麻豆原创 was among the first universities to commit to the American College & University Presidents鈥� Climate Commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Since that commitment, the university has saved more than $30 million in operating expenses, reduced the campus energy use intensity by 41% dating back to 2006 and have become a leader in green building standards.

Sustainability Initiatives at 麻豆原创 focuses on the strategic advancement of sustainability and incorporates its economic, environmental, and social dimensions into education and research. We offer a wide range of programming for faculty, staff and students to grow their sustainability literacy. With so many built and natural assets on campus, we assist faculty in using the campus as a 鈥渓iving laboratory,鈥� providing tours of LEED-certified facilities, solar sites, and natural lands.

We encourage sharing utility data with students and faculty, giving researchers the ability to test theories and new technologies. The annual Kill-A-Watt energy conservation scholarship competition for on-campus residents, UN World Water Day Fair and Campus Swap Shops help students and the university save money and precious resources. The Sustainability Training Series for faculty and staff provides the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge in sustainability for use on the job and at home. Altogether, our programming, academic and operations support helps create a culture of conservation that expands beyond our campuses.

The maxim 鈥測ou can鈥檛 manage what you don鈥檛 measure鈥� applies in many respects to sustainability. Despite 麻豆原创鈥檚 growth in enrollment and building square footage, our green building and retrofitting efforts have led to a 45% reduction in emissions per 1,000 square feet of building space and 28% reduction per full-time enrollment since 2007. Transparency is also key to the university鈥檚 sustainability commitment. We submit 麻豆原创鈥檚 progress in emissions and other facets of sustainability to organizations, such as the Princeton Review. More importantly, we submit comprehensive data about our activity to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education鈥檚 Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS). 麻豆原创 was rated silver in 2016 and 2021 in this global benchmarking system. We aspire to reach gold and, eventually, platinum.

In March, Sustainability Initiatives embarked on a new strategic plan. Building on the 2010 Climate Action Plan and the successes that earned us a silver STARS rating, the new plan will cover academics, the built environment, waste, transportation and landscape and natural resources. It will guide us to become a 鈥淶ero Waste鈥� university that integrates sustainability across all disciplines. We鈥檝e already engaged many faculty, staff and students via committee meetings and town halls. There鈥檚 still time for you to join us in charting 麻豆原创鈥檚 path toward innovative sustainability leadership in academics and operations. We invite you to share your vision in the survey below to earn a limited-edition sticker. You can also email your ideas at any time to sustainable@ucf.edu.

Learn more: https://sustainable.ucf.edu/resources/climate-action-plan

麻豆原创鈥檚 Green Building Portfolio: https://energy.ucf.edu/high-performance-buildings/

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STARS report:

Hannah Hollinger is one of the few who does. A senior studying environmental studies, Hollinger became aware of 麻豆原创 Facilities and Safety by being involved in Energy Knights, a student club that focuses on spreading knowledge of how to be more environmentally friendly. The Energy Knights鈥� president at the time told Hollinger that Facilities and Safety was looking for an intern.

鈥淚 went to see what it was about, and I was beside myself,鈥� Hollinger said. 鈥淚 thought 鈥楾his is what I want to get into.鈥� I didn鈥檛 even realize it existed.鈥�

In July 2015 Hollinger became Facilities and Safety鈥檚 Sustainability Initiatives鈥� social outreach intern, in charge of marketing campaigns that can educate the 麻豆原创 community on sustainability efforts. After a year of seeing firsthand how Facilities and Safety works to make 麻豆原创 a more sustainable campus, she realized something was missing: student input.

鈥淚 realized how, as a student, we don鈥檛 have access to understand what happens behind closed doors when it comes to sustainability, operations and facilities at 麻豆原创,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e needed a connecting piece between students and operations.鈥�

That鈥檚 what inspired her to create the Student Sustainability Advisory Committee, a 13-person committee that began last August. It gives students access to 麻豆原创鈥檚 faculty and staff Sustainability Advisory Committee meetings, and the opportunity to help improve 麻豆原创鈥檚 sustainability in return for internship credit. Students commit for one academic year to create proposals on how they think 麻豆原创 can improve its sustainability and present them to SAC members who can help make them a reality. The first proposals are expected to be presented this month.

Although there鈥檚 no guarantee the student ideas will be implemented, Hollinger is confident most are at least feasible. One proposal is a composting pilot program in The Burnett Honors College. Another idea is to take a plain exterior wall on campus and make it a green wall with plants hanging from top to bottom, which can improve air quality and overall quality of life. 鈥淲e can utilize what used to be just concrete or drywall and make it into a living organism and a place you desire to be,鈥� said Hollinger, who also is the Student Government Association鈥檚 health and sustainability coordinator.

A third proposal is to create a community garden at Lake Claire where students can manage their own plot and grow their own fruits and vegetables.

Targets of each proposal range from improving campus buildings, land, energy usage, food, transportation, waste and water.

The creation of the student committee has been mutually beneficial for students and staff. Students get hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom, and in turn, Facilities and Safety has a stream of fresh, innovative ideas, said Yarazeth Watson Colon, coordinator of 麻豆原创 Sustainability Initiatives. Even though Hollinger will graduate in May, the student committee will live on.

鈥淲e want to continue having students come out of the classroom and into the field to help prepare them for the workforce that鈥檚 growing and changing,鈥� Colon said.

Hollinger first became passionate about environmental issues in her AP Environmental Studies class in high school where she learned the importance of the field and that its job demand was growing. With a Pegasus Scholarship in hand and a growing passion due to the 鈥渃limate-change uproar鈥� at the time, as she calls it, Hollinger came to 麻豆原创 in 2013 to pursue an environmental studies degree and a career in urban planning or public administration.

鈥淚 found other people that care 鈥� sometimes I feel like even more than I do 鈥� and that鈥檚 been really encouraging to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淧lus, there are so many clubs on campus with an environmental aspect. I don鈥檛 think I would鈥檝e gotten that level of exposure had I not come to 麻豆原创.鈥�

As Hollinger鈥檚 time at 麻豆原创 winds down, she can rest easy knowing her original mission of social outreach for sustainability initiatives at 麻豆原创 has been successful.

鈥淧eople have emailed me often asking about the opportunity with the SSAC,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 now something other people want to be part of.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e always been interested in science,鈥� Norvell said. 鈥淓ven as a kid I was doing things out of the box, building things and trying to understand how things work and how to make things better and more efficient.鈥�

That intellectual curiosity and an eye for conservation will serve Norvell well as the 麻豆原创鈥檚 new 鈥� and first 鈥� assistant vice president for sustainability initiatives. The newly created position elevates 麻豆原创鈥檚 vow to have a greener campus.

鈥淚t shows 麻豆原创 has reaffirmed the commitment for the sustainability initiatives we鈥檝e been pursuing,鈥� said Norvell, a 1993 alumnus who graduated with a mechanical engineering degree. 鈥淥ur vision is to provide students with a campus environment that not only supports sustainability but becomes a leader in the industry.鈥�

Norvell鈥檚 new job puts an increased focus on 麻豆原创鈥檚 sustainability goals. He has no shortage of work. In 2007, 麻豆原创 President John C. Hitt signed the American College & University Presidents鈥� Climate Commitment, making 麻豆原创 one of the first to pledge to be climate neutral by 2050.

To achieve that goal, the university must have no net greenhouse gas emissions. There are interim goals, including a big one already underway: ensuring that by 2020, 15 percent of the energy used by 麻豆原创 comes from renewable sources rather than fossil fuels.

There are already some solar panels spread around campus, the largest of which 鈥� a 107-kilowatt installation 鈥� sits next to Garage B. But it will take a lot more to help meet the 2020 goal. The university has set aside about 40 acres east of the Robinson Observatory for construction of a solar farm.

It is Norvell鈥檚 job to keep that project and others on track.

He鈥檚 not new to 麻豆原创. Norvell came to the university in 2001 as energy manager, and in the past decade has served as director of sustainability and energy management, saving the university聽more than聽$14 million through energy-efficiency projects. For the past two years, Norvell has been assistant vice president of facilities.

Among the university鈥檚 other projects that Norvell has had a hand in is the construction of a natural gas-fueled power plant on the main campus. It鈥檚 been providing about a third of the campus鈥� electricity since its launch in late 2012, reducing 麻豆原创鈥檚 dependency on outside utilities that may use less-clean fuel. 麻豆原创 is considering building a similar plant to serve its planned downtown campus.

In addition, 麻豆原创 is constructing and planning several buildings with sustainable designs that are expected to earn LEED designation from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Norvell hopes to make the campus鈥� sustainability projects academically accessible to students who will be able to learn firsthand how they work 鈥� and offer input.

鈥淭here are so many passionate students out there,鈥� Norvell said. 鈥淚 want to get them very much involved in the workings of the university at all levels. I want to get their ideas. We want the campus to be a living laboratory for students.鈥�