Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) 2008 Campus Sustainability Leadership Award Application

Contact

Marcia Kinstler
Director
Office of Environmental Stewardship
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
Atlanta, GA
(404) 894-9289
marcia.kinstler@business.gatech.edu

Governance & Administration

Georgia Tech's vision is to define the technological research university of the 21^st century. It is collaborative, interdisciplinary, innovative, and global. We work at the intersection of technology, policy, business, and sustainability. Georgia Tech is well positioned to educate students for leadership in science, engineering, the global economy, and technology. These fields will be critical to creating a truly sustainable future.

Recent Awards:

Princeton Review 2009 Green Initiatives Honor Roll at Colleges and Universities
LEED Gold for Klaus Building, 2008
Solar Decathlon 6^th Place, 2007
Green Lab recognition from R&D Magazine, November 2007 Lab of the Year issue

Policies:

Georgia Tech signed the President's Climate Commitment and has undertaken its greenhouse inventory.
Explicit policy: All new buildings and renovations will meet or exceed LEED Silver Design standards, since 2007.
Georgia Tech has a comprehensive Strategic Plan (published in 1995). Sustainability is in our Mission Statement. Sustainability is mentioned a total of 9 times in our strategic plan.
The Campus Master Plan from 1997 links Georgia Tech's Strategic Plan, Mission Statement and the Master Plan for a living, sustainable campus. The 2004 Campus Master Plan Update focused on specific elements of Sustainability: reduced hydrocarbon emissions, reduced material consumption, reduced water consumption, reduced storm water runoff.
Master Plans for Campus, Landscaping, Housing, Parking, Water Management/Irrigation/Cisterns
Georgia Tech established its Sustainability Center (ISTD in 1992, making it one of the earliest in the country. Green Purchasing Policy since 2003, Alternative Transportation Manager since 2001, Recycling Manager since 1997. LEED Silver design standards since 2002.

In 2007, Tech created an Office of Environmental Stewardshipwith a fulltime Director to ensure the campus realizes its sustainability goals. The Institute has several full-time employees who work on sustainability initiatives, including 2 Energy Reduction Management Engineers, a Recycling Manager, and a Recycling Program Coordinator, a Landscape Master Planner, a LEED Certified Green Building Director, and Alternative Transportation Manager.

Georgia Tech's Advisory Councilfor sustainability consists of recognized leaders in Administration, Operations, Research, and Education, with input from members of Campus Environmental Stewardship, The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, Institute for Technology and Development, student leaders and non-campus leaders, as appropriate.

Tech implemented a sustainability portal website, GreenBuzz, targeted for student involvement and integrating websites for educating the community, in 2007.

Students are involved in every aspect of sustainability on campus including recycling, sustainable food, building design, building efficiencies, alternate fuel research, policy, sustainability education and awareness programs.

Georgia Tech is also a memberof a number of sustainability organizations:

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), Investment Priority Leader
US Green Building Council
National Wildlife Federation (Campus Ecology Program leader in Recycling and Transportation)
SightLines
Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA)

Some of our 2007 sustainabilty programs:

Campus Water Conservation Taskforce
Slow the Flow, Save H2O
EnergyStar
Earth Hour
Sustainability Lecture Series
CO2 Challenge

List of 46 of our 2007 sustainability projects at http://www.stewardship.gatech.edu/volunteer2007.php

Operations

Recent Awards

LEED Gold Certification Klaus Building
2008 AFPA Paper Recycling
2007 Green Cleaning Honorable Mention American Schools & University, Effective Best Practices APPA

2007 explicitedly made LEED Silver or better its policy for all new buildings and renovations. In 2002, LEED in Design Standards, the Yellow Book.

College of Management was the first building at Georgia Tech to receive LEED Silver Certification in 2003. Second building in Georgia, thirteenth in US to be certified LEED Silver by USGBC.

In July 2008,

1 LEED Silver certified
1 LEED Gold certified
plus 26 sustainable buildings on campus (over 3,500,000 sf)
12 registered projects seeking LEED Silver/Gold certification

Energy conservation includes facilities retrofits, new appliance efficiencies, infrastructure enhancements, LEED standards, behavioral change campaigns, and using greenpower.

For 64 buildings constructed 1994-2004, energy retrofits resulted in net additional energy savings of 11%.
New infrastructure features over the last 3 years (new chillers/boiler) 24-35% more efficient

Georgia Tech leads green energy research, early adopter solar energy and geothermal since 1995.

Largest rooftop photovoltaic system connected to utility grid in the world 1996. Produced 3259 Mhw energy 1996-2006, enough to power 326 homes/1 year. AASHE lists it fourteenth largest solar implementation/ US Campus.
250 ton geothermal system. Avoided 3000 Mhw and 2055 tons of CO2.
Georgia Tech's award winning Earth Day is largest event in southeast.
$28K of office supplies recycled,
1250 people pledge to change their lives/environment
EnergyStar pledges, 3000 CFL's distributed
ThinkGreen Week - a week of student initiated green events
First e-waste recycling in city in 2003
Recycled 607 tons in 2007, diversion rate 17%
In 2008 started expanding to waste neutral approach, estimate diversion rate 30% all
Recycle in 115 buildings on campus (99%) with recycling reps in each building
Composting yard waste, coffee grounds, starting food composting pilot
Recycling at Student Move-In/Out
Printer cartridge, batteries,cell phonses recycling in place
Tracking construction/demolition recycling
Xeriscaping
Extensive rainwater/condensate cisterns for irrigation
2001-2007, reduced water use 23%/sf through low flow fixtures, other
Additional 30% reduction campus potable water use since November 2007
All eight of the Tech Trolleys powered by natural gas
Campus trolleys/buses provide free ridership to members of the Georgia Tech community and its neighbors. Annually 2.4 million rides
Campus system connects to city's rapid transit system, city bus routes include campus
Public transit use, carpools, vanpools, ZipCars, SmartPark encouraged, subsidized
Pedestrian and bike friendly campus since 1997
Partner with alternate transportation organizations
Commuter Rewards program with Log Your Commute.
Of the 47% of campus that commutes, 23% use alternative transportation
40% produce is local, 25% all food is local
Community Supported Agriculture on campus
Signed ALFI, Atlanta Local Food Initiative supporting local, organic, and sustainable food
Fair trade coffee across campus
Dining Services offers organic food, expanding organics in Fall
Vegetarian and vegan offered daily
Labeling includes local, organic, vegan, vegetarian, nutrition, ingredients
85% Styrofoam to-go containers eliminated
Variety of green to-go packaging options
Converting used cooking oil to biodiesel
Sustainable Dining committee - students, dining management, etc
Composting coffee grounds, yard waste
evaluating equipment/processes for piloting food composting
Napkins/trash liners recycled content, green cleaning solutions
Recycled cardboard, beverage containers, paper in dining/athletics
Trayless in Dining Halls to reduce water usage during drought
Donated 6100 lbs of food 2007
Lowflow efficient equipment: icemakers, dishwashers,

Curriculum & Research

Georgia Tech has a goal that every student will take at least one course in sustainability. more than 100 courses spanning every college.

Graduate and Undergraduate Program in Architecture
Graduate and Undergraduate Program in Industrial Design
Graduate Program in City and Regional Planning
Graduate and Undergraduate Program in Building Construction
Graduate and Undergraduate programs in Meteorology , Earth Science , and Environmental Science
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Graduate Program in Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Water Resources
Graduate and Undergraduate Program in Environmental Engineering
Graduate Program in Structural Materials, Mechanics and Engineering
Graduate and Undergraduate Program in industrial and systems engineering
Graduate and Undergraduate course offerings with an emphasis in sustainability -Literature, Communication, & Culture
Doctoral Program in Public Policy
Graduate Program in Public Policy
Undergraduate Program in Public Policy
Graduate and Undergraduate Program offering courses:
- Sustainable technology and policy
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Economics
- Environmental Ethics
- Earth systems
- Environmental Issues Seminar
- Policy Tools for Managing the Environment
- Sustainable Systems
- Sustainability and Environmental Policy
- Environmental Policy and Implementation
- Environmental Law
- Environmental and Technological Risk Management

Research Centers

Clean Tech Companies

The Advanced Technology Development Center is a nationally recognized science and technology incubator that helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies.

Commercialization Services helps move innovations into the marketplace by assessing the commercial potential of research results and assisting the development of new companies through the VentureLab program.

Examples of Sustainability Research News from Georgia Tech:

We All Have a Stake in This
Green Chemist Honored
Climate Change Summit
Revolutionary Surge Protector
Tech and Home Depot Promote Water Conservation
Do-It-Yourself Power
Tech Wins Another Championship
Material Could Capture CO2
other news

Examples of Research - Industry (Public-Private Partnerships for Sustainability) http://www.sdm.gatech.edu/research.html

Gap analysis of corporate indicators and metrics for sustainability (Ford, Kodak)
Technology selection tool integrates environmental aspects of corporate sustainability goals (Ford ATO)
Product design tool for environmental impacts (Ford ATO)
Process simulation tool for environmental performance in a vehicle assembly plant (Ford Atlanta)
Modular life cycle assessment (Kodak, image capture and output)
Decision support tool for small-to-medium size enterprises that aligns production, cost, and environmental data into an activity-based cost format for environmental management. (Georgia Duck, Toccoa Metals)
Manufacturing "dashboard" integrating production, cost, and environmental data for a carpet manufacturing facility (Interface)
Integrated industrial and ecosystem modeling to (National Science Foundation)
Novel assessment methods for triple bottom line (Ford)

Campus Culture

In 2008 Georgia Tech launched a new sustainability website, GreenBuzz, www.gatech.edu/greenbuzz, as one central location for news and events on sustainability at Georgia Tech. Links to multiple website for in depth sustainability content;

http://www.stewardship.gatech.edu/

htpp://sustainability.gatech.edu

http://www.istd.gatech.edu/

http://www.gatech.edu/greenbuzz/getinvolved.html .

A campus Sustainable Dining Committee includes staff, administration, and students. initial efforts brought Campus Supported Agriculture to campus, lectures on sustainable food, improved labeling of food on campus, more sustainable food offerings across campus.

Ongoing lecture series of sustainability speakers on campus. http://www.sos.gatech.edu/node/18

Georgia Tech students have been leaders in a student organized, state-wide coalition of university students entitled the Green Peach Conference.

Campus Student Sustainability Organizations:

Students Organizing for Sustainability

Environmental Alliance Georgia Tech

Emerging Green Builders

Association of Environmental Engineers and Scientists

Mobilizing Opportunity for Volunteer Experience Outdoors (MOVE Outdoors)

Roosevelt Institution at Georgia Tech

Solar jackets

TEAMBuzz

Tech Beautification Day

Trailblazers

Undergraduate Net Impact

Student Government Association

Georgia Tech Sustainable Food Project

The Student Movement for Real Change

Engineering Students without Borders

Solar Decathlon

Technological Innovation Generating Economic Results (TI:GER)

Business Plan Competition

Earth Day and Think Green Week

Sustainability Internship Program - students employed in the Recycling Department work on issues such as recycling and EarthDay - gaining valuable experience while helping make campus more sustainable.

From a world class aquatics facility to a state-of-the-art fitness center, the Campus Recreation Center offers aerobics, martial arts classes, intramural sports, sport clubs, and much more!

Outdoor Recreation at Georgia Tech provide

Canoeing, Kayaking and Rafting whitewater activities.
Day hikes to multi-day backpacks,snowshoeing
rock climbing
Kayaking on lakes,
Caving
Mountain Bikes

Community Service and Outreach

Georgia Tech reaches out across its campus boundaries to help ensure the long-term health of its neighbors and partners. Georgia Tech deliberately blurs the boundaries between its campus and the community, welcoming local residents and workers to its shops and restaurants and supporting the neighborhoods that surrounding it, and assisting distant communities with which the Institute shares special bonds.

Tech was named to the first President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for distinguished community service, October 2006, for Katrina Relief efforts.

TEAM Buzz, an annual philanthropic initiative brings together students, faculty, staff, and alumni for a day of service in Atlanta celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2007. Thousands of students, faculty, and staff spend a day in community service.

Additionally, twenty-two (22) Tech student organizations have mission statements that specifically focus on community service.

In 2006-2007, more than 160 Tech students volunteered in the neighborhoods and schools that surround campus.

Tutored students at Centennial Place Elementary + Kennedy Middles School
Gave swimming lesions, offered "How Stuff Works" seminars
Provided SAT preparation programs for high school students.

Members of Georgia Tech's fraternities and sororities volunteered for service activities in the neighborhoods surrounding campus, from tutoring school children to building a Habitat for Humanities House. Received 3 community service awards last year.

Researchers provided community service focusing on policies and planning required for the quality living and working environments such as:

Georgia Guide book for Pedestrian Planning for the Georgia Department of Transportation
Joined Americans for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) "Health and Rights of Women Everywhere" highlighted the geographic, racial, ethnic, lifestyle, and socioeconomic diversity of women assisted by UNFPA's work.

Other Examples of Georgia Tech's Community Outreach related to sustainability:

Community Water Conservation Outreach Program will Offer Education, How-to Advice http://www.gatech.edu/newsroom/release.html?id=1817

The Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development at Georgia Techhttp://www.cqgrd.gatech.edu/HIA/1-aboutbeltline.php has long been a supporter and proponent of the Atlanta Beltline. The BeltLine will connect Atlanta by creating greenspace, trails, transit, and new development along 22 miles of historic rail segments that encircle the city's urban core.

The Georgia Environmental Partnership (GEP) is a coalition composed of:

Pollution Prevention Assistance Division (P²AD), Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Engineering Outreach Service, University of Georgia
Enterprise Innovation Institute, Georgia Institute of Technology

In 2008, Georgia Tech held its Georgia Climate Summitand Air Quality Conference.

In 2008, Georgia Tech joined with Emory University to host the World Water Day conferenceat Georgia Tech, with the Carter Center, the CDC and Coca-Cola .

In 2008, Kindsvater Symposium on Water Resources and the Environment in Georgia's Droughtwhich brought together: Georgia Lt. Governor ;Georgia Water Resources Institute; US Geological Survey; National Climatic Data Center; Texas Water Planning Board. Panel discussion included Georgia Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Water Planning District, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.