both Seattle and Bothell campuses for grounds maintenance and weed removal.
Since, 2005 the Bothell campus has had vermicompost bins and creates its own compost tea which is sprayed onto the flowers and plantings throughout campus. Bothell has its own storm-water system managed by campus staff which includes 6 oil-water separators and over 400 catch basins before storm water sent into the bio-swales of its 58 acre campus wetland.
Delivery vehicles
Steam Plant
In 2008 the UW consumed 1,565,719 million BTUs of energy for heating and cooling from on-site combustion. 95.7 percent of the fuel burned is natural gas and an additional 4.3% is ultra-low sulfur diesel.
Landfill
Cleaning
The University’s Custodial Service Departments on all campuses (Seattle, Bothell, Tacoma) have established policies and procedures regarding the use of environmentally responsible cleaning products. Bothell uses only green cleaning products in cleaning the campus buildings. An official green-cleaning policy was established in 2004 and in 1986 the University stopped the use of Phenol-based disinfectants. Green Seal products are used for cleaning, the use of aerosols has been eliminated and liquid hand soap has been replaced with Green Seal foam soap. Steam cleaning has replaced harsh chemicals and microfiber mops have replaced oil treated dust mops. In recognition of these achievements the University was awarded the Green Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities in 2007.
Building Construction & Maintenance
CPO LEED page:
CPO list of sustainability goals:
UW Groups
Green Teams
UW encourages ‘campus green teams’ who actively raise awareness about greening practices and energy conservation for the campus. The Environmental Stewards, Health Science Green Team, UW Tower Green Team, UW Educational & Outreach Green Team and Sustainability Task Force are a few of the campus green teams that provide information and resources related to sustainability on campus.
Health Sciences (link?)
others...
UW sustainability Gateway (PoE)
UW sustainability Portal
External Resouces
