university of washington climate action plan · 2014. 5. 12. · of climate change, on the impacts...

UniversityofWashingtonClimateActionPlan

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TableofContents

Glossary ...........................................................................................................1

1 Introduction...............................................................................................21.1 TheUWClimateActionPlan1.2 ClimateActionandtheUWVision1.3 HistoryofClimateActionattheUniversityofWashington

2 StrategiesforAcademicEngagementinClimateChange ..........................112.1 Research2.2 Curriculum2.3 OutreachandEngagement

3 UniversityGreenhouseGasEmissionsandEmissionTargets ....................21

4 StrategiesforReducingUniversityEmissions ...........................................264.1 CampusEnergySupply4.2 CampusEnergyDemand4.3 InformationTechnology4.4 Commuting4.5 ProfessionalTravel

5 LookingBeyondtheInventory .................................................................505.1 LandUse5.2 FoodandComposting5.3 Reduce,Reuse,Recycle

6 StrategiesforFinancingtheClimateActionPlan ......................................546.1 FundingMechanisms6.2 ParticipationinGHGMarkets

7 ClimatePolicyDevelopmentandImplementation ...................................607.1 SettingtheLeadershipandDecisionMakingFramework7.2 MovingfromStrategiestoActions7.3 ClimateActionPlanAdministration7.4 MakingClimateActiontheEveryday

8 TrackingProgress.....................................................................................65


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ListofFiguresFigure1

ClimateActionHistoryatUW………..6

Figure2

Emissionsandbuildingsize……………9

Figure3

EffectofU‐Passoncommuting……10

Figure4

AlternativefuelvehiclesinFleet…11

Figure5

Emissionhistorybysource………….22

Figure6

'Businessasusual'projection……..23

Figure7

Per‐capitaemissionsbycampus..25

Figure8

Strategiesvsemissionsources…..27

Figure9

Commutingprofilesbycampus…42

Figure10

Proximitytocampus……………….….43

Figure11

AirtravelexpendituresatUW…….47

Established by Professor Phil E. Church with afocus on climatology. Later became the

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

IES was founded after the first UW-wide Earth Day in 1972.

It was the seat of UW’s environmental program for over two decades. JISAO was formed in collaboration with NOAA,

the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration.

PoE offers BA in Environmental Studiesand two graduate certificate programs.

Supersedes the IESCore departments are Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography, Earth & Space Sciences.

Power plant converted from coal to natural gas reducing carbon emissions

by 40,000 MT per year

U-PASS program initiated to promote better commuting options. By 2007, vehicle trips reducedto pre-1990 levels despite 24% growth in student/employee population.

1947

1973

1997

1987

1991

1977

2000

Joint Institute for Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean

Program on the Environment

Department of Meteorology

Institute for EnvironmentalStudies

central utility plant

U-PASS

Program on Climate Change

Includes Atmospheric Sciences, Forest Resources, Earth & Space Sciences, Marine Affairs

Charged with providing on-campus environmentalhealth and safety services

1966

College of the Environment2009

Climate Commitment2007President Emmert signed the American College& University President’s Climate Commitment

Policy on Environmental Stewardship2004

UW adopted its Policy on Environmental Stewardship

Division of Health Services1947

Environmental Health & Safety

New administrative department builds ongroundwork of Division of Health Services

1980 20071994 20001986-7 2001-2

installed 2nd moree!cient boiler

installed moree!cient boiler

phased out coal as a fuel

0 0

13,000,000

metric tons G

HG

s

squa

re fe

et s

erve

d by

pow

er p

lant

9,800,000 89,432

107,020 lowered building temperatures

other

walk

bicycle

carp

ool/van

pool

public tr

ansit

drive al

one

today

before U-Pass

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%com

mut

ers

who

use

th

is o

p!on

316 alterna!ve fuel344 standard fuel

1

1

3

32

scop

escop

escop

escop

escop

e UWUW

power plant

buildings

UW vehiclesOld Montlake landfill

electricity

professional travel

commu!ng

90,000

80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0

Mill

ion

gram

s CO

2 eq

uiva

lent

2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2001-2004

interpolated(not inventoried)

fugi!ve gases

Mill

ion

gram

s CO

2- e

quiv

alen

t

business as usual300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050

2035 target (36% reduc!on)


CURRENT(2008)

Sea!le 2,700 kg CO2 equivalent

Bothell 1,300kg CO2 equivalent

Tacoma 1,000kg CO2 equivalent

1200 power plant

old Montlake landfill 140

professionaltravel 100

350 buildings

74 electricity

commu!ng 560

vehicle fleet 3.4UWUW


commu!ng 470



commu!ng 660

vehicle fleet 40UWUW

140 buildings

590 electricity

62 buildings

330 electricity

behavior

technology

o!sets

trave

l

ITsupply

demand

commu"

ng

$

21 drive single-occupancy vehicles

5 ride-share

25 walk 8 bicycle

39 take transit

100 UW Sea!le commuters

59 drive single-occupancy vehicles 12 ride-share

2 walk 2 bicycle 13 take transit

100 UW Tacoma commuters

4 telework

100 UW Bothell commuters67 drive single-occupancy vehicles 4 ride-share


60% live within 5 miles of campus

students sta! faculty

$18.7 million $25.6 million2008

2005


1

Glossary

CO2 carbondioxide

CO2‐equivalent the equivalent mass of CO2 required to have the sameglobal warming effect as an identical mass of any othergreenhousegas

CO2e CO2‐equivalent

ESAC University of Washington Environmental StewardshipAdvisoryCommittee

GHG greenhousegas– the two thataremostabundant in theUW inventory are CO2 and methane; 1 unit of methanehasthewarmingpotentialof23unitsofCO2

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, acertificationprogramoftheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil

Mitigation whenappliedtoclimatechange,meansreductionofGHGs

Offset a reduction of GHGs attributable to a particular projectthat can be sold to a party other than the owner of theproject

OPB theUWOfficeofPlanningandBudgeting

Submetering measuring electric, steam or other energy use on abuilding‐by‐building basis, even when energy is suppliedbyacentralutilityplant

UniversityAdvancement thefundraisingarmoftheUWadministration

UWESS the UW Environmental Stewardship and SustainabilityOffice

Virtualization the practice of executing computing processes thatnormallyrequiredifferentpiecesofequipmentonasinglepieceofequipment,orenablingacomputingprocessthatnormallyrequiresaspecificpieceofequipmenttooperateonmultiplepiecesofequipment


2

1 Introduction

1.1 TheUWClimateActionPlan

TheUWClimateActionPlandescribescommitmentsbeingmadebytheUniver‐

sityofWashington(theUniversity,UW)tomeetitsobligationsundertheAmeri‐

can College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Those

obligations include intent toachieveaclimate‐neutraluniversityhavingnonet

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. TheUWClimateAction Plan (the Plan) sets

outbroadstrategiesthatwillguideustowardthatambitiousgoalandidentifies

theactionsthatcanfulfilleachofthosestrategies.Analysisofthefinancial,en‐

vironmentalandsocialaspectsoftheactionswillbenecessaryforprioritization

of implementation. ThisPlanestablishes the first steps, identifying the frame‐

workstrategiesandprovidinganumberofproposedactions.Theproposedac‐

tionswillbeexpandedupon,evaluatedandprioritizedoverthenextyear,witha

detailedImplementationDocumentproducedbySeptember2010.

The core of our effort is to expand the UW’s already rich history of environ‐

mental research, education and community outreach. Wewill build uponour

uniquecapabilitiesasaworld leader inclimateresearchbydeveloping innova‐

tive, groundbreaking efforts in interdisciplinary approaches to climate change.

Wewillbuildonalonghistoryofenvironmentaleducationtoaddcurriculumde‐

velopment on climate change and integrate our educational efforts with re‐

search.Wewillbuilduponourreputationforprovidingtalentandknowledgeto

thePacificNorthwestbypreparingthenextgenerationsofUWgraduatestocon‐

front future climate issues with experience and innovation. These are the

strategies thatwillbedescribed inChapter2,Strategies forAcademicEngage‐

mentinClimateChange.

TheUW’stalented,committedandresourcefulcommunityisextensive,andwe

expecttobreaknewgroundinbringingtheacademicandadministrativesidesof

ouruniversitytogethertoactinconcerttomeetthegoalsoftheClimateAction

Plan.Withapopulationofroughly70,000students,staffandfacultythroughout

its threecampuses, theUWhas thesizeandcomplexityofasmall city. It can

functionasaresearchcenterandtestbedforGHGgoal‐setting,reductiontech‐

nologiesandadministrativeprocessesthatcanbeexpandeduponbycommuni‐

tiesandotherlargeorganizationsinWashingtonState.Chapter4,Strategiesfor


3

ReducingUniversityEmissions, details someof the strategies thatwill leadour

communityinmitigatingGHGemissions.

TheUWwill reduceGHGemissionstomeetorexceedthegoalspassedbythe

WashingtonStateLegislatureinAprilof2009,requiringWashingtonstateagen‐

cies toreduceemissions15%below2005 levelsby2020,and36%below2005

levelsby2035.Climateneutralityisnotspecifiedinthestatemandate.TheUW,

hopingtoachieveneutralityby2050,isunabletosetthisasthefirmtargetdate

since the technologies necessary tomeet it, and the federal and international

policiesthatcansupportGHGneutrality,arestillemerging.Indeed,accelerated,

interdisciplinaryworkattheUniversitywillplayanimportantroleinguidingthe

verydevelopmentsthatwillmakeGHGneutralitypossible.

1.2 ClimateActionandtheUWVision

The UW Climate Action Plan builds on the University of Washington’s Vision

Statement,whichhighlights sevencharacteristics thatmake theUW“Uniquely

Washington”:WestrivetobeWorldLeadersinResearchonseveralfrontswith

thescienceofclimatechange,ontheimpactsofclimatechange,onclimatepol‐

icy and on greenhouse gasmitigation. Through the integrative College of the

Environment, we will foster an Academic Community that rallies around the

multidisciplinarychallengesofclimatechange.Carefulattentiontotheeffectsof

climateonthePacificNorthwestCelebratesPlace,andBeingPublicmeanswe

workwithWashington’scitizenstomanagethoseeffectswisely. Inadditionto

managing theeffects,weasWorldCitizensworkactively tocombatglobal cli‐

matechangebybringingourSpiritofInnovationtomitigationtechnologies.Fi‐

nally, theUW Standard of Excellence calls for recruiting the best faculty and

staff, pursuing academic excellence and holding ourselves to the highest stan‐

dardofethics.

OurVisionStatementisaugmentedbyfivegoalsknownastheGrandChallenges,

allofwhichareaddressedbytheClimateActionPlan:

1. Attractadiverseandexcellentstudentbodyandprovidearichlearningex‐

perience.TheClimateActionPlanconnectstheUWstudentexperienceto

theintricatewebofrelationshipsrequiredforsuccessfulstewardship.The

UWeducationalexperienceisconcretelylinkedtoresearchandcommunity

action,bothonandoffcampus.


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2. Attractandretainanoutstandinganddiversefacultyandstafftoenhance

educationalquality,researchstrengthandprominentleadership.TheCli‐

mateActionPlanboldlyplacestheUWinaleadershippositionwithinmany

researchfieldsandacademicdisciplines,andshouldattractvisionaryfaculty

andstaff.ThePlanexplicitlycallsforsupportingnew,interdisciplinaryfac‐

ultypositions.

3. Strengtheninterdisciplinaryresearchandscholarshiptotackle“grandchal‐

lenge”problemsthatwillbenefitsocietyandstimulateeconomicdevelop‐

ment.Tacklingthedemandsofclimatechangemitigationandadaptationis

quicklyevolvingtobeoneofthegrandchallengesofthiscentury.

4. ExpandthereachoftheUWfromourcommunityandregionacrossthe

worldtoenhanceglobalcompetitivenessofourstudentsandtheregion.

HighlightingandexpandingtheUW’sresearchonglobalclimatechangeties

oureducationtotheworld,whileourlocationinamajorPacificRimportcity

remindsusofthetangibleimplicationsfortradeinclimate‐relatedtechnolo‐

gies.

5. Maintainandbuildinfrastructureandfacilitiestoinsurethehighestlevelof

integrity,complianceandstewardship.TheClimateActionPlanrequiresin‐

tegrationofUW’sphysicalinfrastructurewithacademicandadministrative

prioritiesandpoliciestoidentifyandmaketherequiredtrade‐offstocreate

aneffectiveandself‐perpetuatingpathforward.

1.3 HistoryofClimateActionattheUniversityofWashington

TheUniversityofWashingtonhasa longhistoryofenvironment‐related teach‐

ing, climate‐related research, environmental stewardship and energy and re‐

sourceconservation.


5

Figure1‐ClimateActionHistoryattheUW

1.3.1 ClimateResearchandCurriculum

TheUniversityofWashingtonhasalonghistorywithclimateresearch,beginning

inthe1940swithestablishmentofaclimate‐focusedDepartmentofMeteorol‐

ogybyProfessorPhilChurch.Today,climateresearchattheUniversityofWash‐

ingtonisanchoredinatriadoforganizations:theJointInstituteforStudyofthe

AtmosphereandOcean formed incollaborationwith theNationalOceanicand

Established by Professor Phil E. Church with afocus on climatology. Later became the

Department of Atmospheric Sciences

IES was founded after the first UW-wide Earth Day in 1972.

It was the seat of UW’s environmental program for over two decades. JISAO was formed in collaboration with NOAA,

the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration.

PoE offers BA in Environmental Studiesand two graduate certificate programs.

Supersedes the IESCore departments are Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanography, Earth & Space Sciences.

Power plant converted from coal to natural gas reducing carbon emissions

by 40,000 MT per year

U-PASS program initiated to promote better commuting options. By 2007, vehicle trips reducedto pre-1990 levels despite 24% growth in student/employee population.

1947

1973

1997

1987

1991

1977

2000

Joint Institute for Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean


Department of Meteorology

Institute for EnvironmentalStudies

central utility plant

U-PASS

Program on Climate Change

Includes Atmospheric Sciences, Forest Resources, Earth & Space Sciences, Marine Affairs

Charged with providing on-campus environmentalhealth and safety services

1966


Climate Commitment2007President Emmert signed the American College& University President’s Climate Commitment

Policy on Environmental Stewardship2004

UW adopted its Policy on Environmental Stewardship

Division of Health Services1947

Environmental Health & Safety

New administrative department builds ongroundwork of Division of Health Services

1977

Joint Institute for Study ofthe Atmosphere and Ocean

1947Department of Meteorology


6

AtmosphericAdministration,theClimateImpactsGroupfocusingonclimateim‐

pactsinthePacificNorthwestandtheProgramonClimateChange(PCC).PCC,in

particular,offersastageforinterdisciplinaryclimateresearchthroughcollabora‐

tionbetween theAtmospheric Sciences,OceanographyandEarth&SpaceSci‐

encesdepartments,aswellasapointoffocusforclimatescienceteaching.

TheUWhasarichhistoryofteachingenvironmentalstewardshipacrossabroad

arrayofacademicprograms. This capacitywas first formalized in the Institute

for Environmental Studies in1973. InOctober1995PresidentRichardMcCor‐

mickappointedtheTaskForceonEnvironmentalEducation,whicheventuallyled

to integration of theUniversity ofWashington’s environment‐related curricula

undertheProgramontheEnvironment(POE);inautumnquarter1998theUW

admittedthefirststudentstotheBAprograminEnvironmentalStudies.

Today,theUniversityofWashingtonoffersadiversecollectionofacademicpro‐

gramsthatfocusonenvironmentalpolicy,climatechangeandsustainability.In

2009, the University offers over 500 individual courses on its three campuses

thatfocusonordirectlyrelatetoclimatechangeandsustainability.Mostofthe

environment‐relatedundergraduatedegreeprograms, includingPOE’senviron‐

mental studies program, offer minors that allow students to explore environ‐

mentalissueswhilepursuingmajorsinotherfields.

Finally, independent study and Capstone projects connect the learning experi‐

encewithclimateaction.POE,theEnvironmentalManagementCertificatePro‐

gram and the Restoration Ecology Network have supported student projects

leading,forexample,toananalysisofthepotentialformitigatingGHGsfromthe

Montlake Landfill, recommendations for climate‐friendly investing of theUW’s

endowment,andasustainabilityplanforUWBothell.

1.3.2 EnvironmentalAwarenessandStewardship

Institutionalactiononenvironmentalhealthandsafetydatesbackto1947when

theChairoftheDepartmentofPreventiveMedicineandPublicHealth,Schoolof

Medicine, recommended the establishment of a Division of Health Services

charged with providing on‐campus environmental health and safety services.

Throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s theUniversity added staff and pro‐

gramsinsanitation,occupationalsafety,radiationsafety,firesafety,wasteman‐

1992 Climate Impacts Group

2000

Program onClimate Change

1973

Institute for Environmental Studies

1997


Division of HealthServices

1947


7

agementandpollutioncontrol.AlltheseentitiescoalescedintoourcurrentDe‐

partmentofEnvironmentalHealthandSafety(EH&S)in1966.

Duringthe1970sandintotheearly1980senvironmentalandhealthandsafety

regulations at the federal and state level increased significantly with the Re‐

sourceConservation&RecoveryAct (RCRA),ToxicSubstancesControlAct (TO‐

SCA), theNational Environmental PolicyAct (NEPA) and the State ofWashing‐

ton’sStateEnvironmentalPolicyAct(SEPA).EH&Sprogramsgrewtomeetthe

challengesofthesenewregulations.

In July2004, theUniversity issuedtheEnvironmentalStewardshipandSustain‐

abilitystatement,declaring:“TheUniversityiscommittedtopracticingandpro‐

motingenvironmentalstewardshipwhileconducting itsteaching,research,and

service missions as well as its facility operations in all of its locations.” An

Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC) was chartered by the

ProvostandtheExecutiveVicePresident; it includesfaculty,staffandstudents

fromallthreecampusesandhasresponsibilityforrecommendingenvironmental

actionanddevelopingpolicy. ESACcoordinatedthefirstGHGemissions inven‐

tory, sponsored student capstone projects, recommended new strategies to

promotestewardshipandsustainabilityandwasthecatalystformanyadminis‐

trativechanges.

InMarch2007,theUniversityofWashingtonbecameachartermemberofthe

LeadershipCircleoftheAmericanCollege&UniversityPresidentsClimateCom‐

mitment.ThecommitmentinvolvesallthreeUWcampuses.Chancellorsatboth

UWBothellandUWTacomasignedthecommitment,alongwithUWPresident

MarkA.Emmert.

InAugust2008,basedonESAC’srecommendationtotheSeniorVicePresident,

the UW office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability (UWESS) was

created to coordinate and support UW activities and information related to

sustainability.UWESSispartoftheStrategyManagementgroup,underFinance

andFacilities.

TheUniversity’s institutional focus on stewardship is complemented by strong

studentinvolvement,asevidencedbyoveronedozenstudentorganizationsthat

are activeon environmental issues. Students, staff and faculty frequently col‐

laborateonUniversity‐wideeffortssurroundingenvironmentalstewardship;re‐

1966

Environmental Health& Safety

Environmental StewardshipAdvisory Commi!ee logo


8

centexamplesincludethe2009FocustheNationclimatechangeteach‐in,What

isSustainability?AnExploratorySymposiumatUWBothellin2009andthe2009

SouthSoundSustainabilitySummitatUWTacoma.

Reaching beyond its own walls, the University of Washington works together

with governments, corporations, nonprofits and other academic institutions in

the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. It is a foundingmember of the Seattle

Climate Partnership, which commits many of Seattle’s employers to reduce

emissionsandcontributestomeetingthecity’scommunity‐wideGHGreduction

goals.TheUniversityhostsmanyeventsopentothepublic,withappealranging

fromfamiliestospecializedprofessionalaudiences.Theseeventsincludeexhib‐

itsat theBurkeMuseumofNaturalHistoryandCulture,educationaleventsat

theUWBotanicGardens,theannualPolarScienceWeekendinpartnershipwith

thePacificScienceCenter,therecent internationalconferenceonmicroplastics

in themarineenvironment atUWTacomaand theUWSchool of LawClimate

ChangeConferenceonLaw,EconomicsandImpacts.

The University’s continued attention to environmental stewardship has been

recognizedwith the Sustainable Endowment Institute’s highest awarded grade

(A‐)ontheCollegeSustainabilityReportCardinboth2008and2009.

1.3.3 EarlyActionsReducingEmissions

ThemostimportantdriverofGHGreductionsattheUWisenergyuse.TheUni‐

versityofWashingtonhaspursuedenergyefficiencyaggressivelyforalongtime.

In 1987 the Seattle Campus’ central utility plant beganburningnatural gas in‐

steadofcoal,improvinglocalairqualityandsimultaneouslyreducingGHGemis‐

sionsbyabout40,000metrictonsCO2‐equivalent(“metrictons”)peryear.Since

thattime,high‐efficiencyboilershavebeeninstalledtoreducefuelconsumption

evenfurther.TheeffectsonUWGHGemissionshavebeendramatic,asshown

inFigure2.

1987central utility plant


9

Figure2–Emissionsandbuildingsize

Sincethe1980stheUWhasmanagedtokeepGHGemissionsfromtheSeattlecampus’centralutility

plantincheckonaper‐square‐footbasis,thankstoefficiencymeasurestakenbothattheplant(thesup‐

plyside)andatthebuildings(thedemandside).Thegoldlineshowstheincreasingsquarefootage

servedbytheSeattlecampus’centralutilityplant,whilethegreybarsindicatetheGHGsemittedinthe

courseofservingthatfloorarea.

Recent capital improvement projects have improved the average efficiency of

UWstructuresthroughparticipationintheU.S.GreenBuildingCouncil(USGBC)

LeadershipinEnergyandEnvironmentalDesign(LEED)program.UWproperties

currentlyincludethreeGold,threeSilverandoneCertifiedLEED‐ratedbuildings,

with 22 additional projects in the design, construction or post‐construction

stagespendingcertification.Modernintegrateddesignprocessessuchasthese

new projects have resulted in an average of 30% energy savings (relative to

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air‐Conditioning Engineers re‐

quirementscurrentatthetimeofcertification)ata2%increaseininitialcapital

constructioncost.

Recentefficiency improvements to theSeattle campus’datacenter resulted in

over 450 kWof reducedelectric demand, or a 26% reduction in energyusage

throughout theentirebuildingwithinwhich thecenter ishoused. Meanwhile,

consolidationandvirtualizationofcomputingresourcesisreducingcampus‐wide

energy demand from computing even further. By using virtualization technol‐

ogy, UW Educational Outreach (UWEO) has reduced its number of servers by

20%,withanetsavingsofnearly160,000kW/Hr/Yearofelectricityfromserver

1980 20071994 20001986-7 2001-2

installed 2nd moree!cient boiler

installed moree!cient boiler

phased out coal as a fuel

0 0

13,000,000

metric tons G

HG

s

squa

re fe

et s

erve

d by

pow

er p

lant

9,800,000 89,432

107,020 lowered building temperatures


10

operationandcooling,avoiding95tonsofcarbonproductionperyear. At the

completionoftheirrebuildproject,nearly80%energysavingswillbeachieved,

avoiding475tonsofcarbonproductionperyear.

Ourstudents,staffandfacultyareenabledtochooseenergy‐efficientcommut‐

ingmodesbyourawardwinningU‐PASSprogramcreatedin1991. U‐PASSen‐

compassesanunlimitedright‐to‐ridetransitpasscoveringsixPugetSoundtran‐

sit agencies, discounted carpoolparking, vanpool subsidies,walking andbiking

programs,merchant discounts including car sharing discounts, plus emergency

rides home and discounted

occasional use parking for faculty

andstaff.

U‐PASS has supported a

significant shift of commuters

from private cars to transit:

Today 39% of commutes to the

Seattlecampusaremadebybus,

and 30% of trips are by foot or

bicycle – producing zero GHG

emissions. Weheavilypromotebicyclecommutingthroughwidespreadaccess

tobicyclefacilitiesandthreeteam‐basedbicyclecommutecampaignseachyear.

Despite a 24%growth in the employee and student population between1990

(theyearbeforethelaunchofU‐PASS)and2007,therewerefewervehicletrips

tocampusperdayin2007thaninanyoftheprevious24years.OntheBothell

campus,arideshareemailsubscriberlistimplementedjointlywiththeadjacent

Cascadia Community College provides an additional mechanism for reducing

commutingemissions.

ProfessionalairtravelinvolvessubstantialGHGemissionsbutplaysavitalrolein

research, teaching, and administrative activities at UW. The University has a

modestbutexpandingsetofvideoconferencingfacilitieswhichalreadyprovides

analternativetosomeof thefunctionsof long‐distancetravel. Tomakeasig‐

nificant impactonair travel, theuseofvideoconferencingwouldhavetogrow

enormouslyandthis,inturn,entailsahostoftechnicalandculturalchallenges.

We propose that the University embrace these challenges and thereby play a

leadershiproleindevelopingamoresustainableformofglobal‐scalecommuni‐

other

walk

bicycle

carp

ool/van

pool

public tr

ansit

drive al

one

today

before U-Pass

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%com

mut

ers

who

use

th

is o

p!on

1991U-PASS

Figure3‐EffectofU‐Passoncommuting


11

cation. At the same time,we recognize thatmany functions of long distance

travel(e.g.fieldresearch,face‐to‐facemeetingsatconferences,recruitmentvis‐

itsforprospectivestudentsandfaculty)cannotbereplacedbyvideoconferenc‐

ingandwillthereforehavetobeaddressedviacarbonoffsets.

OftheUniversity’svehiclefleet,(316light,mediumdutyandheavydutyvehicles

outof660total)48%arealternativefuelvehiclessuchasflex‐fuel,biodiesel,hy‐

brid, plug‐in hybrid

electricandall‐electric

vehicles; our fueling

infrastructure cur‐

rently offers a B20

biodiesel blend and is

positioned to offer

B100 and E85 when

theemergingmarketproductsaremadereliablyavailable.Effortstoreducethe

fleetwillalsobeexplored

2 StrategiesforAcademicEngagementinClimateChange

ThischapterpresentsasetofinitialstrategiestheUWwillexploretoleverageits

strengthsasanacademicinstitutiontomakeasignificantcontributiontoclimate

stewardship.Research,teachingandoutreachareallcomponentsofdiscovery,

theheartoftheUniversity. Weeducateadiversestudentbodytobecomere‐

sponsibleglobalcitizensandengagethesestudentsinaddressingclimate‐action

and environmentally‐sustainable issues through guided research and academic

inquiry.

AlandmarkinitiativeintheUW’sacademicengagementwiththeenvironmentis

thenewCollegeoftheEnvironment,openingFall2009justastheClimateAction

Plan isbeing released. Thenewcollegebrings togethera criticalmassofaca‐

demicunitsandinterdisciplinaryscholarstoleadinthedevelopmentofstrategic

plans for curriculumenhancements; for innovative research into science, tech‐

nology,andpublicpolicy;andforeffectiveoutreachinitiatives.Thisopensvast

butasyetunfocussedopportunitiesfordetailingandexpandingthestrategiesin

thischapteroftheClimateActionPlan.Newideaswillbespawnedastheincipi‐

ent College incorporates more academic science units, builds affiliations with

316 alterna!ve fuel344 standard fuel


Figure4‐Alternativefuelvehicles


12

other departments and individual faculty members, hires its first permanent

deanandopensinternaldiscussionaboutitsmissionandstrategicplans.Expert

andthoughtfulplanningforclimateresearchinthesciencesandtechnologywill

emerge from leadership within the College of the Environment by the end of

2010;thisClimateActionPlanconsidersonlycomplementaryissues.

2.1 Research

Research is at the heart of inquiry and discovery at the UW, attracting some

$1.2billioningrantfundingasof2007,one‐thirdoftheUniversity'stotalbudget.

Wefirmlybelievethatengagingourstudents,graduateandundergraduatealike,

inclimateandenvironmentalresearchwillsupportandinformtheirengagement

asactivecitizensduringtheircampusyearsandbeyond.Ourgoalsforclimate‐

relatedresearch,inallschools/collegesengagedinenvironmentalwork,are:

• continuetheUW’spositionasoneoftheleadinguniversitiesinresearchon

climatescienceandclimateimpacts;

• guideourstudentsonallthreecampusesintoarichmatrixofenvironmental

scholarshipopportunitiesthatexcitethem;

• spreadenvironmentalresearchandscholarshipbeyonditstraditionalcam‐

pusboundariesinscienceandtechnology;and

• linktheacademicandadministrativecommunitiesinjointprojectsthatare

likelytocontributedirectlytoUW'sclimategoalsinthisreport.

To achieve these goals we will interconnect and expand our multi‐campus,

multidisciplinary research activities, and remove structural impediments that

hinder coordination. Undergraduate students will be provided with research

opportunitiesacrossourcampusesthroughvenuesthatallowthemtodiscover

andconnect.Wewillalsomakeaspecialefforttosupportyoungresearchfac‐

ulty,particularlyineconomic,socialandtechnicalfacetsofclimatestudies,who

entercollegesordepartments thathave littleornopriorengagement in these

areasofresearch.UW’sprofessionaldegreeofferingscanbeexpandedtofillthe

region’sgrowingneedforenvironmentalstewardshipandleadership.

The Environmental Institute, soon to form within the College of the Environ‐

ment, is designed to engage the entire UW community in environmentally‐

relatedresearch.TheEnvironmentalInstitutewillbeacentralhubforcombin‐


13

ing scholarship in the core sciences and technologies present within the UW,

withacademicdisciplinessuchasbusiness,economics, law,ethics,politicalsci‐

ence,publicpolicy,builtenvironmentsandpublichealthandwithadministrative

areassuchasFacilitiesServices,EnvironmentalHealthandSafetyandUWTech‐

nology.Asabenefit,manyofourscientificandtechnicalresearchprogramscan

beenrichedwithsocial,businessandpolicydimensionsthatunitestudentsand

faculty from across the campus(es) in commonpurpose and teamwork. Once

again,whatweofferherewillbegreatlyexpandeduponbyworkwithinthenew

College.

2.1.1 Strategy:FosterUndergraduateParticipationinEnvironmentalResearch

TheUniversityandthePugetSoundregionofferanarrayofresearchopportuni‐

tiestoUWstudents.Undergraduatestudentsfromeverydisciplineandcampus,

mostofwhomarefacinganinstitutionoftheUW’ssizeandcomplexityforthe

firsttimeintheirlives,musthaveguidancetofindmeaningfulresearchandoff‐

campusinternshipopportunities.

Accessisjustonepartofthestudentengagementprocess.Financialsupportof

undergraduate environmental research requires on‐going funding of research

effortsoutsidetheformalcurriculumandduringthesummer.Supportneedsto

bemadeavailableatUWSeattle,UWBothellandUWTacoma. Theseendow‐

mentscanbetargetsforUniversityAdvancement.

ProposedActions:EachstrategyintheClimateActionPlanwillbefollowedwith

abrieflistofProposedActionsthatareintendedasaseedandinspirationforthe

completeanalysisofoptionswewillpublishin2010.TheProposedActionsalso

provideamoreconcreteanchorforvisualizinghoweachstrategymightbe im‐

plemented. For this strategy, Proposed Actions include: Create a web‐based

clearinghouseforcurrentenvironmentalresearchopportunitiesinthesciences,

engineering,publichealthand thesocial sciences; include in theclearinghouse

descriptions of exemplary recent student accomplishments, and provide clear

explanationsofhowtopursueopportunities;andmakeundergraduateresearch

scholarshipsavailableonallcampuses.

environmental research


14

2.1.2 Strategy:SupportJuniorFacultyinNewAreasofEnvironmentalScholar‐

ship

Profoundchangeoccursacrossgenerations. Hence junior facultyareessential

forbuildingnewresearchfociacrosseachcampus.Theyarealsothekeytoes‐

tablishingUW’snational reputation in environmental scholarship. Senior level

leadershipwill be needed to ensure that new faculty hired for environmental

scholarshiphavetheopportunitytodevelopintonationallyrecognizedscholars,

especiallyinacademicunitsforwhichenvironmentalscholarshipisnovel.

Additionally,youngfacultymustbementoredexpertlyandevaluatedusingclear

andsensiblecriteria. Oneconcern is thatmanyyoungfacultyenteringdepart‐

mentswithlittlepriorengagementinenvironmentalscholarshipmayneedsup‐

port fromelsewhere if theyhavea cross‐disciplinary interest inenvironmental

topics.Theywillneedseedsupportfortheirresearch,peeracceptanceandfair

evaluationforsuchactivities,encouragementbystrategicplansintheirunitsand

mentoringthatcutsacrossdepartmentsonallthreecampuses. TheUW’spro‐

fessional programs, for example in Business, Public Affairs, Public Health and

Forest Resources, have significant experience with interdisciplinary hiring and

promotioncriteriathatcanbetapped.

ProposedActions:Developahigh‐level,tri‐campusstrategyforhiring,support,

promotion and tenure and merit criteria of new faculty with environmental

scholarshipfocus.Developapoolofexpertresearchpeersacrosstheglobefor

assistingwithdecisionsofpromotionandtenure.

2.1.3 Strategy:ExpandEnvironmentalFocitoUW’sProfessionalDegreePro‐

grams

UW’sprofessionalprograms, forexamplepublicpolicy, lawandbusiness,have

hadprofoundimpactsontheeconomicandsocialvitalityofourregion. These

professionaldegreeprogramswillneedtoassumenewand,insomecases,un‐

familiar roles in developing community leaders with environmental specializa‐

tions. Wehavealreadyseensustainablebusinesspracticesandenvironmental

law incorporated into professional training, but a fast‐growing concern about

climate change will create new demands for professional training, perhaps in

GHGallowanceaccountingandtrading,internationalclimatepolicyandethicsor

municipalclimatepolicydevelopment.

environmental scholarship

environmental focus inprofessional programs


15

The Evans School of PublicAffairs is ranked in the top five environmental and

resourcepolicyandmanagementprogramsintheU.S.Ithasalreadytakensig‐

nificantstepsthroughconcurrentdegreeprogramswiththeSchoolofForestRe‐

sourcesandotherschools,throughhiringofnewfacultywithenvironmentalex‐

pertiseandthroughits40‐yearfocusonEnvironmentalPolicyandManagement.

The College of Built Environments is also expanding its environmental focus

throughsomeof itsnewprofessionalcourseofferings. Similarefforts inother

departmentscouldreachdeeplyintootherareasofregionallife.

Proposed Actions:Develop both strategic priorities and implementation plans

forhigh‐qualityenvironmentalprofessionaldegreeprogramsorcoursesinrele‐

vantschoolsandcolleges.

2.1.4 Strategy:FosterCollaborationsbetweenAcademicandAdministrative

Activities

TheadministrativestrategiesdescribedinChapter4arealsoresearchopportuni‐

tiesforstudentsand,inmanycases,faculty.Asoneexample,someofthetech‐

nology shifts for the Seattle campus central utility plant described in Sec‐

tion4.1.4areengineeringresearchprojectssignificantenoughtosupportPh.D.

dissertations. Smallerprojects,suchasbetterbicycleandpedestrianaccessto

campusorfosteringnewtechnologiesinbuildingsandofficepractices,caneasily

engageteamsofundergraduates. Acoordinating infrastructurethatclosesthe

gapbetweenadministrativeandacademicactivitiesonthecampusisdesirable.

ProposedActions:DevelopanapproachtolinktheUWenvironmentallyfocused

academic unitswith administrative units to provide research opportunities for

studentsandfaculty.

2.2 Curriculum

ThenewCollegeoftheEnvironmentinitiallywillbeginasanacademiccommu‐

nityofnationally‐renownednaturalsciencedepartments(AtmosphericSciences,

Forest Resources, Earth & Space Sciences and Marine Affairs) on the Seattle

campus. Withineachare largeandestablishedmulti‐disciplinaryresearchpro‐

gramsandcenters(e.g.,JointInstitutefortheStudyoftheAtmosphereandthe

Oceans, Climate ImpactsGroup and the Bio‐Resource Science and Engineering

interest group). The Collegewill also include the interdisciplinary Programon

academic-administra!vecollabora!on


16

theEnvironment,connectingtheCollegetobiology,statistics,andpolicystudies

at UW Bothell and nearly 30 other departments and programs across the tri‐

campussystem.

The member units will retain their innovative disciplinary teaching programs

while new interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate degree programs are

createdtofosterunderstanding.Meanwhile,theTacomaCampusisintheproc‐

ess of expanding its offerings further by adding a Bachelor of Science in Envi‐

ronmental Engineering, a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Urban Development

andaMasterofScienceinEnvironmentalScienceandEngineering.

SpanningbothCurriculum(thissection)andOutreachandEngagement(Section

2.3), University ofWashington Educational Outreach offers another important

platformforClimateActionPlanacademicefforts.EducationalOutreachadmin‐

isterscontinuingeducationprogramsandonlinelearningforworkingadults,in‐

cludingagrowingnumberofenvironmentandsustainabilitycertificateprograms

such as Environmental Law andRegulation andWetland Science andManage‐

ment.EducationalOutreachhasalsoestablishedtwonationalpartnershipsthat

focusonsustainability:Action,SustainabilityandGrowth,whichhascreatedtwo

programs and will soon launch a green human resources certificate program;

andR1edu,developingandofferingshortcoursesaboutsustainabilityattheUW,

theUniversityofWisconsin,theUniversityofTorontoandUCIrvine.

2.2.1 Strategy:DevelopEnvironmentalLiteracy

AllstudentsacrosstheUniversityshouldhavetheopportunitytolearnaboutthe

environmental challenges that facemodern society and their potential conse‐

quences. Potential topicareas includeenvironmentalsystems,climatechange,

sustainablepractices,humanwelfare,socialimplications,policyimplicationsand

economicimplications.

ProposedAction:Developenvironmental literacycoursesat theCollegeof the

Environment that all studentsmay take as part of their general education re‐

quirements.

Environmental educa!on for everyone


17

2.2.2 Strategy:EnhanceInterdisciplinaryEnvironmentalInstruction

TheCollegeoftheEnvironmentplanstocreatetwonewunitsfocusedonhuman

dimensionsandtechnologyandengineeringtoprovideopportunitiesforfaculty

membersfromdiversedisciplines,suchassocialscience, law,publicpolicyand

engineering,tocometogethertocreateinterdisciplinaryenvironmentalcourses

andacademicprograms. Inaddition,studentsfromacrosscampuswillbeable

toearn interdisciplinaryminors to complement theirmajorprogramsof study.

DiscussionsneedtobeinitiatedwithotherCollegestocreatemechanismstoal‐

lowindividualfacultymemberstoparticipate inthis interdisciplinaryendeavor.

ProposedActions: Establish interdisciplinary units or centers at the College of

theEnvironment.Offerjointappointmentsallowingfacultytoretainarelation‐

shipwiththeirexistingdepartmentwhilejoininganinterdisciplinaryunit.

2.2.3 Strategy:ExploretheBoundariesbetweenDisciplines

Understanding the environmental challenges and opportunities for mitigating

theeffectsofhumanactivitywill requireanexplorationof theboundariesbe‐

tweenthemanydisciplinesrepresented intheCollegeof theEnvironmentand

acrosstheUniversity.Notonlyisresearchneeded,butstudentsneedtohavean

opportunity forthisexploration intheircurriculum. Individualcoursesneedto

becreatedthatarecollaborativelytaughtbymembersofthevariousdisciplines.

ProposedAction: Develop courses at the College of the Environment that are

collaboratively taught by faculty members from multiple disciplines; these

courseswill focus on exploring the relationships among the various disciplines

andtheboundaryspacebetweenthem.

2.3 OutreachandEngagement

Theuniversityalreadydisseminatesatremendousamountofinformationonits

environmentalandsustainabilityresearch,educationandoperationalprograms

throughwebsites,newsletters,annualreports,newsarticles,postersandadmin‐

istrative communications (e.g., President’s Town Hall). Specific, existing re‐

sourcesthatareavailabletocommunicatemessagesassociatedwiththeClimate

ActionPlaninclude:

Environmental educa!on across domains

Collabora!veenvironmental educa!on


18

• WebsitesforUWEnvironmentalStewardship&SustainabilityOffice,relevant

academicprograms(e.g.,CollegeoftheEnvironment),andforUWMarketing

• e‐communications;

• Onlinecalendarandweeklylistservofenvironmentally‐relatedevents(both

on‐andoff‐campus);

• Competitionsandpeerchallenges;

• Sustainabilitytoolkitsfordepartments,instructorsandK–12teachers;

• Theuniversitydailynewspaper,UWDaily,andfaculty/staffmagazine,Uni‐

versityWeek;

• Departmentalnewsletters;

• NewsandInformationreleases;

• Educationalpostersinresidencehalls,diningfacilitiesandoffices;

• Theuniversitynewsletterforcampusneighbors,FrontPorch;

• TheUWBotanicGardenswebsite,animportantinterfacetothelargerSeat‐

tlecommunity

Whenimplementingspecificcommunicationstactics,specialattentionshouldbe

paidtoensuringthattheythemselvesareenvironmentallyresponsible.

There are two communities that need to be engagedwhen implementing the

UW’sClimateActionPlan: first, thebroadcommunityofUWstakeholderswho

make individual and collective decisions that determine the university’s GHG

footprint;andsecond,externalconstituentsoftheuniversitywhohaveaninter‐

estinhowweoperate.Theformerrequiresustodevelopstrategiestoengage

theentireUWcommunity (e.g.,administrators, staff, faculty, students,alumni,

trustees and legislators) so that there isbroadbuy‐in and support for goalsof

theClimateActionPlan.Thesestrategieswillsupporttheimplementationofthe

Plananddramaticallyincreasetheprobabilityofsuccess.Thelatterwillrequire

ustoconsiderwhatkeymessageswillbeimportanttosharewiththepublicand

our partners to make sure they are aware of the UW’s participation in

andprogresstowardimplementingtheClimateActionPlan.

Threeprimarygoalswillbecritical indevelopingacomprehensivecommunica‐

tionsstrategythatsupportstheUW’sClimateActionPlan.Thecommunications


19

strategywillneedtobuildtoward:Awareness,PositiveAttitudeandPositiveAc‐

tion.

2.3.1 Strategy:Awareness

Success of theClimateActionPlan is dependent in part on creating a broader

understandingofthescienceandpolicybehindthegoalsofACUPCC,aswellas

theactionsbeingtakenbyUW.Theinformationmustbetransparent,easilyac‐

cessibleandspecificallygearedtowardavarietyofaudiences.Becauseimmedi‐

ate,localthreatsaregenerallyperceivedasmoresalientandofgreaterurgency

thanglobalproblems,messagesshouldhighlightcurrentandpotentiallocaland

regionalclimatechangeimpacts.Yetitisimportanttoopenlyacknowledgeun‐

certainties in the likelihoodandseverityofpotential impacts,exhibitinganap‐

propriaterespectforscientificuncertaintyandmaintainingtheUniversity’srole

asacrediblesourceofobjectiveinformation.

ConcernfortheclimateshouldbeatopicofeverydaylifeattheUW,withdaily

reminders like climate‐related purchasing standards (7.4.3) and highly visible

Webplacementkeeping the topic in view. Encouraging individual anddepart‐

ment‐level reporting also keeps climate impacts in constant view. Finally, the

University needs tomake its endorsement of the ClimateAction Plan clear by

proactivelydistributingtheinformationtoitsconstituents, inparticularpackag‐

ingitforeasyusebythemediaandotherorganizationsthatwouldbeinterested

intheactionsbeingtakenbytheUniversitytomitigateitsGHGfootprint.

ProposedActions: Distribute press kits. Establish department‐ and individual‐

levelreportingtools.Includeinformationalpiecesonclimatechangeandmitiga‐

tioneffortsintheUWESSwebportal.Developasustainabilitywalkingtour(with

an online component) to highlight specific university efforts. Incorporate

sustainability information into undergraduate orientation and new faculty and

stafforientation.

2.3.2 Strategy:PositiveAttitude

Eventhoughabroadunderstandingofenvironmentalscienceandpolicywillbe

critical tomaking long‐term changes in theUW’sGHG footprint, itwill not be

sufficient. A recent study from Yale University showed that although 92% of

Americansknowabouttheissue,itremainsalowpriorityrelativetootherissues

awareness

=

a!tude


20

andlacksurgency.Thereisasignificantgapbetweenthepercentageofpeople

withanawarenessofclimatechangeandthosetakingactiontosolvetheprob‐

lem, and it is principally due to the ineffectiveness of typical climate change

communication strategies. The intent is to foster an attitude that motivates

peopleandhelpspeopleparticipate in theUniversity’scommitment to theCli‐

mate Action Plan. Thus, the communications surrounding these efforts must

createasenseofteamwork intheUWcommunityby instillingthenotionthat,

combinedwiththeeffortsoftheircolleagues,studentsandfriends,anindividual

canhavealargerimpact.Thesemessageswillneedtoevokehopeandencour‐

agementtoenableactionandavoidprovokingguiltorfear.

ProposedActions:Shareexamplesof1)concreteactionsinitiatedbybothindi‐

viduals and administrative policy; 2) quantitative improvement in the Univer‐

sity’sGHGemissions;3)opportunitiesforindividualstograduallyintegratenew

habits into their every‐day routine; and 4) actions that havemultiple positive

benefits. Prizesandawardscanalsobesignificantmotivators(e.g.,Rideinthe

Rain).

2.3.3 Strategy:PositiveAction

An understanding of climate science and policy and a positive attitude do not

necessarilytranslateintoachangeofbehaviortowardspositiveaction.Inorder

to stimulatebehavioral change, it is necessary to createboth incentives and a

senseofurgencyordesire toactat thepersonal level. Inorder tobridge the

awareness/actiongap, it isessentialthatwedevelopcommunicationstrategies

thatarecapableoffosteringpersonalbehaviorchange.

Beyondsimplycreatingthedesiretoact,specificstrategiesformeaningfulaction

must also be provided. It will be effective to highlight opportunities that are

likely to be acted upon bymany different constituents, such as opportunities

that are convenient, savemoney, are comfortable or are otherwise desirable.

InformationaboutactionsalreadytakenattheUWthatarereplicableprovides

accessible examples. Even information about what did not work at the UW

couldhelpindividualsdirecttheiractionstowardeffectiveactions.

ProposedActions:Demonstratecommitmentby leadingbyexample. Dissemi‐

nateinformationthatpromotesparticipation(contact info,opportunitiestore‐

ac!on


21

spondandguidelines forparticipation); showcasepersonal stories andprovide

informationonGHGreductionandothermetrics.

3 UniversityGreenhouseGasEmissionsandEmissionTargets

The University of Washington has been tracking annual GHG emissions since

2005. TheUWhasalsocalculatedemissionsfor itsGHGmanagementbaseline

year,2000.

The UW GHG inventory accounts emissions from all equipment and property

ownedbytheUniversityofWashington.Thisincludesthreecampuseslocatedin

Seattle,BothellandTacoma,Washington.Theinventoryalsoincludesminorfa‐

cilitiesscatteredthroughoutthestate.TheSeattlecampussupportsabout94%

of the UW’s total headcount of nearly 70,000 students, staff and faculty, and

thereforedominatestheGHGinventory.

The inventoryfollowsthe ImplementationGuidepublishedbyACUPCCandthe

GHGProtocolpublishedbytheWorldBusinessCouncilforSustainableDevelop‐

ment/WorldResourcesInstitute.TheGHGProtocolprescribesthatemissionsbe

reportedinthreedifferentcategories,or“Scopes”:

Scope 1 – Direct Emissions, includes emissions

that originate from real estate and equipment

owned by the University. On‐site natural gas

heatingandvehiclefleetsareexamples.

Scope 2 – Energy Imports, includes emissions

from power plants that generate the electricity

purchasedbytheUniversity.

Scope3–OtherEmissions, includesanysourcesof

emissionsthatarenotincludedinScope1or2,for

which the University wishes to take

responsibility. Anexample isemissions from

vehicles used by commuting students, faculty

andstaff.

UW

1scope

3scope

2scope


22

Figure 5 – Emission history by source. Emissions frommajor sources at the University ofWashington,

2000through2008.Emissionsfromeachsourceareshownseparately,andthesourcesarelabeledwith

theirGHGProtocolScopes.Actualinventorieshavebeenconductedfortheyears2000,2005,2006,2007

and2008.Theinventoriesfortheyears2001,2002,2003and2004areestimatesinterpolatedbetween

theyears2000and2005.

1

1

3

32

scop

escop

escop

escop

escop

e UWUW

power plant

buildings

UW vehiclesOld Montlake landfill

electricity

professional travel

commu!ng

90,000

80,000

70,000

60,000

50,000

40,000

30,000

20,000

10,000

0

Mill

ion

gram

s CO

2 eq

uiva

lent

2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2001-2004

interpolated(not inventoried)

fugi!ve gases


23

Figure5showsthatwithineachscope,differentcategoriesofsourcesshowdif‐

ferent trends in theiremissions from2005through2008,andrelative to2000.

For example, Scope1 emissions from the central utility plant dropped below

their baseline levels after 2000, but have been climbing since 2005. Scope2

emissionsdroppedsteeplyafter2000,drivenprimarilybypolicychangesatSeat‐

tleCityLight,theelectricitysupplierfortheSeattleCampus.Scope3emissions

attributabletostudents,staffandfacultycommutingareabovethebaseline,but

showadecreasingtrend.6showsthetotalemissionsintheinventory–thesolid

gold line shows actual emissions from2000 to 2008, and the dotted gold line

showsthetrajectoryweexpecttofollowinmeetingourGHGtargets.

Figure6–“Businessasusual”projection.Thegrey,“businessasusual”lineestimatesthepathemissions

wouldhavetakenfrom2000to2050,absentanypolicyorbehaviorchangessince2000.Thesolidyellow

lineshowsactualemissionsfrom2000to2008.Thedashedyellowlineindicatesthepathemissionsare

expectedtotakefrom2009to2050,withimplementationoftheClimateActionPlan.

TheUW’stotalemissionshavefallensubstantiallyfromthebaselineyear(2000)

tothelatestinventoryyear(2008).TheearlyreductionisdriveninpartbySeat‐

tleCityLight’scommitment,asof2005,toprovidezeroGHGemissionelectricity.

IthasalsobeendrivenbyanaggressiveenergyconservationplanontheSeattle

campus,keepingbuildingenergyuseconstant,despiteincreasingcampuspopu‐

lationandfloorspace(seeFigure2).

Mill

ion

gram

s CO

2- e

quiv

alen

t

business as usual300,000

250,000

200,000

150,000

100,000

50,000

0

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

2035

2040

2045

2050



CURRENT(2008)


24

Figure7–Per‐capitaemissionsbycampus.Theareaofeachpiechart isequaltothecampusemissions

dividedbythetotalnumberofstudents,staffandfacultyaffiliatedwiththecampus.Nottobeconfused

withtotalemissions,forwhichtheSeattlecampuswoulddwarftheothertwo.Numbersprintedoneach

wedge indicate the area of thewedge, in kilogramsof CO2‐equivalent. All values are rounded to two

significantdigits.

ComparingtheUniversity’sthreecampusesyieldssomeinterestinginformation

abouthowGHGemissionsaregenerated. Since thecampusesaredifferent in

Sea!le 2,700 kg CO2 equivalent

Bothell 1,300kg CO2 equivalent

Tacoma 1,000kg CO2 equivalent

1200 power plant

old Montlake landfill 140


350 buildings

74 electricity

commu!ng 560



commu!ng 470



commu!ng 660

vehicle fleet 40UWUW

140 buildings

590 electricity

62 buildings

330 electricity


25

size,wecancomparethemonlybygeneratingestimatesofper‐capitaemissions,

dividingthegrosscampusemissionsbythetotalnumberofstudents,staffand

faculty associatedwith that campus. Figure 7 shows that employees and stu‐

dents on the Seattle campus are associatedwith the largest GHG “footprint,”

andTacomawiththesmallest.

Approximately1,200kgofthe1,500kgScope1emissionsperSeattlecapitaare

attributedtothecentralutilityplant,whichprovidessteamtoheatthecampus.

TheScope1emissionsattheothertwocampusesaredueprimarilytocombust‐

ingnaturalgasforheatingbuildings,butatasmallerscalethanperformedatthe

Seattle campus’ centralutilityplant. Scope2emissionsat theBothell Campus

are higher because the utility that supplies electricity to the Bothell Campus

(PugetSoundEnergy)hasamuchlargershareofcoalinitsenergymixthanSeat‐

tle City Light and Tacoma Power, which serve the other two campuses. The

combinedScope1andScope2per‐capitaemissionsat theSeattleCampusare

significantlyhigher thanat theBothell CampusorTacomaCampus. Thereare

severalreasons, includingthehighnumberresearchfacilities,aMedicalCenter

andsignificanton‐campusstudenthousing locatedattheSeattleCampus. The

SeattleCampus’largerloadofScope3emissionsisrelatedtothehigherpropor‐

tionofemployees to studentsat this campus related to its research focusand

medicalcenteroperations. Studentsgenerally livemuchcloser tocampusand

have a smaller commuting footprint than staff or faculty. Furthermore, the

greaterpresenceofresearchstaffontheSeattlecampusmeansthereisalarger

amountofprofessionaltravelpercapita.

TheStateofWashingtonhassetGHGreductiontargetsforstategovernmentby

law(engrossedsecondsubstitutesenatebill5560ofthe61stLegislature,2009).

Thelawrequires:

• By2020,reduceemissions15%below2005levels;

• By2035,reduceemissions36%below2005levels;

• By2050,reduceemissionsthegreaterof:

‐57.5%below2005levels,or

‐70%belowbusiness‐as‐usuallevelsprojectedfor2050.

The legislation does not specify amethodology for determining the projection

necessaryfordetermininga2050target.


26

With thisClimateActionPlan, theUniversityofWashingtonadopts, as amini‐

mum,thesereductiontargets legislatedforstategovernment. Inaddition,the

UniversityofWashingtonherebystatesits intentiontoachievezeroGHGemis‐

sionsby,orassoonafter2050astechnologywillallow.

4 StrategiesforReducingUniversityEmissions

TheUniversityofWashingtonplanstoreduceGHGsthroughanintegratedstrat‐

egycombiningthreeapproaches:

1. Mostpreferably,students,staffandfacultywilladjustbehaviorstoincrease

energyefficiencyandreduceemissions.Education,incentives,policiesand

standards,andpossiblypricingsignalswillbedeployedtoaffectbehaviors.

Approximately20%ofthenecessaryreductionsthrough2035areplannedto

beachievedthroughbehaviorchange.

2. Secondarily,technologywillbedeployedtoreduceenergyconsumption,to

acquireenergyfromlessGHG‐intensivesourcesortoreducedirectemissions

ofgasses.Weexpectthat,onintermediatetimehorizons,technologycan

provideabout60%oftheUWreductiongoal.

3. Wherebehavioralortechnologicaloptionsdonotexist,theUniversitycan

purchaseandretireallowancesissuedinGHGregulatorysystems,orpur‐

chaseopen‐marketGHGoffsets,toinducereductionsoutsideoftheUW

campusandcommunity.Itisourambitiontolimitthisapproach’scontribu‐

tiontotheUWreductionplanto20%orlessby2035.

BesidesviewingGHGmitigationstrategiesthroughthis lens,strategiescanalso

bedivided intocategoriesdependingonthe institutionalsystemorsectorthey

address. In Sections 4.1 through 4.5 below, strategies are divided into

thesefivecategories:

1. CampusEnergySupplyincludesstrategiesthataddressthelarge

infrastructuresthatsupplyenergytothebuildingsandequipment

ontheUWcampuses;

2. CampusEnergyDemandincludesstrategiesthataddressthe

demandforenergyfrombuildingsandequipment;

behavior

technology

o!sets

$$

supply

demand


27

3. Computingstrategiesaddressdemandforenergyfromdata

centersandfromdistributedcomputingresources;

4. Commutingstrategiesaddressemissionsassociatedwithstudent’s,faculty’s

andstaff’sdailycommutestoUWcampusesandfacilities;includedinour

scopeofresponsibilityand

5. ProfessionalTravelstrategiesprovideopportunitiestoaddress

emissionsfromairtraveltoacademicconferencesandother

meetings,andfromuseoftheUWvehiclefleet.

Combiningthecategorieswiththeapproachesresultsinasimple5×3matrixthat

is a convenientway to classify theGHGmitigation strategiesdeveloped in the

UWClimateActionPlan,seeFigure8.

Figure8–Strategiesvs.emissionsources.Fivedifferentemissionscategories,eachofwhichcanbeap‐

proachedwiththreedifferentmethods.Eachcategoryismoreorlessamenabletobehaviorvs.technol‐

ogyapproaches;whileoffsets,themethodoflastresort,canbeappliedwithequaleasetoanycategory.

Thesizesofthecirclesateachgridintersectionindicatetheanticipated,relativecontributionsofbehav‐

ior,technologyandoffsetstoeachemissioncategory. Inpractice,therelativecontributionswillbede‐

terminedintheImplementationDocument,andmaybestronglyaffectedbyacap‐and‐tradeplansuchas

thatdescribedinSection6.2.1

behavior

technology

o!sets

trave

l

ITsupply

demand

commu"

ng

$

informa!ontechnology

commu!ng

travel


28

Withineachofthefiveemissioncategories,itisourintenttoachievethegreat‐

estamountof reductionpossible through thebehavioralapproach first. How‐

ever, each category has a different amount of room for cost‐effective change

throughbehavior,andwhatcannotbeachieved through thatapproachwillbe

attackedwithtechnologyinstead.Finally, iftechnologyisnotuptothetaskof

meetingouremissionreductiongoals,theUWwillsearchforhigh‐qualityoffsets

tomakeupthedifference. Unlike thebehavioralor technologicalapproaches,

offsetsareequallyapplicabletoallfivecategories.

4.1 CampusEnergySupply

Most of theUniversity ofWashington’s Scope1 and Scope2 emissions are at‐

tributedtofossilfuelsburnedforheating,processingsteamandelectricityinour

builtenvironments.ThemajorityoftheseGHGemissionsfromScope1occurat

the Seattle Campus central utility plant, which burns natural gas to produce

steamforheatingcampusbuildings,useselectricitytochillwaterforcoolingand

generatesasmallamountofelectricitysupplementingelectricityreceivedfrom

thegrid.

GridelectricityattheSeattlecampusisprovidedbySeattleCityLightandisGHG

neutral.MostofSeattleCityLight’selectricityisproducedfromhydropoweror

other GHG neutral sources, and the utility purchases and retires GHG offsets

eachyeartocoveranyremainingpowerderivedfromfossilfuels.Eventhough

Seattle City Light intends tomeet future demandwith renewable energy, the

UWstillaspirestoreduceSeattlecampuselectricitypurchasestominimizethe

offsetburdenonSeattleCityLight.

Electricity at theTacomacampus, like that at theSeattle campus, consistspri‐

marily of hydropower but includes some fossil‐fueled resources; however, Ta‐

comaPowerdoesnotpurchaseoffsetsonbehalfofitscustomersliketheSeattle

utility.

Each building at the Bothell campus is heated with its own natural gas‐fired

boiler system, but cooling is supplied by a central plant that generates chilled

waterwithelectricity. TheBothellcampusutility isPugetSoundEnergy;about

47%ofitsresourcesarefossil‐fueled,sotheGHGpenaltyofelectricityuseatthe

Bothellcampusismuchhigherthantheothertwocampuses.


29

4.1.1 Strategy:CentralUtilityPlantEfficiency

GeneratingsteambycombustingnaturalgasintheSeattlecampus’centralutil‐

ity plant is the University’s largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Thesteam,aswellaschilledwater,isdeliveredtothevariousbuildingsoncam‐

pusthroughadistributionnetworkincludingmorethantenmilesofsteampipes

in undergroundutility tunnels. Opportunities for reducing emissions from the

plantcanbedividedintothoseaffectingtheplantitselfandthoseaffectingthe

distributioninfrastructure.

Attheplant,someefficiencygainmightbeachievedwithnoequipmentinvest‐

mentatall, representingourpreference forbehavioral changeovernew tech‐

nology–inthiscasethebehaviorchangeisoneofadministrativepractices.By

revisingthecentralutilityplantoperatingprocedurestofavorthemostefficient

boilers, the UW can minimize the practice of banking “stand‐by boilers” for

guaranteeingreliableservice.

Turningtotechnology,numerousvintage,high‐horsepowerelectricmotorsthat

drivepumpsusedforcirculatingcoolingwater,condensingwaterandboilerfeed

water can be replaced with modern, more efficient electric motors. Another

more capital‐intensive improvementwouldbe to recoverwasteheat from the

fluegassystem,andusetherecoveredenergytoheatbuildingsincloseproxim‐

itytotheplant.

Inthedistributionnetwork,heatislostassteamtravelsthroughthepipes,and

improvementtothethermalinsulationsurroundingthepipeswouldreduceheat

lossandthedemandonthecentralutilityplant.Someenergyisalsolosttooc‐

casional steam leaks; implementing a preventivemaintenance programwould

reduce the frequency of the leaks, once again appealing to behavioral ap‐

proaches. In the chilledwater distribution system, newpressure‐independent

control(PIC)valvescouldimprovehydraulicpumpingefficiency.

ProposedActions:Accelerate adoptionof a steam leakmaintenanceprogram.

Acceleraterevisionstoboileroperatingprocedures.Immediatelybegindesignof

electricmotorreplacementsandPICvalves. Launchengineeringstudyof ther‐

malpipinginsulationimprovementsandfeasibilitystudyoffluegasheatrecov‐

ery.

increase plant e!ciency


30

4.1.2 Strategy:DiscourageNon‐ElectricInterconnections

Unlessamajortechnologyshiftoccursatthecentralutilityplant(Section4.1.4),

creatinganewconnectionto theplant inducesadditionalcombustionofGHG‐

intensivefossilfuels. Whenneworrenovatedbuildingsareheatedelectrically,

theassociatedGHGemissionswillbemuch lower than ifheatedwitha steam

interconnection. Though the new electricity demand can be satisfied with a

GHG‐neutralsource,thedemandshouldstillbeminimizedbyutilizingthemost

efficientelectricheatingtechnology,forexampleground‐sourceheatpumpsor

sewerheatrecoverysystems.

TheGHGreductionachievedwillbesomewhatdependentonthebuildingsite;

siteslocatedfurtherfromthecentralutilityplantorrequiringnewextensionsto

thedistributionsystem,wouldexperiencegreaterthermallossesindistribution,

and should be preferred candidates for electric‐only interconnections that do

notdemandcentralutilityplantsteamorchilledwater.

ProposedActions:OntheSeattlecampus,implementamoratoriumonnewcen‐

tral utility plant interconnections. Apply electric‐powered, low‐GHG and high‐

efficiencyheatingandcoolingmethods.

4.1.3 Strategy:MeasureandMonitorBuildingPerformance

This strategy does not reduce GHGs directly; rather, it provides data enabling

reductions intheCampusEnergyDemandcategory,4.2below. Measuringand

monitoringbuildingperformance isatechnologicalstrategythatenablesmulti‐

plebehavioralstrategies.

Thequantitiesofnaturalgas,oilandelectricityconsumedattheSeattleCampus

centralutilityplantarecarefullymeasured,recordedandtracked.However,the

distributionof steamandchilledwater,and redistributionofelectricity, to the

variousbuildings supportedby thecentralutilityplant isnotuniversallymeas‐

ured. Inthisstrategy,theUWwill installautomatic,networkedmeteringofall

buildingstoallowfornear‐real‐time,onlinemonitoringofallenergyuse.Anon‐

line “electronic dashboard” could provide immediate behavioral feedback di‐

rectlytobuildingusers,butperhapsevenmorevaluablewouldbetheabilityto

create an online energy database of all buildings on all campuses. For each

building, the database could identify total natural gas, electricity, steam and

fewer non-electric interconnec!ons

measure & monitor buiding performance


31

chilled water consumed over time, together with corresponding estimates of

greenhousegasesgenerated. Thedatabasecouldbeused forsettingbuilding‐

by‐buildingenergyusegoalsdrivingbehavioralchangesandtargetingbuildings

inneedofadditional,technology‐basedapproaches.

TheBothellcampusconsistsofrelativelynewconstructionandfeaturesmodern

metering infrastructure,making it a candidate for early implementationof an

electronicdashboardsystem,perhapsasatestbedforthemuchlargerproject

ofmonitoringtheSeattlecampus.

Proposed Actions: Create baseline energy and water use information for all

buildingsonallthreecampuses. Provideadditionalmeteringwithonlinecapa‐

bilities as appropriate. Monitor building performance and use information to

identifyenergyconservationopportunities.

4.1.4 Strategy:CentralEnergySupplyTechnologyShift

While Strategy 4.1.1 offers somemodest tomoderate reductions to fuel con‐

sumption at the Seattle campus central utility plant, much larger changes in

GHG‐intensivefuelconsumptioncanbeachievedwithcapital‐intensiveprojects

thatwould functionaspartofa long‐termstrategy. Insomeof thestrategies,

system efficiency considerationsmight suggest that theUWbuild a combined

heatandpowerplantlargeenoughtogenerateallofthecampus’electricneeds,

perhapsmaking theUWanetexporterofelectricity,heatorboth. Candidate

projectsinclude:

• Switchingtorenewableenergy.Anexampleofthiswouldbereplacingthe

naturalgasfiredboilerswithelectricboilerscontractuallycoupledtoanew

sourceofrenewableelectricity.Alternatively,thenaturalgascouldbere‐

placedwithaliquidorgaseousfuelproducedfromrenewableresources(i.e.,

bio‐fuel),thoughthissolutionrequiresacautiousevaluationofthetruelife‐

cycleGHGsavingsofthebio‐fuel.

• Carboncaptureandstorage.ThisapproachinvolvesseparatingCO2fromthe

centralutilityplant’sexhauststreamandinjectingitinageologicalreservoir

forpermanentstorageor(lesslikely)convertingittoasolidformsuchascal‐

ciumcarbonate.

switch to renewablefuels

capture andstore carbon


32

• Conversionofcentralheatingsystemfromsteamtohotwater.Thecentral

plantcurrentlyproduceshighpressure,hightemperaturesteamfordistribu‐

tiontothecampus.Thisapproachallowsmoreenergytobedeliveredper

poundofwater,therebyreducingthesizeofpipingneededinthesteamdis‐

tributionsystem.However,thehighertemperaturesteamresultsinhigher

thermallossesinthedistributionsystem,andreducesopportunitiesforlow‐

levelheatrecovery.Apotentialsolutionwouldbetoconvertthecentral

planttoahotwaterheatingsystem,orinstallregionalhotwaterheatingsys‐

temsthroughoutcampus.

• Geothermalheatpumps.Theneedtocombustfuelcouldbegreatlyreduced

oreliminatedbyinstallingclosed‐loopheatpumptechnologytoextractheat‐

ingenergyfromtheground;thiswouldworkparticularlywellinconjunction

withconversiontoahotwatersystemasdescribedabove.

• Otheremergenttechnologies.NewGHGneutraltechnologiesarebeingde‐

velopedandcommercializedwhichmayhavefutureapplicationatthecen‐

tralutilityplant.Onesuchtechnologyundercommercialdevelopmentisa

small‐scalenuclearbatteryreactordesign,whichhasitscoreburiedanden‐

caseddeepunderground.Othertechnologieswithpossibleapplicationfor

thecentralutilityplantcouldemergeinfutureyears.

AttheTacomacampus,centralizedheatingservestheeasternhalfof thecam‐

pus.Thedevelopmentandextensionofacentralplantthatwouldservicefuture

growthinthewesternhalfofthecampusand,perhaps,tieintoexistingfacilities

isapreferredoption.ThesizeandhighgrowthpotentialofUWTacomamakesit

anexcellentcandidatefortestingnewtechnologyandtrackingitseffectiveness.

UWTacoma’s2008InfrastructureMasterPlanproposesthatsuchanexpansion

tothecentralutilitybedeployedusinggeothermaltechnology.

4.1.5 Strategy:Site‐specificenergyresources

Foreachbuilding,oneachcampus,theremaybesolar,windorgeothermalre‐

sources that can contribute to the facility’s energy mix. Opportunities that

shouldbeevaluatedunderthisstrategyinclude:

convert from steam to hot water

geothermalheat pump

other emergenttechnologies


33

• SolarthermalorsolarphotovoltaicopportunitiesexistonalloftheUWcam‐

puses,withtheopportunityvaryingfrombuildingtobuildingdependingon

architectureandsitegeography.Theintegrateddesigntechniquesthatwill

beusedfornewprojects(Section4.2.2)willenablethesetechnologiesmore

fully.

• WindresourcesareextremelylimitedonthethreeUWcampuses,butthe

UWcould,inprinciple,developitsownwindplantataremotesite,incol‐

laborationwithlocalutilitiesformanagementandforelectrictransmission.

• AportionoftheSeattlecampusislocatedontheoldMontlakeLandfill,

whichwasclosedin1966.Itcontinuestogeneratemethane,apotent

greenhousegas.Itmaybepossibletocombustthismethaneforsupplemen‐

talenergygeneration,thoughthereissignificantdoubtthatthequantityis

sufficient.Ifcombustionispossible,sincethemethaneiscurrentlyreleased

totheatmosphereandthecombustionproductwouldbeamuchlower‐

potencygreenhousegas(carbondioxide),thisactioncouldresultinnegative

GHGemissions.

• TheSeattlecampusislocatedadjacenttoLakeWashington—alarge,deep

lake.Thecampuscouldpotentiallybecooledwithanopen‐loopgeothermal

systeminwhichcoldwaterispumpedfromthedepthsofthelake,usedto

coolcampusbuildingsinplaceofmechanicalchillersandthenreturnedto

thelake.Evaluatingthisactionwouldrequireathoroughandcostlyenvi‐

ronmentalassessment,butinitialindicationsarethattheverysmallincrease

intemperaturemight,ifanything,bebeneficialtofishmigration.

4.2 CampusEnergyDemand

Thiscategorycoversthestrategiesforreducingenergydemandbycurrentand

future University of Washington buildings and the equipment within them.

Buildingsandequipmentdedicatedtoinformationtechnologyaretreatedsepa‐

ratelyinSection4.3.

Buildingscanbedesigned,builtorrenovatedtousefarlessoperationalenergy

persquarefoot,whilemaintaininghighquality,healthandcomfort.Whilethere

areusuallyadditionalinitialcosts,energyefficientbuildingscostlessoverthelife

of the building, reduce the total cost of ownership, reduce energy and opera‐

tionalcostsandsignificantlyreduceGHGemissions.

solar panels

wind turbines

landfillmethane

deep lake chilling

demand-side


34

Butinadditiontothenew(andold)technologiesrealizedwithefficientbuilding

design,reducingcampusenergydemandisequallyabehavioralmeasure,requir‐

ingdevelopmentofnewpolicies,well‐organizedimplementation,incentivesand

buildingoccupanttraining.

4.2.1 Strategy:RequireHighPerformanceBuildingStandards

UW buildings are currently built to either local jurisdiction standards or the

Washington State EnergyCode,whichwhilemore stringent than someenergy

codes,doesnotcurrentlyinvokethereductionsinenergynecessarytostabilize

theclimate.Forstate‐fundedbuildings,theUWisalsorequiredtodesign,con‐

struct and operate to the LEED Silver level. For self‐funded or private/public

partnershipstheUWhasunofficiallyadoptedaLEEDstandardforallnewbuild‐

ings and major renovations. LEED is not itself an energy efficiency standard,

though it does includemetrics for achievingenergyuse reduction inbuildings,

andmuchmorecanbeachievedinreducingenergydemandsofnewandreno‐

vatedbuildings.

Thisstrategyconsistsofadoptingaquantitative,energy‐focuseddesigngoalfor

UW’snewconstructionandmajor renovations. If feasible, the goal shouldbe

basedonanexistingprogramexternaltotheUWsuchastheArchitecture2030

Challenge,theLivingBuildingChallengeortheCommercialBuildingsInitiative.

• TheArchitecture2030Challengerequiresnewbuildingstouse50%lessen‐

ergythanasimilarbuildinginasimilarclimatethrough2010;after2010new

buildingsarerequiredtobebuilttoachieveanadditional10%reductionin

energyuseevery5years,untilnewbuildingsareGHGneutral,asof2030.

• TheLivingBuildingChallengeisstewardedbytheCascadiaRegionGreen

BuildingCouncilandisintendedspecificallyasanextensionofLEED.Itre‐

quiresbuildingstogenerateallenergyfromonsite,renewableresourcesona

netannualbasis,butitdoesnotestablishaprogressivetimelineforachieving

thedesignstandard.

• TheCommercialBuildingsInitiativewaslaunchedintheEnergyIndepend‐

enceandSecurityActof2007,andsetsgoalsforthepenetrationofnetzero

energybuildings(NZEBs)intotheU.S.buildingsstock,suchthatallnewcon‐

structionisNZEBby2030,halfofthegrossstockisNZEBby2040andall

commercialbuildingsareNZEBby2050.

ligh!ng

hea!ng

cooling

building performance


35

Proposed Actions: Select and require high performance energy efficiency re‐

quirementsforallcapitalprojects,andestablishatimelineforpenetrationofthe

standardthroughouttheUWcampus.

4.2.2 Strategy:OptimizeBuildingEnergyEfficiencywithIntegratedDesign

AlthoughcurrentUWstandardprojectdeliveryprocessesfostersomemultidis‐

ciplinary building design integration, more extensive collaboration, especially

earlier in theprocess, isneededtoachieve furtherenergyefficiencygoals. An

integratedprocess,or"wholebuilding"designprocess, includes theactiveand

continuingparticipationofusers,codeofficials,buildingtechnologists,costcon‐

sultants, civil engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, structural engi‐

neers, specifications specialists and consultants from many specialized fields.

Thebestbuildingsresultfromactive,consistent,organizedcollaborationamong

allplayers.

Integrateddesignteamsareabletoapplyabroadarrayoftechniquessupporting

energy efficiency, among them established energy reduction design practices

(Section4.2.4),theuseofon‐siterenewableenergy(4.1.5),energyusemonitor‐

ing(4.1.3)andlaunchingeffectiveoperatingprocedures(7.4).

ProposedActions: Implement a formal, integrateddesign process as the stan‐

dardforallCapitalProjectsOfficeandFacilitiesServicescapitalprojects.Update

languageindesigncontracts,includingcashflowexpectations,tobettersupport

thecollaborativeneedsofintegrateddesign.

4.2.3 Strategy:MakeInformedEnergyEfficiencyDecisions

Twotoolsavailableformakingmoreinformedenergyefficiencydecisionsarelife

cycle cost analysis (LCCA) andenergymodeling. Usingeither toolwell implies

energyplanningovertheexpectedlifeofthebuilding,withcapitalbudgetsand

operationalbudgetsconsideredsimultaneously.

LCCAisusedtoevaluatethelifetimecostofownership,andidentifythebestac‐

tions.Inputstotheanalysisforagivenactionaretotalcapitalcost,anticipated

lifeof the relevant systems, totaloperational costs includingutilitiesandstaff,

total maintenance costs and total replacement costs. With this information

LCCA permits campus planners to identify payback and return on investment

integrated design

usersengineers

codeo!cials

others

Energy E!ciency Decisions

ini!alcost

life!mecost


36

(ROI) forbuildingsystems. Like integrateddesign,LCCAbenefits fromsystems

thinkinginwhichchangestoonesystemmayreducedemandsonanother.For

example, insulationaddedto thebuildingenvelopemeansmechanical systems

canbesmaller.Thus,LCCAisbestappliedtobundledsystemstomaximizesyn‐

ergy.

Currently,theStateofWashingtononlyrequiresanLCCAofbuildingenergysys‐

tems for state‐funded projects over 25,000 square feet. Energy modeling of

buildings complements LCCA by identifying the most energy efficient building

systemsduringthedesignphase.Modelingallowsforoptimizingandintegrating

systems like building orientation, window size and location, building envelope

characteristics,heatingandcoolingsystemsandprovidesthemostcomprehen‐

siveandaccuratepossiblesetofinputsforLCCA.

ProposedActions:ImplementLCCApolicyforalllargebuildingprojects.Identify

appropriate energy modeling methodologies for all large capital projects, and

encodeinpolicy.

4.2.4 Strategy:IncreaseEnergyConservationProjects

Ofallthecampusbuildingsweexpecttobeinusein2050,over70%alreadyex‐

ist.Acomprehensiveplanisneededtosignificantlyexpandenergyconservation

inexistingbuildings.Strategy4.1.3,MeasureandMonitorBuildingPerformance,

providestheenergymonitoringandauditingcapabilitythat isaprerequisiteto

identifyingthemostefficaciousconservationopportunities.BeginningJuly2010,

buildingenergyusageforeachreportingpublicfacilityattheUniversitymustbe

enteredintotheU.S.EPA’sEnergyStarTargetFindertool;buildingsnotmeeting

stateexpectationswillbetargetedforenergyauditsfollowedbyenergyLCCAto

identifythemostdesirableimprovementstobuildingperformance.

Past conservationprojectshave focusedprimarilyonefficient lightingandme‐

chanicalsystemupgrades;weexpectthatanincreasedlevelofattentiontocon‐

servationwill result inashiftof focus,perhapswithbuildingenveloperenova‐

tionprojectscomingtothefore. Buildingenvelopeprojects focusonreducing

winterheatlossbyimprovingthermalbarriers,andtheydonotalwaysneedto

requireanentirebuildingrenovation. Laboratoriesarethemostenergy inten‐

sivetypeofbuildingoncampusandshouldlikewisebeahighfirsttargetforcon‐

servationprojects.The2008TacomacampusInfrastructureMasterPlanalready

conserva!on projects


37

identifiesahostofpotentialconservationprojects,anditcouldserveasaninspi‐

rationfortheothertwocampuses.

TheUniversityownssevendowntownSeattlebuildingsontheformersiteofits

originalcampus, the“MetropolitanTract,” thatare included inourGHG inven‐

tory.Thebuildingsservenoacademicfunction,butareleasedandmanagedby

Unico Properties. TheUniversitywillwork cooperativelywithUnico to imple‐

mentmanyoftheinnovationsdeployedoncampustothesebuildings.

Becauseconservationprojectsreduceenergycosts,somemayqualifyforutility

rebatefunding,addinganextrafinancialincentive.

Proposed Actions: Review the current system for identifying, prioritizing and

funding energy conservation projects to identify obstacles for effective expan‐

sion.Improvemeteringtoidentifyopportunitiesandmonitorprogress.Addin‐

centivesthatapplysomeofthefundssavedbyenergyreductionstoexpanded

personnel,trainingandequipmentthatsupportfurtherenergyreductions.

4.3 InformationTechnology

AccordingtotheU.S.EPA’sAugust,2007ReporttoCongressonserveranddata

center efficiency, power‐hungry data centers in the U.S. consume the annual

outputof15average‐sizedpowerplants.However,datacentersrepresentonly

a fraction of the total energy consumption from information processing. For

everyserverintheUW’sdatacenter,therecanbe10timesasmanydepartmen‐

talandrackserversdistributedacrossthecampus,andtherecanbefrom50to

over250end‐usercomputers. Onanygivenday,morethan95,000computing

devices are connected to the UW network. The average active, powered‐on

desktopcomputerconsumes100to300wattsofelectricity. Muchoftheelec‐

tricity thatcomes throughthepowercordof thecomputer is turned intoheat

andpowerconversionwastethroughthepowersupply.

Thus,theproblemisactuallygreaterthanthegrowthinpowerconsumptionby

thedatacenteritself.GreencomputinginitiativesattheUWcanbedividedinto

those that affect the central data center and those that affect computing at a

distributedlevel,campus‐wide.

informa!ontechnology


38

4.3.1 Strategy:BuyGreen

The environmental impact of computing equipment is primarily (though not

only) associated with its energy consumption during use. Hence, purchasing

policies forcomputingequipmentshould includethecostsand implications for

energyuseasimportantcriteria.Insomecases,favoringparticulartechnologies

canhaveasignificant impact. Laptopcomputersaremoreefficient thandesk‐

tops,andwhenpurchasedwithdockingstationsofferthesamelookandfeelas

thedesktopPC.FlatLCDscreensconsumelesspowerthanCRTs,andreducethe

lead and mercury contamination associated with discarded CRT monitors.

Within each technology, the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star rating offers a simple and

meaningful distinction to equipment that meets reasonable energy efficiency

standards. InadditiontotheEnergyStarrating,manymanufacturershaveob‐

tained EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) registration

for their productsby adopting a setof greenmanufacturing standards. By in‐

cludinganEPEATGoldregistrationasaprerequisiteforpurchasing,theUniver‐

sitycouldensurethatcleanmanufacturingstandardshavebeenfollowedforthe

equipmentpurchased.

Proposed Actions: Explore costs and benefits of adopting a UW policy that

meetsfacultyandstaffresearch,teachingandadministrativeneedsforpurchas‐

ing computerhardware that reduces energyuse. Wherepossible, require the

EnergyStar ratingandEPEATGold registrationgoal forall computes, including

workstationquality laptopcomputers,dockingstations, standardmonitorsand

standardkeyboards.ReplaceCRTmonitorswithLCDmonitorsandconfiguresys‐

temswithaggressivepowermanagementorinstallpowersavingsoftwaretoac‐

complishthesamegoal.

4.3.2 Strategy:ExercisePowerManagement

Powermanagementtechnologyenablessystemstoautomaticallyturnoffcom‐

ponents,suchasmonitorsandharddrives,aftersetperiodsofinactivity.Inad‐

dition, a systemmay hibernate, turning off nearly all components and greatly

reducingthesystem'selectricityusage.

Ideally,whenacomputerisnotneededbyitsowner,itshouldeitherbeinalow

power stateordoing research calculationsbyparticipating indistributed com‐

putingforthebenefitofscience,forexamplebyinstallingandrunningtheBer‐

more e!cientequipment

OFF

equipment turnedo! when not in use


39

keleyOpenInfrastructureforNetworkComputing(BOINC).Distributedcomput‐

ing for science introduces an energy efficiencydilemma that has not yet been

resolved;settingfutureUWpolicywillrequireadeeperunderstandingofappro‐

priatecomputinginfrastructuresandtheirenergydemands.

Proposed Actions: Activate automatic sleep and hibernation on workstation

computers. When patch/update procedures permit, shut down workstation

computersatnightifnotrunningBOINC.Wherepossible,providepowerstrips

thatsensethepowerofacontroldevicetoautomaticallyturnoffalltherelated

peripheralequipmentwhenthecontroldeviceisturnedoff. Provideeconomic

incentives for departments tomanage power via installingmonitoring and re‐

portingtechnology.

4.3.3 Strategy:IncreaseDataCenterEfficiency

Aswithworkstationcomputingequipment,purchasingchoicesfordatacenters

shouldbemadewithenergyefficiencyinmind,usingtheEnergyStarratingand

EPEATregistrationasstandardswhereapplicable.

Datacentershavelargeenergydemandsforventilationandairconditioning,and

carefulattentiontoHVACsystemscanreducetheirdemandonthecampusen‐

ergy system. Inparticular, installinganeconomizer that cools thedata center

withoutside(ratherthanre‐circulated)airorair‐cooledwatermayresultinsig‐

nificantenergysavings.ThisequipmenthasalreadybeeninstalledintheUniver‐

sity’sprimarydatacenter.Theremayalsobeopportunitiestorecoverandreuse

wasteenergy,as isalreadydoneattheUniversity’s4545Building,butmanyof

theseopportunitiesarestillunknownandrequirestudy.

Measurementandtrackingofenergyusebyeachpieceofcomputingequipment

canalsoenableadjustmentsforefficiencybydirectingmoredemandtotheun‐

derutilized equipment, and obviating the need for other machines. In some

cases,equipmentcanbeadjustedtomeet lowdemand. Thecollectiveenergy

consumptionbyallthecomputingequipmentinadatacentercanbedividedby

thegrossenergyconsumptionof thedatacenter tocalculatepowerutilization

effectiveness,“PUE,”animportantmetricdescribingthedatacenter’sperform‐

anceasawhole.

more e!cientheat dissipa"on


40

ProposedActions:Examinethecostsandbenefitsofreplacingnon‐ratedserver

equipmentwithEnergy Starequipment. Conduct researchprojects to identify

bestpractices.InstallHVACeconomizerequipmentandcontrols.Studyoppor‐

tunities forwasteenergyrecovery. Installbuildingmanagementand inventory

control systems tomonitor, track and trend energy use by all equipment and

matchdemandaccordingly.

4.3.4 Strategy:ConsolidationandVirtualization

Oneoptionistoconsolidateasmuchcomputingpoweraspracticalindatacen‐

ters, rather thanhave them located innon‐technical spaces. Data centers are

specialfacilitiesdesignedtobesecure,reliableandefficientlocationstosupport

thecontinuousoperationofcomputerequipment.Datacentersaredesignedto

handlethecoolingneedsofcomputingequipmentinthemostefficientwaypos‐

sibleandreduceHVACdemandsonbuildingsdesignedforhousingpeoplerather

thanmachines.Consolidationprovidesseveralotherbenefitsaswell, including

reductioninenergycosts, longerlifeforequipment(sinceit is inwell‐managed

environmentalconditions),removaloffirehazardsfromoccupiedbuildingsand

increasedopportunityforvirtualization.

Virtualizationisthepracticeofexecutingcomputingprocessesthatnormallyre‐

quiredifferentpiecesofequipmentonasinglepieceofequipment,orenablinga

computingprocessthatnormallyrequiresaspecificpieceofequipmenttooper‐

ateonmultiplepiecesofequipment.Virtualizationgivesdatacentermanagers

more ability tomatch demand and supply of computing resources, and hence

the capacity to runmuchmore efficient computing for the University than is

possiblewithadistributedsystem.

ProposedActions: Explorenewcomputing technologies anddevelopappropri‐

ateapproachesandpoliciesgivenemergingopportunities.Collaboratewithfac‐

ultyandstafftomigratedistributedcomputingresourcestodatacenterswhere

appropriate. Remove financial incentives for departments to place servers in

locationsthatarenotdesignedtosupportcomputerequipment.Expandcapac‐

ityforvirtualization.

task 1task 2

task 3

task 1, 2 & 3

reduce numberof computers


41

4.3.5 Strategy:UtilizeCloudComputing

In cloud computing, commodity IT services (e.g., email, document processing),

whichare customarilyprovidedatdesktop computersor in local data centers,

aredeliveredovertheinternetinstead.Cloudcomputingoffersthesamebene‐

fitsofvirtualizationdescribedabove,butonanevenlargerscale.Cloudcomput‐

ingvendors(inparticular,Microsoft,GoogleandAmazon)haveenormousecon‐

omy of scale in their data centers, and have been pioneers in improving data

centerpowerefficiency.

EnabledbyadvancesinInternettechnologyanddeployment,commodityITserv‐

icesarenowwidelyavailableasnetwork‐accessiblewebservices,asareITinfra‐

structurecomponentssuchasstorageandcomputeclusters.Althoughthismar‐

ketplaceisyoung,andpricingvariesfrom"free"to"high,"theexpectationisthat

high‐scale providers using power‐optimized data center designs and best‐

possiblepowercontractswillinevitablybeabletooffersavingsoverserverspro‐

visionedlocallyinhigh‐costrealestate,withnotaxorpowercostadvantages.

Therewillcontinuetobegrowingpressureonlocaldatacenterresources;there‐

fore, we can and should take advantage of these new cloud opportunities to

bothreduceoverallGHGfootprintandsavepreciouslocaldatacenterresources

forthosesystemsthatmustremainlocal.

Proposed Actions: Aggressively explore opportunities for using cloud services

ratherthanserversprovisionedlocally inourowndatacenterswhenthecloud

servicesarecompatiblewiththeuniversity'sfunctionality,policyandcostobjec‐

tives. This would include applications such as email and other collaboration

tools,aswellas"infrastructureasaservice."

4.4 Commuting

TheUniversityofWashington’sthreeurbancampuses,withplentifultransporta‐

tionoptions,arewellsituatedtominimizedrive‐alonecommuting.

At theSeattlecampus,decadesof transportationmanagementmeanonly21%

ofcommutetripsaredrive‐alone:theeasilyachievablechangesinbehaviorhave

alreadybeenaccomplished.Thechallengeaheadwillbetoincreasetheuseof

non‐motorized transportationand reduce theemissions frommotorized trans‐commu!ng


42

portation,includingtransit.BoththeBothellandtheSeattlecampusareserved

bytheBurke‐GilmanTrail,abicyclearteryforthegreaterSeattlearea.

Figure9–Commutingprofilesbycampus

At the University of Washington Tacoma, effective transportation demand

strategies have been in place for a short time, and progress has already been

made.Since2006,thedrive‐alonerateforemployeeshasbeenreducedby18%.

21 drive single-occupancy vehicles

5 ride-share

25 walk 8 bicycle

39 take transit

100 UW Sea!le commuters

59 drive single-occupancy vehicles 12 ride-share


100 UW Tacoma commuters

4 telework

100 UW Bothell commuters67 drive single-occupancy vehicles 4 ride-share



43

Commute trip reductionhas been expanded to students for the first time this

academicyearandaStudentTransportationCoordinatorwashiredforthiswork.

Figure6dramatizesthepayofftheUWhasgainedattheSeattlecampusfromits

longhistoryofcommutingmanagementandthegainsstilltobemadeattheTa‐

comaandBothellcampuses.

Students,facultyandstaffusingpublictransittocommutetoUWcampusesare

often using themore densely populated, urban bus routes, so that their per‐

passengeremissionsarelikelylowerthanthebussystemaverageusedtocalcu‐

latetheUWInventory.Inthefuture,commutingstrategiesandactionscouldbe

refined tomaximizeGHG impact by using an improved inventory process that

accountsforthepassengerdensitiesofthebusesusedbyUniversitycommuters.

4.4.1 Strategy:SupportBicyclingandWalking

WalkingandbicyclingareGHG‐free transportationoptions. Currently,abouta

thirdof the Seattle campuspopulationwalksor bikes to campus,with around

4,300 cyclists and13,500walkers per day. Almost 60%of the Seattle campus

population liveswithin fivemilesofcampus,andtodaytherearemanypeople

thatbicycleorwalkoccasionally,butdonotmake thoseoptions theirprimary

commutechoices.

Figure10‐Proximitytocampus

Asecureanddryplacetostoreone’sbicycleisoneofthekeyneedsofcyclists.

Today, the roughly 600bicycle lockers on the Seattle campus supply less than

halfofthedemandforsecureparking.Theprovisionofsecureparkingand im‐

provedcampussafetyisakeyfactorwithintheUniversity’sdirectcontrol;pro‐

vidingenoughsupplytomeetdemandwilleliminateasignificantbarriertobicy‐

clecommuting.

60% live within 5 miles of campus

students sta! faculty

increase bicycling & walking


44

Otherstrategiestosupportbicyclingandwalkingincludebuildingdesignpolicies

to provide bicycle‐friendly infrastructure, showers and clothes locker facilities.

Beyond the optimization of on‐campus facilities, partnerships and investments

are needed to improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in the neighbor‐

hoods surrounding the campus. Incentives can also be provided to students,

staffandfacultysuchasofferingamembershipclubforwalkersandbikerswith

commuterbenefits.Finally,educationcampaignscanbeconductedtohelpthe

University communityunderstandhow towalkandbicycle safelyand lookout

forthesafetyofwalkersandbicyclistswhenusingothertransportationmodes.

AtUWBothell,theBurke‐GilmanTrailandtheSammamishRiverTrailbothpro‐

vide regional connections for bicyclists and pedestrians, but additional infra‐

structureisneededtosupportbicyclingandwalking,includingadditionalshow‐

ers and lockers in new buildings, additional bicycle racks at new building en‐

trancesandsecurebicycleareasinparkinggarages.

Infrastructureandprogramstosupportbicyclingandwalkingareneededatthe

Tacomacampus. Therearecurrentlynocoveredbikeshelters,thoughthefirst

may be installed by this summer. Showers and clothes lockers are scattered

acrossthecampusbutarenotwellknown.

Proposed Actions: Construct sufficient secure bicycle parking spaces to meet

demand,andimprovecampussafetygenerally.Exploreoptionsandadoptpoli‐

ciesforbuildingandcampusdesignthatsupportwalkingandbicycling.

4.4.2 Strategy:IncreaseStudent,Faculty,andStaffHousingnearCampus

Much canbe done to encouragebicycling andwalking by peoplewho already

livenearcampus. However, tohavea largeand lastingshift towards reducing

commutingemissions,morestudents,staffandfacultymustlivewithinwalking

andbicyclingdistanceofcampus.

UWBothellisworkingtoprovidestudent,facultyandstaffhousingincloseprox‐

imitytocampus.AttheSeattlecampus,planningfortheadditionofasubstan‐

tialamountofstudenthousing iswellon itsway. Looking longer‐term,strate‐

gies should be developed to encourage staff and faculty to live near campus.

Staffandfacultytendtolivefartherfromcampus,astheyhavedifferinghousing

needs. Affordability,highqualityschoolinganddaycareandtheperceptionof

decrease commute distance


45

safetyandqualityoflifeintheneighborhoodssurroundingtheUniversityareall

important factors in increasing thenumberof staff, faculty and students living

neartheUniversity.

ProposedActions:Explorehowtoattract facultyandstaff to livenearcampus

andadvancetheconstructionofnewstudentresidencehallsthatareenergyef‐

ficient.

4.4.3 Strategy:MaintainLow‐CostTransitAccess

TheUniversityofWashingtonhasenjoyedgreatsuccess,particularlyattheSeat‐

tle campus, in shifting commute trips from private vehicles to public transit.

However,duetoincreasingcostsanddecliningfundingfromsourcesotherthan

userfees,anunprecedentedincreaseintheU‐PASSfeewasrequiredin2009to

keeptheprograminexistence.Risingcostsmayreversepastgains.Maintaining

currentcommutingpracticesandGHGperformancewillbejeopardizedifU‐PASS

costscontinuetorise.

ProposedAction:DevelopandimplementanewfundingmodelfortheU‐PASS

program that leverages itswide‐ranging benefits to theUniversity and the re‐

gion,andkeepsuserfeeslow.

4.4.4 Strategy:ReduceVehicleParkingonCampus

Increasingthecostofvehicleparkingandlimitingthesupplyofparkingarefun‐

damental strategiesof transportationdemandmanagement. This strategyhas

beenusedextensivelyattheSeattlecampusandthepotentialforfurthergains

needstobeexplored. Thestrategy isunderutilizedat theBothellandTacoma

campuses.Freeandinexpensiveparkingthatisreadilyavailabletothecampus

communityunderminetheUniversity’scommutetripreductionefforts.Thecost

ofsingleoccupantvehicleparkingshouldbe increasedandpreferentialparking

shouldbeofferedtocarpoolersandvanpoolers.Atallcampuses,strategiescan

bepursuedthatwouldincreaseawarenessofthetotalcostofparking.

ProposedActions:Exploretheimpactofincreasingthecostofparkingandiden‐

tifyimprovedopportunitiesforothercommuteoptions.

encouragetransit

discouragedriving alone


46

4.4.5 Strategy:IncreaseVehicleFuel‐Efficiency

Therewillalwaysbesomeportionofthecampuspopulationthatcommutesus‐

ing motorized transportation. Promoting transit and ridesharing over single‐

occupantvehicletravelwillhelpreduceemissions. Forexample,UWBothell is

makingprogress in increasing carpoolpermits andU‐PASS sales. However,on

the Seattle campus many of the gains from this strategy have already been

achieved.Thenextstepistoreducetheemissionsfromthevehiclesthemselves.

TheUniversitycouldprovideincentivestoemployeestopurchasezero‐orlow‐

emissionsvehiclesandhelpemployeesaccess incentivesofferedbythefederal

governmentandothers. TheUniversity couldalsoworkwith local transitpro‐

viderstosupporttheireffortstoreducetransitvehicleemissions.

Proposed Actions: Research and identify low‐ and zero‐emission vehicle pur‐

chase incentives from outside sources and consider developing a program to

promotethemoncampus.IncreasethelevelofinvestmenttheUniversityiswill‐

ingtomaketoreducevehicleemissionsbygreeningthecommutefleet,includ‐

ingpublictransit.

4.4.6 Strategy:EncourageTeleworkandDistanceEducation

Theemissionsfromanypotentialcommutetripcanbeavoidediftheworkcan

becompletedwithouttheneedtomakethetrip.Teleworkanddistanceeduca‐

tionofferoptionstoreducecommuteemissionsanddonotdependonashort

commutedistance. Increasing the use of telework anddistance education re‐

quires improved infrastructure, development and adoption of policies and

changes in institutionalculture. Increases in teleworkwillneedtobecarefully

consideredinlightoftheacademicandteachingmissions. Inaddition,it is im‐

portant to include community building in all telework and distance education

initiatives to ensure that students, staff and faculty feel connected to and in‐

vestedintheUniversity.

ProposedActions:Develop a comprehensiveUniversity‐wide effort to provide

staff, faculty and studentswith the tools, resources and knowledgeneeded to

maximizetheuseofteleworkanddistanceeducation.

decrease emissions of vehicles

reduce number of trips


47

4.5 ProfessionalTravel

Professionaltravelisassociatedwithadministrativebusiness,scholarlyresearch,

conferences, visitors and speakers, intercollegiate athletics and recruitment of

graduatestudents,facultyandstaff.UWfaculty,studentsandstafftravelusing

a combinationofmodes,with thevastbulkofemissionsarising fromretail air

ticketsandasmallerportionassociatedwithrentedandUWfleetroadvehicles.

Hence, theProfessionalTravel category includesacombinationofScope3and

Scope1emissions. Travelthatoccursatan individual'spersonalexpense(e.g.,

tripstoandfromSeattlebystudentslivinginotherstates)isnotincluded.

Figure11‐Airtravelexpenditures

Air travel expenditures at UW increased 37% over the past three years from

$18.7millionin2005to$25.6millionin2008.Whilethesecostsareaccurately

known, themiles and associated emissions aremuch less certain. This is be‐

causeair‐travelmilesarenotdirectlymonitoredatUW.Instead,air‐travelmiles

are estimated from expenditures using a constant conversion factor

($0.25/mile). Whether this conversion factor applies to the mix of air‐travel

costsactuallyincurredatUWisunknown.Moreover,thetrueconversionfactor

undoubtedlyvariesfromyear‐to‐yearsuchthatusingaconstantvaluecouldei‐

therhideorexaggeratetrendsinemissions.

Unlike ground transportation, significant GHG reductions from changes to air‐

crafttechnologyareunlikelyintheimmediatefuture.Inthelongterm,thereis

potentialforfuelingaircraftwithlow‐GHGbio‐fuelsordeployinghigh‐speedrail

poweredbyrenewableelectricity.WhiletheUWhaslittleinfluenceonthefuel

efficiencyofaircraft, itcanparticipate inresearchandtakeactiontoaffectbe‐

havior,forexample,reducingmilestraveled.

Air travelplaysavital role inUW'smissiontobeaglobaluniversityand inthe

culture of academia. UW scholars conduct research around the world and

gather regularly at conferenceswhere ideas are exchanged and collaborations

are formed. The face‐to‐face interactionsat suchconferences, including infor‐

maldiscussionsinhallwaysandatmeals,canbecrucialtoprofessionalsuccess.

$18.7 million $25.6 million2008

2005

professional travel


48

Manyofthesefunctionswouldbedifficultorimpossibletoachievewithvideo‐

conferencing–themostviablealternativetoairtravel.Nevertheless,videocon‐

ferencingisalreadybeingusedatUWtoreplacesomeofthefunctionsoflong‐

distancetraveland,asthetechnologyimprovesandculturalpracticesevolveto

makeuseofthem,itisreasonabletoexpectthatitwillbecomeastrongsubsti‐

tute for travel. This transition carries benefits beyond the reduction of GHG

emissions. For example, videoconferencing is more flexible than air travel in

manyrespects: It facilitatesparticipationby largernumbersofpeople,and it is

farlessexpensiveintermsofbothdollarsandtime.

Giventheabovefactors,theUW’soverallstrategyforreducingemissionsfrom

air travel is towork vigorously to develop videoconferencingwhile preserving

accesstoairtravelforthemanyfunctionsthatitalonecanfulfill.Remainingair

travelemissionsmightbemitigatedbythepurchaseofGHGoffsets.

4.5.1 Strategy:ImproveMonitoringofAirTravelEmissions

Aprogramtoreduceairtravelemissionscannotproceedwithoutaccuratemoni‐

toring of year‐to‐year changes. The cost‐based method currently used alter‐

natelyexaggeratesandhidesrealtrendsinairtravelmilesdependingonfluctua‐

tionsinairfare.Twoimprovementsarepossible.

One improvement is toobtainamoreaccurate, time‐sensitive,cost‐to‐mileage

conversion factor. For any given trip, the cost‐per‐passenger‐mile can be ob‐

tained from the cost and destination information on the travel voucher. We

propose that annual averages of this conversion factor be estimated by ran‐

domly sampling a small portion of UW travel vouchers from each year. (This

workhasalreadybegunasaSummer2009researchprojectbystudentsinENVIR

235,IntroductiontoEnvironmentalEconomics,taughtbyDr.YoramK.Bauman.)

Asecondsteptowardimprovingaccuracywouldbetorecordallairtraveldesti‐

nationsinacentraldatabasewithacodedsystemthatallowsautomatedcalcu‐

lationoftriplength.Accurateestimateswouldrequirerecordingtransfers(lay‐

overs)andfinaldestinations.Thecostofcreatingsuchasystemneedstobeex‐

ploredvis‐a‐visthebenefits.

10

15

20

25

improve monitoring


49

ProposedActions:Sampleandcalculatecost‐of‐mileageannually.EnhanceUW

eTravel systemtocalculate travelmileage fromtheentryof codeddestination

information.

4.5.2 Strategy:DevelopVideoconferencingasanAttractiveAlternativetoAir

Travel

Videoconferencingrepresentsanincreasinglyviablemeansofachievingmanyof

the academic and organizational goals of long‐distance travel, although it will

never replacetheneedtoconduct researchon locationorsubstitute forsome

in‐personcollaboration.Comparedwithairtravel,itincursalmostnoGHGemis‐

sionsandismuchcheaper.UWalreadyhasasmallnumberofvideoconferenc‐

ingfacilitiesthatarebeingusedinavarietyofwaysthatbothenhanceeducation

and reduce the need for long‐distance travel. Examples aremeetings that in‐

cludemembers from all three campuses, guest lectures for UW classes, guest

lectures delivered by UW faculty for other universities, classroom discussions

withstudentsorexpertsinothercountriesandMaster'sandPh.D.examswhere

onecommitteememberresidesatanotherinstitution.

Expanding the use of videoconferencing to the pointwhere it is a satisfactory

substitute for air travel is a challenging goal andwill evolve as technology im‐

proves. Classroom and conference‐room facilities require capital investment

and trained staff. Smaller scale approaches (e.g., personal computers and

webcams)areusefulformanypurposes,butstillrequireappropriatehardware,

software,trainingandsupport.Thereisaneedforstandardizedcommunication

protocols,andappropriateculturalnormsneedtobedevelopedaswell.Ween‐

visionUWstudents, staffand facultyplaying leadership roles inmeeting these

challenges. Indeed,thesechallengesspeaktoseveralelementsoftheUW'svi‐

sionstatementaspiringtowardaglobalreachforUW(seeSection1.2).

ProposedActions:Promotetheimprovementandexpandeduseofvideoconfer‐

encingfacilitiesatUW.Workwithpeersandassociationstodevelopstandard‐

izedvideoconferencingprotocols.Considerhostinganall‐remoteconferenceas

awayforUWtohelpmakevideoconferencinganormalandacceptedacademic

andadministrativepractice.

reduce number of trips


50

4.5.3 Strategy:FavorAlternate‐FuelVehiclesinUWFleetServices

UWFleetServiceshasanautomatedUCARcarshareprogramthatprovidesthe

UWcommunityvariousmodelsofalternativefuelfleetvehiclesatseveral loca‐

tionsthroughoutthecampuses.Universityemployeesandstudentsareableto

rent,pickupanddropoffFleetServicesvehicles24/7viaanonlinewebreserva‐

tionandautomatedkeymanagersystem.

In 2008, UW employees travelled close to three million miles in employee‐

ownedvehicleswhileonUniversitybusiness.PromotinguseofFleetvehiclesin

lieu of personal vehicles will ensure that vehicles used to conduct University

businessmeetemissionreductiongoals.Acceleratinglong‐termchangesinem‐

ployee driving behaviorwill also require changes in UWpolicies and practices

withregardtopersonalmileagereportingandreimbursements.Onepossibility

istocapthereimbursementforpersonalvehicleuseataUCAR‐equivalentrate

sothatpersonalvehicleuseisonlyfinanciallycommensuratewhenthevehicleis

atleastasenergy‐efficientasaUCAR.

ProposedActions:CompletegreeningofUWvehiclefleet.Developappropriate

caps on personalmileage reimbursement rates. Replace program‐ or depart‐

ment‐ownedvehicleswithUCARparticipationwherepossible.

5 LookingBeyondtheInventory

ThestrategiesinthisClimateActionPlanforreducingcampusemissions(Chap‐

ter4)arecraftedaroundtheconcreteandlimitedexerciseofreducingtheUW

GHGinventory.Atthesametime,thePlanmakesanefforttoembraceclimate

actiononaholistic levelbyconsideringouracademiceffortsequally important

to the straightforwardGHGmitigation. In that spirit, theUW should strive to

endorse behaviors that reduce GHG emissions elsewhere in the state, U.S. or

globally,even if those reductionsare indirectandnot formally reported in the

Inventory.

Land use decisions have impacts on commuting (4.4), campus energy demand

(4.2) andother factors affecting the inventory, but they also affect carbon se‐

questration and emissions of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Food

choicesoncampushaveGHGrepercussionsallovertheworld.Thestewardship

encourage use of e!cient UW vehicles

UW


51

ofproductsandwastestreamscanavoidsignificantGHGemissions inducedby

productmanufactureanddisposal.

5.1 LandUse

Westrivetoenvisionthewholecampuslandscapeasanecologicallysustainable

urbansystemthatsatisfiesUniversityfunctionswhilepromotinghealthyaquatic

andterrestrialecosystems. Landscapeshouldbeviewedasmore thananaes‐

theticamenity.Understandingthecampusecologyandthevulnerabilityofcer‐

tainecosystemsrelativetonewconstructionwillhelpUWdesign,build,restore,

maintainandmanagethebuiltenvironmentmoreknowledgeablyandpreserve

andenhanceourecosystemservices.

Leveragingthestewardshipofcampusecologytocreatesynergiesbetweenthe

builtenvironmentandacademicresearchandteachingwilloptimizethecondi‐

tionsforeducationandlearningovertime.Thehands‐onknowledgeandunder‐

standing thatwouldbegained, if fully integrated intoouracademicprograms,

canbeexpandedtoregionalandglobalscales.

Finally,landuseandrealestatedecisionsforallUniversitylocationsshouldcon‐

siderbusinesstravelandcommutepatternswiththeintentofminimizingtrans‐

portationsincethisisoneofthelargestsectorsofclimateimpact.Onepotential

tool for doing this is to assign real estatemarket value to all land on theUW

campuses,ensuringthattheuse“paysfor”thevalue.Insomecases,thiscould

beinterpretedliterally;forexample,thevalueoflandallocatedforparkingpur‐

poses could be added to the cost of parking permits. Any land use decisions

shouldbeincorporatedwiththeUW’smasterplan.

Proposed Actions: Create guidelines based on best practices that support a

comprehensiveunderstandingofsustainablelanduseplanning.Determinehow

tobesttoincludetheseguidelinesinthedecisionmakingprocessforrealestate

andcapitalprojects.Followingasuitableperiodofpilottesting,translateguide‐

linesinpolicies.

5.2 FoodandComposting

UW Food Services has already taken extraordinary steps to reducewaste and

henceGHGemissions,beginningwithaconsciouschoicetofollowaretailbusi‐

campus ecology

compos!ng


52

nessmodelforresidentialdiningfacilities.Milk,eggs,breadandbakery,coffee,

potato products, soups and the majority of Food Services' freshly packaged

sandwiches,salads,sushiandotherfreshpackagedmealsareproducedlocally.

FoodServicescurrentlyprovidesmeatlessalternativestocustomersandwillin‐

creasetheseoptionsbasedonstudentdemand.

Food Services has front‐of‐the‐house and back‐of‐the‐house composting pro‐

grams to collect and transport all foodwaste, coffee grounds and other com‐

postablewastetoCedarGroveComposting,alocalfacilityatwhichthesewastes

areconvertedtocompostandotherproducts. Allusedcookingoilsarepicked

upbyalocalcompanytobeconvertedtoclean‐burningbiodiesel,whichisthen

soldtocustomers inthePugetSoundregion. Anoperational logisticsplanand

associated agreements with vendors reduce the frequency of deliveries and

otherfoodservice‐relatedvehicletrafficoncampus.

Proposed Actions: Continue to source more local and sustainable foods. In‐

crease availability of compostable service ware for department‐organized

events. Increase coordination among Recycling, SolidWaste andHousing and

FoodServicesoffices toensureappropriatereceptaclesandpost‐eventpickup

for functions catered by Housing and Food Services. Capture pre‐consumer

wastestreams from large foodpreparation facilitiesat theUWMedicalCenter

andHarborviewMedicalCenter.

5.3 Reduce,Reuse,Recycle

Housing&FoodServices(HFS)spends27percentofitstotalbudgetonlocaland

organic foods, including cage‐free eggs and hormone‐ and antibiotic‐free beef

and milk. Confinement‐free beef and sustainably harvested seafood are also

purchased. Fair trade coffee, chocolate andbeverages are available.HFSman‐

agesthecompostingprogramwithinitsresidencehallsanddiningfacilitiesand

includescompostabledishware.

The U.S. EPA has demonstrated that significant GHG benefits accrue from in‐

creasing recycling rates; recycling simultaneously avoids landfill methane and

avoids additional GHG emissions associated with extraction and processing of

newrawmaterials.UWRecycling&SolidWastemanagesthecampus‐wideor‐

ganicsrecyclingprogram,whichincludescompostingof landscapewaste,wood

debris,andfoodwaste.RecyclingeffortsontheSeattlecampusalsoincludean

reduce, reuse, recycle


53

extensivefiberrecyclingprogram(paper,cardboard);mixedcontainersrecycling

program(cans&bottles,tubs/jars/jugs,single‐stream);constructionanddemoli‐

tionrecycling(constructiondebris,concrete,andasphalt);andspecialwastere‐

cycling (electronics, florescent lighting, electronic media). The Seattle campus

divertedmorethan54percentofitswastesteamfromlandfillfromJuly1,2008,

toJune30,2009,withagoaltodivert60%by2012.

Ideally,recyclingwasteitemswouldbeeasierandmoreexpedientthandiscard‐

ingthemasgarbage;asaminimumstandard,recyclingshouldbenomorediffi‐

cult thandisposingof itemsasgarbage. Perhaps themost significant factor in

achievingthisstandardistheimmediateavailabilityofrecyclingreceptaclesand

relativescarcityofgarbagereceptacles.ItistheUW’spositionthatnogarbage

receptacle should beplacedwithout a visually adjacent receptacle for recycla‐

bles.

UWisalsoattemptingtoincreaseawarenessofthewastethatisthrownaway,

oftenwithoutasecondthought, insmalldesk‐sidecontainers. Reassigningthe

collectionof thedesk‐sidebins fromcustodialstaff tothe“owner”ofeachbin

wouldprovideadirectincentivetominimizedesk‐sidewastedisposalandfavor

recyclingorwastereduction.

TheUWalsoengagesthereuseapproach.TheUW’ssurpluspropertyprogram

hasbeenverysuccessfulindivertinglargeamountsofelectronics,furniture,ve‐

hicles, equipment andother items from theUniversitywaste stream. In fiscal

year 2007,more than 400 tons of goodswere diverted through surplus sales,

withrevenuesfullyfundingthesurplusprogramandreturningdollarstoUniver‐

sity departments when high‐value items were sold. Items resold for use on‐

campushavetheaddedbenefitofreducingtheUW’sclimateimpactonboththe

disposal andpurchasing fronts. Continuedgrowth in throughput for theUW’s

surplusstoreandauctionshasthepotentialtofurtherexpanddiversionthrough

reusebothonandoff‐campus.

Proposed Actions:Migrate desk‐side waste collection to self‐service disposal.

Expand break room/office/kitchen recycling programs. Replace stand‐alone

wastebinswithrecyclingbin‐setsincommonareas,classroomsandconference

rooms as appropriate to the space. Increase visibility anddensity of recycling

binsatathleticevents. Expandreuseservices for low‐valuehighvolume items

likeofficesupplies,includingvirtualstorefrontanddeliveryservicestoparallele‐


54

procurement. Expandreusemarketingtothenon‐profitsectorandsmallbusi‐

nesses.

6 StrategiesforFinancingtheClimateActionPlan

6.1 FundingMechanisms

FundingisacorechallengeofrealizingtheClimateActionPlangoals,especially

intoday'sfinancialclimate.Fortunately,manyGHGreductionstrategieswillpay

backtheinvestmentcostsovertime.Newfundingandtrackingmechanismsare

neededtoverifycostsavingsandrecycleaportionofthosesavingsintofurther

initiativesandprojects.

The institutionalculture toevaluate, fundandverify thecostsandGHGreduc‐

tionsof strategies recommended in theClimateActionPlan is onlypartially in

place.Achieving theClimateActionPlangoalswill requireoperationalandac‐

countingchangesthatripplethroughalldepartments.Neworganizationalrela‐

tionshipsarenecessarythatallowformoreeffectivecollaborationandintegra‐

tion across traditional organizational boundaries. Extensive and robust proc‐

esses thatmeasure total lifecyclecostsandGHG impactsareneededtoguide

decisionmakers.

PossibleClimateActionPlanfundingstrategiesarediscussedbelow. Notevery

fundingstrategyisappropriateforeveryacademicoremissionsreductionstrat‐

egy.Inpractice,theacademicandreductionstrategiesneedtobecarefullycou‐

pledwitheachotherinawaythatisalignedwithinstitutionalgoalsandvalues.

6.1.1 Strategy:CreateaRevolvingClimateActionPlanLoanFund

Arevolvingloanfundisaneffectivewaytoinitiateandsustainkeycomponents

of theClimateActionPlan.A successful revolving loan fundwill require initial

capitalization,strategic loans,effectivecosttrackingandverificationtoconfirm

projectedcost savingandGHGreductionbenefitsare realized.TheLoanFund

wouldprovidecapitalforhighperformance,energyefficientcampusdesign,op‐

erations,maintenance,andoccupantbehaviorprojects. Basicprojecteligibility

guidelineswouldrequirereductionoftheUniversity'senvironmentalimpactand

haveapaybackperiodofonetofifteenyears.revolving loan fund

SAVINGS

EMISSION REDUCTIONPROJECT

$$$$$$$$$$


55

The model is simple: The Loan Fund provides the up‐front capital. Applicant

units agree to repay the fund via savings achievedwith project‐related reduc‐

tions inutilityconsumption,wastegenerationoroperatingcosts. This formula

allowsunitstoupgradetheefficiency,comfortandfunctionalityoftheirfacilities

without incurringany capital costs. By virtueof structuring the support in the

formofloans,thefundwillbereplenishedandthusexistinperpetuity.

Proposed Actions: Establish revolving loan fund and determine terms and ex‐

pectedpaybackcriteria.

6.1.2 Strategy:AlternativeOptionsforCapitalizingClimateActions

Climate Action Plan initiatives that demonstrate an appropriaterate of return

basedonlowerutilitycostsovertimecouldbecapitalizedwithgeneralrevenue

bondsorUniversityfundbalanceaccounts.Capitalforenergyreductionprojects

canalsobeprovidedthroughenergyservicescompanies(ESCO).TheUniversity

hasalreadyaccomplishedmanyESCOprojectsandhascapitalizedanenergyre‐

ductionproject at the4545Building(a leasedpropertyadjacent to theSeattle

campus)byissuinggeneralrevenuebonds.

ProposedActions:ReviewcurrentESCOandrelatedprogramstodeterminehow

tobestexpandand support theseefforts. Establishmore rigorousverification

standardstosupportahigherlevelofinvestment.

6.1.3 Strategy:ImprovetheUW'sUtilityRebateProcess

TheUniversityhasalongandsuccessfulhistoryofworkingwithlocalutilitieson

projects with quick payback periods and relatively simple engineering needs.

However, accessing future rebateswill requiremore sophisticated engineering

analysis and a higher level of system integration. Restructuring internal roles

and responsibilities of staff and improving the knowledge base is needed to

maximizerebateopportunities.

ProposedActions:Meetwithutilitiestoexploreexpandedrebateprograms.

capitalizing climate ac!on plan goals

FUND BALANCEACCOUNTS

ESCO

REVENUEBONDS

$$$

$$$

$$$



56

6.1.4 Strategy:PursueGrantsthatReduceGHGEmissionsinBuildingProjects

AttheUW,individualspursuegrantfundingfortheirspecificresearchwithdem‐

onstratedsuccess,butasan institutiontheUWhasshownmuch lessproclivity

to pursue federal, state or other grants that fund sustainability or energy effi‐

ciencygoals.AnareaofspecificinterestisgrantsforimplementingClimateAc‐

tionPlan goals associatedwithbuildingprojects. Pursuing grants that support

buildingprojectsrequiresuniqueexpertiseandclosecoordinationwithbetween

theCapitalProjectsoffice,OfficeofResearchandOPB. Increasingour success

withobtaininggrants requirescharginganofficewithcoordinating responsibil‐

ity.

Proposed Actions: Pursue grants that can contribute funds for reducing GHG

emissionsinbuildingprojects.

6.1.5 Strategy:EstablishaStudentGreenFee

Many institutions have successfully implemented a student‐funded green fee.

These initiatives have generally come from students and initial conversations

suggest significant student support. The Evergreen State College currently

chargesa$1.00/creditcleanenergyfeeandWesternWashingtonUniversityas‐

sesses $0.70/credit‐hour, to a maximum of $7.00. As an example, a

$5.00/quarterfeeassessedtoeachundergraduateandgraduatestudentwould

generate about $700,000 annually to support Climate Action Plan initiatives.

Student feesalsocreateaneffectivemechanismto integratestudents into the

decisionmakingprocess,raisingthevisibilityandeducationaldimensionsofthe

overall program. Studentswill need to organize this effort and gain approval

throughastudentbodyelection.

ProposedAction:CreateprocesstoestablishaStudentGreenFee

6.1.6 Strategy:EstablishaFacultyandStaffGreenFund

WhenfacultyandstaffcontributedirectlytothegoalsoftheClimateAction

Plan,notonlydotheyfeelinvestedinhelpingtheUniversityachieveambitious

climateactiongoals,buttheyalsogainasenseofparityandsharedcommit‐

ment,side‐by‐sidewithstudents.Thesuccessofthisfundingoptionwillrelate

directlytohowthisgroupbelievesthefundingisbeingutilized.Apowerfulway

pursue grants

GRANT FUNDS

$$$$$$$$$$

GRANTPROPOSA

L


student green fee

STUDENT

F U N D E D

faculty and sta! green fund

FACULTY & STAFF

F U N D E D


57

toconnectfacultyandstafftothewiderClimateActionPlaneffortsisthrough

GreenCommitteespatternedaftertheUniversityHealthandSafetyCommittee

orDiversityCouncilstructurethatwouldhelpidentifyoptionsanddrivebehavior

changeinschools,collegesandadministrativeunits.

ProposedActions:Createaninternaldonationsstrategyandprocesstocollect

anddistributefundsforUWprojects;createaUWGreenAdvisoryCommittee.

6.1.7 Strategy:DevelopanIntegratedDonationsStrategy

Movingtoa low‐GHGeconomy is swiftlyemergingas thedefining issueofour

time.DonorswillwanttosupporttheUW'seffortsespeciallyiftheyseethein‐

stitutiontakingaleadershiprole.Manydonorswillwanttoseehowtheircon‐

tributionsarehelpingeducatestudents,facultyandstaffinnewwaysofthinking

andproblemsolvingaroundtheissueofclimatechange.Weneedtoassessand

address the opportunities and challenges associated with approaching donors

for theClimateActionPlan initiativeswhen theymayalsowant todirect their

philanthropicdollars toother importantUniversitypriorities. InvolvingUniver‐

sityAdvancementthroughoutthisprocessisessentialtoensureclearmessaging

and a comprehensive, integrated approach.Donations could be directed and

distributedinnumerouswaysthatshouldbeexplored(e.g.,througha501(c)or‐

ganization,anenergybusinessorbydonatingtoalineitemassociatedwithGHG

reduction).

ProposedAction:Createplantointegrateacademic,researchandoperational

fundraisinggoals(includingrolesanddecisionmaking)anddistributionoffunds.

6.1.8 Strategy:ImproveGreenBrandingandMarketing

A goodmarketing planwill be the foundation ofmany of the fund raising ef‐

forts.Beingaleaderinclimateactionplanningandimplementationhassignifi‐

cantmarketingandbrandingvaluethatshouldnotbeoverlooked.Moneyflows

notjusttogoodprojects,butalsotogoodprojectsthatarevisibleandeasilyun‐

derstoodbythelargerpublic.TheUWalreadyranksatthetopincomparisonto

our peer institutions on sustainability issues. Protecting the environment is a

corevalueof the institutionandcontinuing tobuild this reputation, supported

byagoodmarketingprogram,iskeytogainingthefinancialsupportforthisef‐

fort.

dona!ons fund

DONATIONS

$$$$$$$$$$


green branding

UW GREEN


58

ProposedActions:ImproveUWgreenmarketingandbrandingefforts.

6.1.9 Strategy:PursueShortandLong‐TermLegislativeOpportunities

SinceGHGmitigationisagrowingnationalandstatepriority,governmentfund‐

ingofenergyefficiency,alternativeenergyandotherGHG‐reducingprogramsis

expectedtogrow.ImprovedinternalcoordinationandpresentationofUWasan

exemplaryleaderamongstateagenciescouldresultinincreasedUniversitysuc‐

cess in securing funding fromthe state. A long‐term legislative planwill allow

theUniversitytotakeamoreproactiveroleintherelationshipwehavewiththe

federalandstategovernmentonthis issue.Akey legislativegoaloftheUWis

gainingmore flexibility from the state to shift funds from building operations

budgets to capital budgets; the ability to increase project capital budg‐

etsthrough energy savings in operationsis an important tool in achieving Cli‐

mateActionPlangoals.

ProposedActions:Discuss and identify state and federal legislative opportuni‐

ties.

6.2 ParticipationinGHGMarkets

6.2.1 Strategy:ACap‐and‐TradePlanforUW

Thecap‐and‐trademechanismdevelopedforinternational,nationalandregional

GHGreductionregimescouldbedeployedatasmallscalewithintheUniversity.

Acap‐and‐tradesystemforanacademicinstitutionliketheUW:

• Isinnovativeandcutting‐edge;

• AllowstheUWcommunitytofindthelowest‐costmitigationpathwayinan

organicwayovertime;

• Ensuresdirectinvolvementbyallstudents,staffandfaculty;

• Isitselfanacademicallyinterestingproject,withespeciallyrelevantangles

fortheEvansSchoolandtheFosterSchoolofBusinessandtheEconomics

department;

• RespondsautomaticallytofutureGHGlegislationatthefederalandstate

levelsthroughreducedallowancepricing;and

STATE FUNDS

$$$$$$$$$$

legisla!veopportuni!es


o

o

$

carbon markets

C


59

• AnswersthePlan’sfinancingneedswithasinglemechanism.

TheUniversitywouldneedtosetyear‐by‐yearallowancequantitiesbasedonthe

GHGtargetsdescribedinChapter3,setrulesforallowancebankingandtrading

anddetermineafairmethodfordistributingthoseallowanceseachyear.Ifallor

some of the allowances are distributed through an auction, then the auction

revenuescanbedepositedinaClimateFundprovidingcapital,researchfundsor

other major expenses associated with implementing the Climate Action Plan;

paying for theadministrationof the cap‐and‐trade system itself; or subsidizing

thecostofallowanceswherejustified.

Deciding exactly how UW units participate in the allowancemarket and from

whichbudgetstheyaretopayforallowanceswillbeanon‐trivialexercise.This

is especially true for allowances that coveremissions frombuildingenergyde‐

mand.Acap‐and‐tradesystemwouldalsorequireincreasedprecisionintheUW

Inventorysothateachparty’sallowanceneedsareclearandaccurate.Commut‐

ingwouldneedtobecloselymonitoredwithanexpanded,annualU‐PASSsur‐

vey;professionaltraveldistanceswouldneedtobeexplicitlyrecordedforevery

trip; and campus energy demand would need to be sub‐metered building‐by‐

building.

Though the initial negotiation of a cap‐and‐trade system is daunting, the ulti‐

matecosttotheparticipatingpartiesissurprisinglylow.Takeforexampleapar‐

ticularly GHG‐intensive UW commuter driving alone in a 20mpg car, 20miles

round trip, and 250days per year. At a typical allowanceprice of $20/metric

ton,thepriceofemissionsisonlyalittleover$4permonth,or$50peryear.

ProposedActions:Research,planandarticulatethecapandtradeplan.

6.2.2 Strategy:UWInternalOffsetGenerationandSales

LandmanagedbytheUW’sSchoolofForestResourcescansequestercarbonby

maintainingforestsinuncuthabitatreservesorthroughthecontinuousproduc‐

tion ofwood products. The 4,300 acres Pack Forest and other forested lands

ownedbytheUniversityprovideanopportunity fortheUniversityofWashing‐

tontomeasureandverifyGHGoffsets.TheoffsetscanberetainedbytheUni‐

versitytooffset itsowninventory,ortheycanbesoldtootherpartiestofund

theClimateActionPlan.

sequester carbon in UW forests

o

oC

o

oC

o

oC

o

oC

UW


60

Themeasurementof carbon sequestrationandmonetizationof theassociated

GHGreductionareactiveresearchareasoftheCenterforSustainableForestryat

Pack Forest. Preliminary research indicates that up to 142,000metric tons of

carbon could be sequestered in UW forests over the next 45 years if left un‐

harvested.Itisimportanttonotethatthisestimateisbasedonanumberofas‐

sumptionsregardinggrowthrates,picklingrates,riskofforestfiresandthecar‐

bonsequestrationduetoharvestedwooddisplacingsteeland/orconcretebuild‐

ingmaterials. Many of these assumptions are topics of debate, sowidely ac‐

ceptedforestrycarbonaccountingmethodologiesarestillindevelopment.

Current programs in the School of Forest Resources are funded through reve‐

nuesgeneratedbythesustainablemanagementoftheseforestsandwillneedto

be considered carefully. Additional funds for theUWare generated from the

managementof87,000acresof trust lands inWashington state,mostof them

forested.ThoughtheseareunderformalcontrolofWashington’sDepartmentof

NaturalResources, theycan inprinciplebemanaged for carbonoffsetgenera‐

tionaswell.

ProposedAction:Formulateapolicyforinternaloffsetsandallowances.

6.2.3 Strategy:PurchaseofExternalOffsetsorAllowances

GHGoffsetscanbepurchasedtoinduceGHGreductionsoutsidetheUniversityif

thebehaviorandtechnologicalapproachesdescribedinthePlanareinsufficient

tomaketheUWGHG‐neutral.Itisimperativethatonlyverifiedoffsetssubmit‐

tedtoareputableGHGregistrybeusedtomeettheUW’smitigationgoals. In

lieuofoffsets,theUWmaywishtopurchaseandretireallowancesissuedbya

regulated GHG regime such as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative or the

EuropeanUnionEmissionTradingScheme.Retiredallowancesarealesscontro‐

versialformofexternalemissionreductions.

ProposedAction:Formulate apolicy for purchaseof external offsetsor allow‐

ances.

7 ClimatePolicyDevelopmentandImplementation

ThisClimateActionPlanisasurveyofideas,mostofwhichstillneedtobethor‐

oughlyresearchedfor feasibility,andthenrealizedasaprioritizedseriesofac‐

o

oC

o

oC

o

oC

o

oC

carbon o!sets


61

tions. During thecomingyearwewillnurturesupport fromtheacademic,ad‐

ministrativeandstudentcommunitiesand identify themostpromising funding

mechanisms (6). Prioritieswill need tobe set, and reset, asnew technologies

emerge and the economy recovers. In this chapter we describe a flexible

framework of guidelines for creating the priorities, policies and plans thatwill

allowthePlantounfoldinachangingtechnologicalandeconomicenvironment.

7.1 SettingtheLeadershipandDecisionMakingFramework

Manyofourstrategiescannotbe implementedwithout fosteringcollaboration

amongfaculty,staffandstudents,andamongoffices,departmentsandunitson

all the three campuses. The President, Provost and Senior Vice Presidentwill

needtoproactivelybringtogetherthedecisionmakersandparticipantsneeded

to implement the Plan. Staff and faculty of the UWwill need to be open to

building the new relationships that result. Collaboration on research projects

has tremendouspotentialandcoordinationandcommunicationwillbekeys to

success.

The Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee (ESAC) has been the key‐

stoneoftheUW’senvironmentalstewardshipeffortsandisneededtomovethe

ClimateActionPlanforward.However,itistimetoconsideranewgovernance

approach.OnepossiblestructurewouldhaveESACrecommendingpoliciesand

prioritiesandoverseeingprogresswhileanewEnvironmentalStewardshipLead‐

ershipandPolicyCommittee,comprisedofsenioradministrativeandacademic

leaders(includingtheESACchair),wouldmeettogethertoadoptpolicies,estab‐

lish priorities and identify funding sources. Based on these decisions, Climate

Action Teams that include faculty, staff and students would perform detailed

planning and implementation. The UWESS office would have operational re‐

sponsibilitiesincludingcoordinatingandcommunicatingactivitiesinternallyand

externally; identifying where policies are needed and taking them forward to

ESACandtheLeadershipTeamforconsideration;monitoring,measuringandre‐

porting operational and strategic progress; and managing the action teams.

UWESSwouldalsoprovidestaffsupporttoESACandtheLeadershipTeam.

Proposed Action: Create and adopt a revised governance structure for ESAC,

CAPimplementationandUWESSoffice

role for ESAC inimplemen!ng the plan


62

7.2 MovingfromStrategiestoActions

EachstrategyinthisClimateActionPlanisanabstractideathatcanonlybereal‐

izedonceasetofprioritizedactionsmakeitconcrete.Ineachstrategysection

theconcludingProposedActionsofferan intuitiveglimpse intowhat thoseac‐

tionsmightbe,buttheformalprocessesofidentificationfollowedbyprioritiza‐

tionwilloccupythecomingyear.

7.2.1 IdentifyingandPrioritizingtheActions

For each category of strategies, a small team of experienced staff and faculty

withrelevantexperiencewillbrainstormpossibleactionsrelevanttoeachstrat‐

egy in the category. The teamwill beginwithactionsalready compiled in the

processofcreatingtheClimateActionPlan. Eachaction listwillbesortedinto

“clear”and“obstructed”groups.Allactionsinthe“clear”groupwillbesubject

tolife‐cyclecostanalysis(LCCA)andalsotoanassessmentoflife‐cycleGHGre‐

duction.Inthisway,eachactioncanbecharacterizedbyasinglenumberrepre‐

sentingcost‐effectivenessin,say,metrictonsreducedperdollarspent,allowing

prioritization. Finally, the listprioritizedby thisquantitativemetricwill bead‐

justedbyanappropriateteamthatunitesthecategoryexpertswithUWadmin‐

istratorswhocanplaceeachaction in theappropriatecontextofallUniversity

operations.

Inthe“obstructed”group,thesamecategoryexpertsplusateamofadministra‐

tors will flag a subset of actions for feasibility studies and set a schedule for

thosestudies.

ProposedAction:Prioritizeactionsbasedonlevelofdifficulty,cost,GHGimpact

andothercriteriatobedetermined

7.2.2 ReportingtheResults

ThefinalsetsofprioritizedactionswillbereportedinanewClimateActionPlan

ImplementationDocumentbySeptember2010.TheImplementationDocument

willsetoutcost‐effectivenessthresholdsdescribingwhichactionsinthe“clear”

grouparetobepursuedandwilllayoutafirmtimelineforcompletingeachac‐

tion.Actionsinthe“obstructed”groupflaggedforfurtherstudywillalsobere‐

portedwithafirmtimelineforstudyandadrafttimelineforimplementation.


63

ProposedActions:DevelopCAPimplementationplanandreportingdocument.

7.3 ClimateActionPlanAdministration

To coordinateCAP implementation; coordinateactivities andparticipants from

UWSeattle,BothellandTacoma;andsupportthegovernancestructure,awell‐

establishedUWESSofficewillbeneeded. Regularcommunications,developing

metrics and reporting tools and responding to themyriad of inquiries and re‐

quests is time intensive. Temporary financial supportwill beneededuntil the

fundingstrategiesareinplaceanddecisionsaremadeaboutongoingfundingfor

thiseffort.

ProposedAction: Create temporary and permanent fundingmodel to support

CAPimplementationandUWESSoffice.

7.4 MakingClimateActiontheEveryday

In conjunction with the focused outreach efforts described in Section2.3, cli‐

mateactionshouldbeincorporatedintotheUniversity’scommonplaceadminis‐

trativeproceduresanddailyhabits,embeddingitintheUniversityculture.

7.4.1 NurtureInvolvement

Engaging faculty, students and administration to work collaboratively creates

partnershipswhere learning, research and administrative schedules overlap in

newwaysandalloweachgroup’swork toencourage theother to thinkabout

climateactionwhentheymightnototherwise. UWstaffmayneedsubstantial

supportforimplementingclimateactionssothePlanprovidesarichmotivation

forcreatingundergraduateinternshipsandwork‐studyopportunitiesthatbridge

the academic and administrative. UW faculty and staff in the position of

mentoring thosestudentswill takeownershipandpride in theirworkonenvi‐

ronmentalstewardship.

RecognizingtheUWasalaboratoryforclimateactionsthatcanbeappliedelse‐

where (1.1)makes everyUWemployee a powerful climate action information

conduit to theirpersonalhousehold,neighborhood, church, and so forth. On‐

campuscollaborationwillinspireoff‐collaboration.The UW as a laboratoryfor climate ac!on


64

Proposed Action: Create a faculty/staff/student collaboration plan to improve

theUW'sclimateimpact.

7.4.2 GeneralOfficeGuidelinesandPolicy

TheUWiscommittedtoenvironmentalstewardshipinouroffices,aswellasin

ourbusinesspractices. TheUWwill guideoffice staff througha “pledge” and

proactive communications in conscious and responsible use of heating and air

conditioning,wastedisposalandrecycling,lighting,informationtechnology,pur‐

chaseofgoodsandservices,printingandcopying. Trainingandcontinuedout‐

reachtostaff,facultyandstudentworkerswillbeessentialtoincreasingaware‐

ness,developingroutinepracticesandeventuallyreducingtheindividualworker

GHGfootprint.

Forstaffandfaculty,trainingandeducationinthewiseuseofresourcescanbe

delivered at the office and facility level usingUWESS staff, Green Committees

andBuildingCoordinatorsasafocalpointforprovidingongoingeducationinen‐

ergyandwaterconservationandothersustainablepractices.CreatingUW‐wide

workshopsandcelebrationsofspecialeventslikeEarthDaywillbuildawareness

andabroadersenseofownership.

Proposed Action: Create guidelines and education/outreach program for fac‐

ulty/staff/students.

7.4.3 PurchasingPolicy

Procurement Services is committed to purchasing practices that promote the

purchaseanduseofenvironmentallyandsociallyresponsibleproducts,support

reducedpackaging,allowlow‐impactdisposalandreduceorconsolidatethede‐

liveryofgoodstotheUW.Weparticularlyencouragethepurchaseofproducts

thataremadewithpost‐consumerrecycledcontentand/orbio‐basedproducts,

arerecyclableandareenergyefficient.

Inourcommitmenttosupportthepurchaseanduseofsuchproducts,sustain‐

abilityrequirementswillbeincludedinallUniversity‐widecontractsolicitations.

Wewillalsodevelopaproactivecommunicationplantoeducateindividualsand

departments in environmentally preferable purchasing practices when quality,

performanceandpricearecomparabletoalternatives.

office

P O LIC Y

purchasing

P O LIC Y


65

By including sustainability criteria in purchasing decisionswewill not only put

climateawarenessintothiseverydayactivity,butwewillalsobeaffectingGHGs

in themanufacturing andwaste disposal chains,making good on our claim to

lookbeyondtheinventory.

ProposedAction:FinalizepurchasingguidelinesandcommunicatethemtoUW

community.

8 TrackingProgress

AftertheadoptionoftheClimateActionPlananddeterminationofthe leader‐

ship framework to oversee implementation, progress will need to be tracked

both for internal use and for ACUPCC every two years. The following items

shouldbeincluded:

• EngageStudents,facultyandstaffengagementwiththeseefforts(research,

teaching,internships,committee/groupmemberships);

• Listsofprojectsunderwayandtheirpurpose;

• Operationalmetricsthatwillbroadlycoverareasofenergyconservationand

savings(includingbuildingsubmeteringofwater,electricity,steamandgas

consumptiononallthreecampuses);

• AdditionalGHGreportingonasource‐by‐sourceintensitybasis,e.g.,

− grossGHGs/square‐foot(percampus)

− grossGHGs/capita(percampus)

− commutingmode‐miles(percampusandothersites)

− professionaltravelmode‐miles

− milessavedusingvideoconferencing

− carbonstoredonallUW‐ownedland

− passengerdensityonUW‐servingbusroutes(toimproveaccuracyof

commutingemissionstracking)


66

• QualitativemetricsthatwillbroadlycoveropinionsaboutUW’seffortsand

progress(surveys,anecdotalinformation);

• Metricsthatshowtheprogressinengagingourstudentsandfacultyinnew

andongoingClimateActionPlan‐relatedprograms;

• Metricsthatillustrateprogressininterdisciplinaryandsharedadministrative‐

academicprojects;

• Metricsshowingoutreachtolocalbusinessesandtechnicalorganizations,

especiallythosethatofferopportunitiesandinternshipsforourstudents;

• Metricsthattrackannualinstitutionalinvestmentsinnewresearchopportu‐

nitiesforundergraduatesandgraduatesonallthreecampuses;

• AwardsandrecognitiongainedbyUWforitseffort;and

• Financialtracking(fundingidentified,useofresources,impact).

Wewillcreatedashboard‐formatmetricstotrackandreportCAPprogressinter‐

nallyandexternally.

TheimpactsoftheClimateActionPlanontheUWwillextendfarbeyondquanti‐

tativemetrics.AsthenewCollegeoftheEnvironmentintegratesapproachesto

climate change across disciplines, and as ESAC and UWESS bring together the

administrative and academic arms of the UW community, our united action

aroundclimate changewillwork to strengthen theUWnot just as a centerof

excellenceonclimateresearchandmitigation,butasauniversity.

ligh!ng

hea!ng

cooling

012345678

1

2

3

4

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67

Acknowledgements

InJanuary2009,undertheauspicesoftheUWEnvironmentalStewardshipAdvi‐

soryCommittee (ESAC),aClimateActionPlanningOversightTeamwas formed

to coordinate thedraftingof aUWClimateActionPlan. Thisdocument is the

first step toward achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets by the

UniversityofWashingtonand itscommunity,as requiredby theAmericanCol‐

lege and University Presidents Climate Commitment. UW President Mark

Emmertisachartersignatoryandleadershipcirclemember.

TheUWClimateActionPlansetsoutbroadstrategiestobeexploredbytheUW

thatwill guide us toward the ambitious goal of becoming climate neutral and

identifies theactions thatcan fulfilleachof thosestrategies.Thisplan lays the

groundworkforaconcreteImplementationPlantofollowin2010.

ThisPlanwascreatedthroughtheeffortsofover100faculty,studentsandstaff

onallthreeUWcampuses. Anoversightteam(SandraArchibald,EvansSchool

ofPublicAffairs;JohnChapman,FacilitiesServices;BruceBalick,Astronomyand

FacultySenateChair;JohnSchaufelberger,CollegeofBuiltEnvironments;Denis

Martynowych, Planning and Budgeting; JR Fulton, Housing and Food Services;

StephanieHarrington, College of the Environment; Josh Kavanagh, Transporta‐

tionServices;EliseDavis,StrategyManagement;RuthJohnston,Finance&Facili‐

ties;andRoelHammerschlag,StockholmEnvironmentInstituteU.S.)coordinated

activities,discussedstrategiesandcommunicatedacrosstheteams.Severalsub‐

teamswerecreatedtodevelopthePlan. Theacademicsub‐teamswereledby

BruceBalick,research;JohnSchaufelberger,curriculum;andStephanieHarring‐

ton,outreach. Theadministrativesub‐teamswere ledbyJohnChapman,cam‐

pusenergysupply;JRFulton,campusenergydemand;SteveAshurst(UWTech‐

nology), information technology; Celeste Gilman (Transportation Services),

commuting; and Tad Anderson (Atmospheric Sciences), professional travel.

DenisMartynowych (PlanningandBudgeting) led the financing teamandRuth

Johnston (Finance& Facilities) led the Climate Policy Development and Imple‐

mentation sub‐team. RoelHammerschlag served as the technicalwriter, Elise

Davis servedasprojectmanager,MarilynOstergren (Ph.D. candidate, Informa‐

tionSchool)developed theaccompanyinggraphicsandundergraduate student

supportwasprovidedbyJeridPaigeandAubreyBatchelor.

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