| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 66.40 |
| Liaison | Austin Sutherland |
| Submission Date | Feb. 21, 2018 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Pennsylvania
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
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indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at students and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability? :
Yes
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign during the previous three years that was directed at employees and yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Yes
1st Campaign
Power Down Challenge
A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged:
Every year, the "Power Down Challenge" empowers members of the Penn community to reduce their energy consumption and deepen their understanding of energy issues. During the challenge, Penn and its partners join together for educational events and programs about energy consumption, reduction, and innovation. In connection with the University's Academic Theme Year, the "Power Down Challenge" in 2017 encouraged members of the Penn community to "signal a change" in their energy consumption habits. The 2017 campaign culminated in a collaborative, campus-wide "Energy Reduction Challenge" on February 22nd, 2017.
During the 2016 "Power Down Challenge", Penn saved 220,640 kWh in 24 hours in the first ever single-day "Energy Reduction Challenge at Penn". In 2017, Penn saved even more, reducing consumption by 11.4%, or 282,350 kWh in the 24-hour period. That's equivalent to 198 metric tons of CO2 emissions, taking 42 cars off the road, or planting 5,143 trees. Facilities and Real Estate Services donated $11,400, the estimated value of the savings, to the Center for Undergraduate Research Fellowship to support "Climate Action Research Grants".
https://www.sustainability.upenn.edu/participate/penn-community/power-down-challenge
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign:
Penn's campus saved 11.4% normalized (282,350 kWh) and donated $11,400 to the Center for Undergraduate Research Fellowship, "Climate Action Research Grants" as a result of the campaign
The website URL where information about the campaign is available:
If reporting a second campaign provide:
2nd Campaign
30x30 Campaign
A brief description of the campaign, including how students and/or employees were engaged (2nd campaign):
The "30x30 Challenge" is an effort to encourage the Penn community to get outside, learn about local ecology, and appreciate the beauty of nature.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Over 340 Penn Staff and Faculty pledged to spend 30 minutes outside everyday for the entire month of April. Researchers have been documenting what many know intuitively- that nature is good for our health and well-being. Regularly immersing oneself in a natural setting-like a park, forest, or field- can reduce stress while boosting immunity, energy levels, and creativity.
In an effort to support pledges and show campus community members the wealth of outdoor spaces, as well as the research, planning, and consideration given to the campus environment, the Penn Sustainability Office organizes a number of campus landscape tours.
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
Optional Fields
"ReThink Your Footprint" is the fall waste awareness campaign put on by the university. "ReThink Your Footprint" raises awareness of already-established waste minimization programs and initiatives in this area, inspires students, staff, and faculty to create new activities related to source reduction and recycling, and encourages everyone to rethink their footprint.
The goal of "ReThink Your Footprint" is to raise the level of conversation about waste management beyond solely recycling and into a broader discussion of source reduction and reuse – resulting in greater diversion of campus waste from the landfill. As a University, Penn has already made great strides in managing its trash, recycling, and other waste, and this year we continue to build upon this work.
https://www.sustainability.upenn.edu/participate/penn-community/rethink-your-footprint
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The University of Pennsylvania is a major research institution, with over 3000 degrees granted annually from twelve professional and academic schools at the Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate levels. Penn is committed to engaging with both the campus and public community on sustainability, with a goal to make climate change and sustainability part of the Penn culture. This commitment and long standing tradition of both campus and public engagement around the issue of sustainability is seen through campus sustainability groups and community focused centers. Both public and campus engagement organizations partner with the Sustainability Office to create student internships, engage in environmental issues, and build knowledge around sustainability. For a more complete listing of engagement activities on campus, please see EN 10 to EN 14.
The submission relies on information related to the main, academic, West Philadelphia campus, but to more fully document efforts across the Penn system, information related to the Morris Arboretum and New Bolton has also been referenced and noted as outside the boundary in descriptions. The information is used to enrich examples of University efforts and is not intended to be the primary justification for credits. The responses for each of the questions and sub-questions are drawn from University materials, both internal and public documents. Each section notes the website where the information can be found.
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.