TOWARD A MORE
SUSTAINABLE
AND JUST WORLD
A Jesuit university is called to ground its teaching, research and service in social and environmental justice. At Seattle University, we are leading the way.
2014
A four-year progress report on Seattle University’s Sustainability Initiatives
As a Jesuit institution, Seattle University cares for creation as a responsible steward of the planet and works for justice so that no one is disproportionately affected by environmental degradation. These values date back more than 450 years when Jesuit founder St. Ignatius encouraged his early companions to “find God in all things.� We are committed to being environmental leaders for the Pacific Northwest. This work is central to who we are. Seattle University’s philosophy of sustainability is represented in our Climate Action Plan (CAP). Launched in 2010, the CAP has resulted in systemic changes in academics, research, co-curricular education and campus operations. We are pleased to present this sustainability progress report to our university community and to the wider Seattle community. The report highlights much of the good work that our staff, faculty and students have done over the past four years, and it gives us a strong direction for shaping our future sustainability efforts.
Stephen V. Sundborg, S.J. President
THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN In keeping with our dedication to environmental stewardship and social justice, Seattle University was proud to be a charter signatory to the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007. The commitment provides a framework for schools across the nation to become climateneutral and to advance education for sustainability.
Seattle University’s Climate Action Plan guides us to:
undergraduate and graduate students on the envi• Educate ronmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability and climate change in the classroom and in co-curricular programs.
greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings, solid waste, • Reduce university-owned vehicles, business and athletics air travel, and commuters to campus 12 percent by 2020 and 51 percent by 2035, as compared with 2009.
the university’s increasing knowledge and expertise on sustainability • Share more widely through partnerships and community engagement.
The 25-member President’s Committee for Sustainability — comprised of faculty, staff and students — leads the charge toward achieving these goals across the Seattle University community.
Seattle University Sustainability Progress Report: 2014
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PROGRESS TOWARD A VISION OF
SUSTAINABILITY
From the moment that our Climate
We are steadfast in our commitment
Action Plan was put into place in 2010,
as we strive to make progress as
we knew that our goals were ambi-
rapidly and as profoundly as possible.
tious. We also knew that unlike many
What follows in the next several pages
goals, sustainability would never have
are highlights of the results of our
a final moment of victory — no single
efforts in each goal area from 2009
day when we could say, “We did it”
(the baseline year before the plan was
and walk away. It’s ongoing. It’s a
launched) through 2013.
forever mission.
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Climate Action Plan goal for
academics and research: Educate undergraduate and graduate students about the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability in the classroom and through research. Academic Strategic Action Plan calls • The for undergraduates and graduates to develop knowledge of, and a commitment to, environmental sustainability.
Sustainability Literacy Assessment eval• The uates the degree to which Seattle University is educating undergraduate students on the social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability and climate change. As of 2013, incoming freshmen now take the online survey in fall quarter and again their senior year. The assessment will help us learn how to improve our curriculum so that students graduate with a high degree of sustainability literacy.
created the Center for Environmental • We Justice and Sustainability to catalyze innovative and interdisciplinary research, teaching and learning. Seven faculty and five student fellowships were awarded in the program’s first year to support scholarship in environmental justice and sustainability.
Albers School of Business and Economics • The developed an MBA specialization in sustainability.
fall 2012, all incoming freshmen read Plan B 4.0: • InMobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown, which explores the transition to a new energy economy and how it will affect our daily lives. During orientation, freshmen discussed the book in small groups facilitated by a faculty member.
Albers #3 in the Nation Based on its 2013 survey of students, Bloomberg BusinessWeek named Albers as the third ranked school in sustainability in the nation in its “Best College Business Programs” edition.
Seattle University Sustainability Progress Report: 2014
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STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Increase the number of courses that
Increase the amount of research
incorporate a unit on sustainability
focused on sustainability topics by:
or a sustainability challenge, include one or more sustainability-focused activities, or integrate sustainability issues throughout the course by: o Establishing a baseline by which to measure future improvement in the percentage of sustainability-related courses and the majors, minors and specializations that include understanding sustainability as a learning outcome
o Sponsoring a faculty workshop by Associate Professor Trileigh Tucker highlighting best practices for how environmental justice is taught at the college level
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TOWARD A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND JUST WORLD
o Continuing to fund faculty fellows in the Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability
o Establishing a baseline by which to measure future improvement in the percentage of faculty engaged in sustainability-related research and the percentage of academic departments with at least one faculty member who conducts sustainability-related research
o Providing comprehensive advising services to students and alumni who pursue nationally competitive grants, scholarships and fellowships related to environmental academic fields through the new Faculty Representative for Environmental Scholarships position in the Office of Fellowships
Climate Action Plan goal for
co-curricular education: Educate undergraduate and graduate students about the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability in co-curricular programs. deepened their understanding of how • Students they can share the Earth in healthy and sustain-
•
able ways in our Campion Hall Earth and Society Learning Community.
The Green Team student club members volunteer at large catered events to educate attendees about how to sort their waste into the recycling, food waste and trash bins.
Center for Environmental Justice and Sustain• The ability hires up to six student interns each quarter to work on sustainability projects.
Green Meeting and Event Planning Guide and • The Checklist educate campus members on how to reduce the environmental impact of meetings and events.
an elected student leadership position • Eco-Reps, on each Hall Council within the residential halls, foster student learning about sustainability through social and educational programming.
STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Implement a campus-wide EcoChallenge every April for students, faculty and staff to raise their awareness and encourage them to adopt new habits to sustain a healthy and just planet.
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THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABILITY How do elementary school students begin to develop a sense of responsibility for the environment? What can coffee growers in Nicaragua do to avoid poisoning the earth with wastewater? How is the boom in new electric cars affecting the nation’s power grid? How are universities teaching students about environmental justice and sustainability? Seattle University is researching the answers to all of these critical questions and more at our Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability.
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This “Center of Excellence,” established in 2013, is igniting scholarship and action on environmental justice and sustainability, moving SU further to the forefront of these issues among universities worldwide. Twelve students and faculty members received fellowships to conduct innovative research projects in the first year and new fellows will be named in 2014.
Sustainably working the land — for the greater good CitySoil Farm — a public/private partnership between King County and Seattle University’s Environmental Studies program in the College of Arts and Sciences — is an imaginative way to deliver environmental education, promote resource recycling and provide food for the community.
“We intend to be a recognized leader — when someone thinks of environmental justice and sustainability, the first place they think of is Seattle University,” explains Professor Phillip Thompson, who directs the Center. “Ultimately, we want to see the work of our fellows result in policy changes that will create a more just and sustainable world.”
The 1.5-acre farm, located at the King County Wastewater Treatment Plant in an industrial area in Renton, helps people make informed decisions and develop innovative solutions for food challenges. The farm provides a platform for shared knowledge, non-traditional land-use and the art of salvage. Holistic management practices incorporate ideas from permaculture, biodynamic agriculture, organic, wetland ecology and forestry.
The Center will bring together Jesuit universities from around the world for a conference in August 2014, aimed at sharing knowledge so every institution can take action toward environmental justice. Closer to home, Thompson is actively seeking partnerships with schools, businesses and other organizations throughout the broader Seattle community.
“We are building on the environmental ethos that permeates the Pacific Northwest and doing everything we can to promote a healthy environment for all people,” Professor Thompson says.
Over three growing seasons, this unique farm has donated more than 8,000 pounds of produce to a Renton food bank.
PHOTO :
Kimberly Corrigan
Seattle U students spend time on the farm as interns and volunteers and in work-study programs. South Seattle middle and high school students attend workshops at the farm to learn about food systems.
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Climate Action Plan goal for
1% 0.3%
Vehicles & Equipment
Trash
operations: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our buildings, solid waste, university-owned and leased vehicles, business and athletics air travel, and commuters to campus 12 percent by 2020 and 51 percent by 2035, as compared to 2009.
19%
Buildings
41%
Commuting
38%
Air Travel
We exceeded our 2020 goal by reducing emissions 14 percent in 2013. The reductions were primarily due to a decrease in business and study abroad air travel. The overall goal of 12 percent by 2020 and 51 percent by 2035 encompasses the combined total emissions from buildings, solid waste, university-owned and leased vehicles, business and athletics air travel, and commuters to campus. The following sub-goals in each of these five areas will move us toward the overall goal.
energy: Reduce building-related carbon emissions 15 percent by 2020 and 28 percent by 2035. We achieved our 2020 goal seven years early and exceeded it by reducing carbon emissions 20 percent in 2013. Fiscal year 2013 emissions were the lowest in five years even though the total campus population increased by 182 people and our buildings increased by 42,250 square feet. This was a result of three energy conservation investments: heat recovery project at the Connolly Center • Acaptures waste heat from the pool area exhaust
and uses it to preheat incoming fresh air and swimming pool water. By “recycling” this waste heat, the system cuts annual CO2 emissions by approximately 1.8 million pounds — the equivalent
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total emissions by activity Commuters to campus generate the most greenhouse gas emissions at 41 percent. A close second is air travel at 38 percent. Operating our buildings produces 19 percent of our emissions. University-owned vehicles and equipment and trash create the fewest emissions at 1 and 0.3 percent, respectively.
of removing more than 155 cars from roadways. Our $1.5 million investment reduces our energy bill by $82,000 annually.
new gas boilers heat water and send it into • Seven an underground loop that, in turn, heats the air and water of five buildings. This system has reduced our buildings’ carbon output by 18 percent. The system cuts annual CO2 emissions by nearly 2 million pounds — the equivalent of removing more than 310 cars from roadways. This $1.3 million investment reduces our annual energy bill by $138,000.
university switched its heating fuel source • The from steam to natural gas. Natural gas has a lower
carbon content per unit of energy than steam. The switch is also preventing 822,000 gallons of hot water from condensed steam from going down the sewer every year.
energy:
STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE
Reduce 2009 building energy use 18 percent by 2035. In addition to setting a goal for reducing our buildings’ carbon emissions, we also set a goal to reduce their energy use. The three energy conservation investments mentioned on the previous page resulted in a five-percent decrease in energy use in 2013 — even with an increase in building square footage.
Continue to invest in energy-efficient technologies and give buildings a regular tune-up to reduce energy consumption.
to Sightlines, a company that tracks • According university operations, we use 30 percent less
energy than comparable-sized universities with a similar climate. Peer institutions include Chapman University, Gonzaga University, Lewis & Clark College, Saint Mary’s College of California, Seattle Pacific University, University of San Francisco and University of the Pacific.
120,000
Peer Averages
Seattle University consumes on average 32K BTU/GSF less than peer universities annually, resulting in a savings of approximately $5.4M.
Seattle University
100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000
Fossil Fuel
10 20 11 20 12 20 13
09
20
08
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
20
10 20 11 20 12 20 13
09
20
08
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
20
02
0
20
British Thermal Units/Gross Square Feet (BTU/GSF)
Total Energy Consumption
Electricity
Seattle University Sustainability Progress Report: 2014
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6,000
Pounds of carbon dioxide
5,000
4,000
3,000
Emissions from buildings Energy conservation investments decreased emissions by 1,116 pounds per square foot of building space — even though we built an additional 42,250 square feet.
2,000
1,000
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
vehicles and equipment: Reduce 2009 emissions from university-owned vehicles and equipment 30 percent by 2020. We are committed to reducing emissions from vehicles and equipment even though they account for only 0.3 percent of total campus emissions. Vehicle emissions increased 89 percent in 2013 as compared with 2009. This is a result of an increase in mileage by low fuel-efficiency vehicles, including six 12-passenger rental vans, the Nighthawk shuttle and vehicles used by Athletics. Even though this increase is significant, it has a very modest impact due to the limited amount of vehicle use as a whole at Seattle University. replaced gas lawn mowers with electrical • We versions that are quieter and don’t pollute. replaced several electric vehicles with • We newer models.
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STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Analyze how the Nighthawk shuttle vehicles and rental vans are used to determine the right mix of vehicle types needed by the campus community.
waste: Reduce the 2009 emissions from waste 73 percent by 2020. In 2013 we achieved a 68 percent reduction in CO2 emissions — far ahead of schedule. The amount of waste recycled, composted and reused increased from 49 to 60 percent as a result of these investments:
200
and trash bins and labeled them with eye-catching signs, then placed them all over campus both inside and outside buildings.
waste collection significantly • Food increased by placing bins in residence hall rooms, break rooms and food service locations, and by switching from disposable to-go ware at campus cafés and catered events to compostable ware.
Metric tons of carbon dioxide
purchased blue, green and brown • We color-coded recycling, food waste
150
100
50
Emissions from landfilled waste Emissions from landfilled waste decreased from 215 to 70 metric tons in four years — a 68 percent reduction.
0
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Evaluate the feasibility of an office supply purchasing policy that decreases vendors’ packaging waste, reduces departments’ office supply costs and increases the amount of environmentally friendly products.
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commuting: By 2035, no more than 29 percent of the daytime campus population drives alone to campus. Two of every five employees and half of our students drive alone to campus. In the past four years, we’ve made additional investments to make alternative transportation a more viable option: university subsidizes 30 percent of • The each student’s transit pass.
Seattle University spends $1 million each year to subsidize transit passes for students and employees.
launched a transportation website to • We help campus members and visitors get to the university using a variety of alternative transportation modes.
installed 92 additional bike racks to • We serve cycling commuters.
STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Install covered, secure bike shelters and evaluate the feasibility of installing electric vehicle charging stations.
air travel: Reduce business and athletics air travel miles 10 percent by 2025 and 20 percent by 2035. Air travel from athletics, business and study abroad together account for 38 percent of our total emissions. Our Climate Action Plan targets a reduction only in business and athletics air miles because Seattle University aims to increase student participation in study abroad. Athletics-related air miles have doubled since 2009, contributing to a 50-percent increase in university-wide air miles. Business-related air travel has remained at steady levels.
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ON THE LEADING EDGE OF
CHANGE
Sustainability has become an empowering way of life for the University Registrar’s and Operations Office — from finding an alternative to five-gallon bottled water coolers and paper cups to replacing rooms full of paper files with scanned electronic imaging. “It’s freeing not to be tied to some of the constructs we had before,” says Registrar Joyce Allen, who has led her 23-member department in some money-and planet-saving changes. “What may have seemed cumbersome in the beginning has now become embraced as the new normal. We are leaning into sustainability and change by viewing it as a positive opportunity.”
Among the office’s leading-edge efforts in sustainability:
water filter and insta-hot was installed in the • Abreak room and employees were given a coffee mug. “When you think about it,” says Allen, “it’s crazy to buy the expensive five-gallon water jugs, lift the heavy things and have the delivery trucks pollute our air transporting full and empty bottles when we have free tap water in our break room!”
printers have given way to shared • Desk-side printers. “It’s amazing how many fewer pages you print when you have to walk five feet,” Allen laughs. The office also added a printer that can print double-sided.
records and files that come into the office • Paper are scanned using software that allows notations and marks. Electronic storage is more secure and has opened up new office space where massive file cabinets once stood. “Our paperless office has created an amazing shift in culture and awareness of how one change can impact the environment,” the Registrar explains. “We’ve become evangelists for the rest of the campus,” she adds. “We hope our solutions will one day become campus-wide solutions.”
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Climate Action Plan goal for
sharing knowledge with others: Share our sustainability knowledge and expertise through community engagement and partnerships.
Center for Environmental Justice and Sustain We joined the Seattle 2030 District, a public-pri• The • ability leases office space near campus in the vate collaborative that is working to develop Bullitt Center, the greenest commercial building in the world. Center Director Phillip Thompson and his environmental engineering students play a critical role in ensuring that the Bullitt Center building lives up to its high standards. Water from the building’s sinks and showers is treated by a wetland on the building’s third-floor balcony. Thompson and his students test water quality to assist in evaluating the wetland’s performance.
realistic, measurable and innovative strategies to assist district property owners, managers and tenants in meeting aggressive goals that reduce environmental impacts of facility construction and operations.
than 70 staff, faculty and students have • More participated in quarterly lunchtime discussion
university is an active member of the Capitol • The Hill EcoDistrict, which applies sustainable devel-
groups on topics such as voluntary simplicity, health and choices for sustainable living.
opment principles at the neighborhood scale in order to reduce pollution, restore ecosystems and improve the community.
STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Pilot a green office program to help offices use resources efficiently, reduce waste and save money, and create friendly competition. Offices could become a certified green office at different achievement levels by implementing a specific set of measures.
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ABOVE AND BEYOND Seattle University’s Climate Action Plan is ambitious, but so are we. That’s why we have undertaken even more sustainability initiatives that go above and beyond the Climate Action Plan. Facilities and grounds
additional LEED Gold buildings opened • Three in the past four years: the School of Law Annex, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons and the William F. Eisiminger Fitness Center, in addition to the Admissions and Alumni building. LEED is an international green building rating system for benchmarking a building’s environmental performance. Learn more about our LEED Gold buildings.
expanded the quantity and diversity of vegeta• We bles, fruits and herbs integrated into gardens, and the Campus Edibles map offers a self-guided tour of the locations. The new Broadway Community Garden adds 12 more raised vegetable garden beds for campus members to use. Learn more about our gardens.
switched to an environmentally friendly • SUrestroom paper and soap products vendor. The
university saved $25,000 per year by no longer purchasing 3,600 batteries to power paper towel dispensers. New soap dispensers release less soap and tubeless toilet paper and paper towel rolls result in more paper per roll, less rolls to buy and fewer roll changes by custodians.
Student-led initiatives
Seattle University became the first higher educa• Intion2010, institution in the state to ban the sale of plastic bottled water campus wide. Bottle fillers and filters are installed on more than 30 water fountains and free water is dispensed at food-service locations.
campus store sells SU-branded stainless steel • Our bottles at an affordable price and donates the proceeds to a clean water project in Haiti led by SU’s Engineers for a Sustainable World chapter. Within 18 months, the sale of a whopping 2,000 bottles resulted in a $4,400 donation which in turn, provided up to 40,000 Haitians with safe water for a year.
Recognition
University was honored with a Green Washington • Seattle Award from Seattle Business Magazine. “Seattle University’s recent efforts to improve sustainability… are myriad and miraculous” the publication noted.
Field won “Field of the Year” from the • Championship Sports Turf Managers Association in part for using organic fertilizer and sustainable practices.
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LOOKING FORWARD We celebrate the accomplishments outlined in this report with our campus community. These powerful efforts in sustainability are a foundation to build upon to achieve our ambitious goals. Our celebration is tempered by the urgency to do more, to do it faster and to inspire others to follow suit. Many milestones are yet to be reached in our quest to meet the goals of the Climate Action Plan. What will it take to reach them? Sustainability must become embedded in everything we do by each student, faculty and staff member. We must create a campus-wide culture of sustainability. We will continue to advance these goals, and by participating in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), we will have more tools to measure our progress in the coming years. STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS evaluates how sustainability is being addressed in education, research, operations, planning, administration and engagement to enable meaningful comparisons over time and across institutions using a common set of measurements. Seattle University can be proud of its sustainability efforts and its contributions toward a greener outlook for our city, region and country. In doing so, we advance our greatest mission — to produce leaders for a just and humane world.
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Office for Sustainability seattleu.edu/sustainability Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability seattleu.edu/cejs 901 12th Ave PO Box 222000 Seattle, WA 98122-1090
“I suggest that you consider today that your college education will be: 1) for others, 2) for yourself, 3) for the earth, and 4) for God… You’ve come to the very best university you could for this [saving the planet], the best of all Jesuit universities for sustainability and environmental programs, and the greenest campus in the state of Washington; no small feat when we are also the most urban campus in the state.”
DES IG N :
DavidOwenHastings.com
President Stephen Sundborg, S.J., at a new student convocation