University of Connecticut
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination

Charter/Mission:

Environmental Policy Advisory Council (EPAC) is advisory to the President, Provost and other senior administrators about strategies for enhancing the University's environmental performance in:
• Fostering environmentally sustainable development and mitigating the environmental impacts of our construction activities
• Improving environmental compliance in our operations
• Distinguishing our academic, operational and community outreach reputation by promoting environmental leadership initiatives.
• Better integrating environmental principles into the University's governance by ensuring coordination with administrative advisory committees and task forces.

Functions:

The EPAC meets once per semester, or as needed, and may appoint committees and task forces in order to:
• Develop and revise UConn’s environmental policy statement.
• Identify environmental risks and recommend goals, policies and procedures to address risks and improve environmental performance.
• Identify opportunities and sponsor initiatives designed to advance and achieve environmental sustainability.
• Develop strategies for building environmental awareness and engaging students, staff and faculty in environmental initiatives.
• Advise the University about conservation and development plans and activities.
• Formulate strategies for dealing with stakeholder groups on environmental issues.
• Monitor the University’s environmental performance and sponsor periodic environmental reports.
• Help organize and promote outreach events and partnerships that showcase the University’s environmental leadership.
• Nominate and select recipients of the University's environmental leadership awards.

Additionally, workgroups, committees, and task forces, associated with EPAC, like the Green Campus Academic Network, and the Green Office Team Organizers, engage more than 400 members of the UConn community in initiatives, events and planning activities.

More recently, EPAC and the Office of Sustainability have worked with CSR, Human Rights and Public Engagement staff and faculty on initiatives involving the social and economic aspects of sustainability.

The list of EPAC members is found here: http://ecohusky.uconn.edu/uconn-environmental-policy-advisory-council/membership-2016-2017/

List of members is found here: https://ecohusky.uconn.edu/uconn-environmental-policy-advisory-council/

The Sustainability Office resides within the UConn Institute of the Environment (IoE) and is comprised of three full-time employees, the Director, Sustainability Program Manager, and Administrative Coordinator as well as 11 undergraduate interns who devote 12 hours to the office per week during the academic calendar year. T

EPAC meets twice a year (once a semester) in order to review events, activities and progress in UConn's overall sustainability-related programs and to determine and advise the University administration about how to further enhance sustainability at UConn. Most recently, at the EPAC meeting in the Fall of 2017, topics included expanding UConn’s renewable energy portfolio, achieving energy and water conservation through major steam system replacement projects, purchasing more EPEAT Gold products, and applying the LEED Sustainable Sites standards to a major campus road improvement project.

In 2016-17, EPAC was instrumental in the development of the 2020 Vision Plan for Campus Sustainability & Climate Leadership, which was subsequently endorsed by President Herbst. It set forth 21 specific metrics in eight broad categories, with a focus on accelerating our progress to achieving our 2020 interim goals under UConn's Climate Action Plan. The 2020 planning process alone, stimulated progress toward multiple goals, and by early-2018 UConn had already achieved eight of the 21 metrics.

In 2019, plannning began for UConn's 2025 Sustainability Plan. In spring 2019, EPAC reviewed progress on our 2020 goals and advised on potential 2025 goals. Subsequently, the Office of Sustainability Director and Sustainability Program Manager met with key stakeholders on EPAC and within departments of the University to develop 2025 goals over the summer and fall semesters. 2025 goals have been drafted and are pending approval by EPAC and ultimately the President.

UConn's Climate Action Plan (CAP) was established through a Task Force of EPAC members in 2008-09. In 2011-12, the Climate Change Adaptation Task Force, again as a subset of EPAC members, helped develop the 2012 Adaptation Amendment as a separate section of the CAP, with a focus on resilience goals and targets. The members of EPAC continue to ensure that the objectives set forth in the Climate Action Plan are being carried out as planned.

Rich Miller is the Director of the Office of Sustainability for UConn. He established the Office of Environmental Policy in 2002, and currently oversees the University’s Office of Sustainability. Rich reports to the Executive Director of the Institute of the Environment (IoE) and directs a wide range of sustainability initiatives and programs that promote clean energy, conservation and resource efficiency, waste reduction and diversion, low impact development, green building, Climate Action, environmental literacy, and student engagement. He is the founding adviser to the EcoHusky student group, and the immediate Past Chair of AASHE.

Responsibilities for the Sustainability Program Manager include developing, planning, and administering sustainability initiatives and events across campus, chairing the EPAC Recycling Workgroup, maintaining the OS's webpages, and developing and publishing sustainability newsletters and outreach materials. The Sustainability Program Manager also serves as the direct supervisor to the OS's high achieving undergraduate intern team.