Carleton College
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

The Environmental Advisory Committee is a standing College committee dedicated to upholding the Environmental Statement of Principles and the Carbon Neutrality Value Statements at Carleton College, ensuring that these visions and ideals are incorporated into all aspects of College function.

Environmental Statement of Principles: Carleton College recognizes that it exists as part of interconnected communities that are impacted by personal and institutional choices. We are dedicated to investigating and promoting awareness of the current and future impacts of our actions in order to foster responsibility for these human and natural communities. Carleton strives to be a model of stewardship for the environment by incorporating ideals of sustainability into the operations of the College and the daily life of individuals

Carbon Neutrality Value Statement: Carleton College recognizes that global warming is one of the greatest local and global challenges of our time. The College values the goal of carbon neutrality as a priority for our community, recognizing that this goal merits the consideration of allocation of resources to research and implement technological and behavioral change. The College commits to developing a framework to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the input of students, staff and faculty. In doing so, Carleton reaffirms its commitment to sustainability as articulated in the Environmental Statement of Principles

Ben Keefer, Assistant Professor of Economics
Alex Knodell, Assistant Professor of Classics
George Vrtis, Director of Environmental Studies
Martha Larson, Manager of Campus Energy and Sustainability
Alex Miller, Sustainability Program Coordinator
Tanya Hartwig, Assistant Director of Residential Life
Erica Zweifel, Program Coordinator for the Center for Community and Civic Engagement, CCCE
Andrew Farias, Carleton Student Association Representative
Sharan Ganjam Seshachallam, Student-at-Large
Madhav Mohan, Student-at-Large

The sustainability office consists of two staff members and eight to ten student workers. Located within the Facilities department, the sustainability office works on various campus sustainability initiatives focused on waste reduction, energy conservation, energy data collection, and food systems. The office also organizes numerous annual events such as New Student Week sustainability presentations, Green Wars energy conservation competitions and Earth Week activities. Student sustainability office employees serve as liaisons to other student groups and campus committees. The Sustainability Program Coordinator operates much of the office's day to day functions and the Manager of Energy and Sustainability is a project manager within facilities that focuses on green building and renewable energy projects.

Carleton College Energy & Sustainability Recent Accomplishments:

1) In fall 2016, Carleton's Energy & Sustainability department received Board approval to proceed with design of a Utility Master Plan that would cut central plant carbon emissions by over 30% through transitioning from steam to hot water heating with geothermal, combined heat and power and high efficiency condensing boilers.

2) In spring 2016, the Energy & Sustainability Department partnered with the Center For Civic & Community Engagement (CCCE) to create a Zero Waste Committee focused on waste diversion and education/outreach initiatives. This committee assists with trash sorting at campus events, introducing processes for diverting specialized waste streams from the landfill (e-waste, batteries, Terracycle, etc.) and auditing contamination levels between the three streams of compost, recycling and landfill trash.

3) In fall 2016, the Energy & Sustainability department installed kitchen hood controls on nine hoods in our East Dining Facility. The project is expected to save over 100,000 kWh annually.

4) The Energy & Sustainability Department partners annually with dining services and the CCCE to complete the Real Food Calculator. Carleton's campus currently purchases a fall/winter average of 27% real food.

5) The Energy & Sustainability department organizes an annual Climate Action Week which includes speakers, contests, movie screenings and other events that raise awareness and action on environmental issues.

6) The Energy & Sustainability department partners with the Maintenance Managers and student-led Energy Club for form an Energy Management Team that monitors data from the Lucid Building OS energy metering system, manages building energy audits and implements energy conservation projects.