UA pledges sustainability on campus

By: Samantha Sigmon

Posted: 3/8/07

The UA campus is about to get a little greener, and it's not just because spring is on its way. The UA is the first higher education institution in the state and among the first 100 in the nation to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, according to a press release.

The pledge is a commitment to reduce and ultimately neutralize greenhouse gas emissions produced on college campuses. Officials from the Presidents Climate Commitment approached the UA a couple weeks ago about signing on to this aggressive proposal for environmental stewardship on campus, said Tysen Kendig, UA associate vice chancellor.

UA administrators thought "it was an important goal to pursue ... our quick endorsement is a testament that although the goals set in the commitment are not easily attained, they are essential goals to pursue," Kendig said.

When the document is signed, the presidents of the colleges are pledging to take three actions: to develop a comprehensive plan by 2009 to achieve "climate neutrality" on campus; to implement at least two specific programs for reducing greenhouse gases while the comprehensive plan is developing; and to make an action plan and all progress reports accessible to the public, according to the press release.

"The environment should be a paramount concern for any institution or corporation, but especially for a national research university with the mind power to come up with new solutions to a global issue such as sustainability," Kendig said. "Not only should we be searching for new ways to protect our environment, we also should be an example to our students and our state in how we practice sustainability."

Sustainability has been at the forefront of Chancellor John A. White's agenda for some time now, and he renewed the UA commitment to environmental stewardship in the State of the University address last fall, Kendig said.

"We have already made a commitment to sustainability on campus, and this enables us to be part of a coordinated national effort," White said in the press release. This particular pledge was signed in late February.

"The University of Arkansas has a responsibility to lead the way in our state, to demonstrate what can be done now while researching new technologies and new approaches," White said.

The goal is to produce students who will incorporate energy-conserving practices they learn into their daily routines and to help in finding the breakthroughs needed to achieve climate neutrality in the future, White said.

The endeavor would be "an ongoing process that touches all aspects of university operations," and is "more about making a clear commitment rather than a singular, simple process," Kendig said.

These efforts will be a bit expensive and will present some challenges in a fiscally challenged higher education setting, but the long-term payoff in protecting the environment and in dollars saved in energy costs make it a worthwhile investment, Kendig said.

The Presidents Climate Commitment recognizes the scientific consensus that global warming is real, is largely caused by humans and that an 80 percent reduction of greenhouse gases is needed before 2050.

The presidents who signed endorsed the hope that there will be major economic benefits to their pledge. They also want to aid in U.S. energy independence as soon as possible, according to the press release.

But the pledge will not just aid the global effort. White believes that long-term benefits of the commitment will directly benefit the UA.

The steps the university is taking will "cut energy costs, bring new funding sources and strengthen support for alumni, as well as local and state government. It will ensure that we can compete for the best students and faculty in the nation," White said.

The goal to reduce greenhouse emissions will not be accomplished by the administration alone; it involves the effort of all the campus.

Kendig believes "responsibility for pursuing these goals ranges from the chancellor's office to every student and employee at the UA," he said. "Goals are nothing without the buy-in of the entire campus community."

The office of Facilities Management will be central in the ongoing efforts of obtaining the pledge, he said. Students can participate in the environmental effort by recycling cans, bottles and paper, turning off lights and televisions when not being used and educating themselves and each other on issues of sustainability, Kendig said.

Some steps that might be taken include: constructing new buildings to meet the standards of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Green Building Initiative; purchasing only energy-efficient appliances; and providing access to public transit for all faculty, staff, students and visitors on campus, according the press release.

"We need to look at how we use energy on this campus - both presently and in the future," Kendig said. "We'll be looking at how we might best renovate and design new buildings that are more energy efficient, how we might harness newer energy alternatives for power, heating and transportation, and other less-obvious considerations that we might discover along the way."

The commitment recognizes the responsibility that institutions of higher education have as role models in their communities. It is also the best place for researchers to develop the solutions needed to reverse global warming, according the Web site www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org. The overall goal is to get 1,000 or more signatories by December 2009, according to the site.

Higher education has a unique role in the environmental problem. Because of its tax-free status, its ability to receive public and private funds and its academic freedom, as well as its education of students, higher educations facilities have a moral and social responsibility to rise to this global challenge, according to the Web site www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org.

No other institution has the influence, critical mass and diversity of skills needed to successfully reverse global warming, according to the site.

"If the university as whole - to include administrators, faculty, staff and students - is mindful of sustainability and the goals we've set in every aspect of how we conduct the business of education, it fosters dialogue for new solutions to energy concerns to be developed and implemented," Kendig said.

The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement was the document that the presidents' pledge was modeled after. Other universities that have signed the pledge include Cornell, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

The UA recently launched a new Web site, www.sustainability.uark.edu, to catalog its progress on issues of sustainability and to include institutional initiatives, research and other developments.

"The Web site is a classic example of a work in progress, much like our endeavors to be good stewards of the environment," Kendig said. The site will highlight examples of how the UA is working to be a environmental leader. It is designed for people to monitor the progress of the university in its efforts "to preserve a better environment for the future generations of our students, and all Arkansans," Kendig said.