Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.22
Liaison Mary Ellen Mallia
Submission Date Dec. 21, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University at Albany
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.75 / 4.00 Mary Ellen Mallia
Director of Environmental Sustainability
Finance and Business
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Published Plans That Address Sustainability 

Strategic Plan

Does the institution have a published strategic plan or equivalent guiding document that includes sustainability at a high level? :
Yes

A brief description of how the institution’s strategic plan or equivalent guiding document addresses sustainability:
The university has established sustainability guiding principles. https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/1.guiding_principles.shtml The university strategic plan has identified sustainability as a university value. https://www.albany.edu/strategicplan/values-and-priorities.shtml

A copy of the strategic plan:
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The website URL where the strategic plan is publicly available:
https://www.albany.edu/strategicplan/

Sustainability Plan 

Does the institution have a published sustainability plan (apart from what is reported above)? :
No

A copy of the sustainability plan:
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The website URL where the sustainability plan is publicly available:
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Climate Action Plan 

Does the institution have a published climate action plan (apart from what is reported above)? :
Yes

A copy of the climate action plan:
UAlbany climate action report.pdf

The website URL where the climate action plan is publicly available:
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Other Published Plans 

Does the institution have other published plans that address sustainability or include measurable sustainability objectives (e.g. campus master plan, physical campus plan, diversity plan, human resources plan)? :
Yes

A list of other published plans that address sustainability, including public website URLs (if available):
Energy Master Plan https://www.albany.edu/facilities/energy/documents/2013-2023EnergyMasterPlan.pdf Facilities Master Plan https://www.albany.edu/facilities/fmp/documents/UA-FMP2012.pdf Landscaping Master Plan https://www.albany.edu/facilities/campusplanning/documents/LandscapeMasterPlan.pdf Indoor Air Quality Plan https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/files/documents/IAQ%20Plan.pdf Lighting Master Plan https://www.albany.edu/facilities/campusstandards/docs/references/LightingMasterPlan.pdf

Measurable Sustainability Objectives 

Curriculum

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Curriculum and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Research 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Research?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Research and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Campus Engagement 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Public Engagement 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Public Engagement?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Public Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Air & Climate 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Air & Climate?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Air & Climate and the published plans in which each objective is included:
Our plans are aligned to reduce our GHG emissions. Our current goals reflect those set out by the Governor in his executive orders, specifically EO 88 sets a target of a 20% reduction in source use intensity by 2020 (2010 baseline) and EO 24, which sets a 80% reduction of 1990 levels by 2050

Buildings 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Buildings?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Buildings and the published plans in which each objective is included:
The achievement of LEED certification (with Gold as the target) for all new construction. The implementation of high impact projects as determined by our recent energy audit and the resulting decrease in energy consumption will serve as our objective. Executive Order 88 of NYS sets a target of a 20% reduction in source use intensity by 2020 (2010 baseline)

Energy 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Energy and the published plans in which each objective is included:
The university is most focused on meeting the goals of NYS Executive Order 88 which calls for a 20% reduction in energy source intensity by 2020 vis a vis 2010. We also have our own high performance building guidelines (https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/files/documents/Buildings%20and%20Operations/UA-MinEESustainabilityGoals.pdf) which call for: Minimum 26% (for new construction) OR 19% (for major renovation/gut rehab) reduction in total energy costs when compared to a baseline building that meets ASHRAE 90.1-2004 or 2007 Energy Conservation Construction Code of NYS, whichever is more stringent Minimum 21% (for new construction) OR 17% (for major renovation/gut rehab) reduction in total energy costs when compared to a baseline building that meets ASHRAE 90.1-2007 „ Minimum five (5) points under LEED-NC v 2.2 or LEED-NC 2009 (v.3) Energy and Atmosphere Category, Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance „ ENERGY STAR rating (a score of 75 or higher) after one year’s performance (Use Energy Star Target Finder to determine target energy use intensity)

Food & Dining 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Food & Dining?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Food & Dining and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Grounds 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Grounds?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Grounds and the published plans in which each objective is included:
The landscaping master plan includes prescriptive measures to improve biodiversity of plant and tree selection on campus as well as recommendations for native plants. See p 40 on ofhttps://www.albany.edu/facilities/campusplanning/documents/LandscapeMasterPlan.pdf Also our high performance building guidelines calls for: Water Efficiency „ Minimum 30% reduction in potable water use when compared to EPACT 1992 fixture performance requirements „ No potable water use for irrigation; use Indian Pond or captured rainwater instead (https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/files/documents/Buildings%20and%20Operations/UA-MinEESustainabilityGoals.pdf)

Purchasing 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Purchasing?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Purchasing and the published plans in which each objective is included:
The university participates and complies with NYS Executive Law article 15-A that sets a goal that 30% of purchases must be from MWBE (Minority and Women Owned Businesses) vendors. UAlbany's procures 58% of their centralized purchases from MWBE certified vendors. Confirmation of our participation in the program can be found at: https://www.albany.edu/state-procurement-contracting/mwbe.php The link discussing SUNY participation: https://www.suny.edu/meansbusiness/mwbe/ The Executive Goal: https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/48854.html

Transportation 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Transportation?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Transportation and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Waste 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Waste?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Waste and the published plans in which each objective is included:
The university guiding principle on waste reduction are embodied in their compliance and participation in NYS Executive Order 4. This requires the collection of annual waste, recycling and diversion data. The university also participates in EPA's Waste Wise and Food Recovery Challenge. This program requires that the university set a yearly goal for improvement in waste, diversion and recycling measurements. To remain an active participant in WasteWise, partners must complete the following steps by March 31 of each year in the SMM Data Management System: 1. Submit annual data for the previous year. 2. Establish an annual goal for a self-directed quantitative increase in waste diverted (a combination of waste prevention, recycling and composting tonnage) as compared to the previous year. The goal can be for an increase in a single activity or across all activities. The goals for 2018 were to 1) Increase food donations by 5 tons, 2) Increase Campus total recycling by 10 tons, and 3) Increase composting by 50 tons.

Water 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Water?:
Yes

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Water and the published plans in which each objective is included:
Our high performance building guidelines calls for: Water Efficiency „ Minimum 30% reduction in potable water use when compared to EPACT 1992 fixture performance requirements „ No potable water use for irrigation; use Indian Pond or captured rainwater instead (https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/files/documents/Buildings%20and%20Operations/UA-MinEESustainabilityGoals.pdf)

Diversity & Affordability 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Diversity & Affordability?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Diversity & Affordability and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Investment & Finance 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Investment & Finance?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Investment & Finance and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Wellbeing & Work 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address Wellbeing & Work?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Wellbeing & Work and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Other Impact Areas 

Taken together, do the plan(s) reported above include measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas (e.g. arts and culture or technology)?:
No

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address other areas and the published plans in which each objective is included:
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Optional Fields 

Does the institution have a formal statement in support of sustainability endorsed by its governing body (e.g. a mission statement that specifically includes sustainability and is endorsed by the Board of Trustees)? :
No

The formal statement in support of sustainability:
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The institution’s definition of sustainability (e.g. as included in a published statement or plan):
The broadest definition of sustainability entails “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (Brundtland 1987). At UAlbany this translates into creating a citizenry whose understanding of and commitment to environmental sustainability informs and shapes the choices they make in their everyday lives, in the communities in which they live and work, in their careers, and in the myriad other ways they serve as citizens in a democratic society.

Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter No
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) Yes
ISCN-GULF Sustainable Campus Charter No
Second Nature’s Carbon Commitment (formerly known as the ACUPCC), Resilience Commitment, and/or integrated Climate Commitment Yes
The Talloires Declaration (TD) Yes
UN Global Compact No
Other multi-dimensional sustainability commitments (please specify below) No

A brief description of the institution’s formal sustainability commitments, including the specific initiatives selected above:
The University participates in commitments at the national and international level. The list of our commitments can be found at: https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/1.our_commitments.shtml

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://www.albany.edu/gogreen/1.our_commitments.shtml

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.