University of Pittsburgh
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Plan for Pitt (Strategic Plan) Goals: We aspire to be a university that … Prepares students to lead lives of impact through a supportive environment focused on a holistic and individualized approach to learning inside and outside the classroom. Advances the frontiers of knowledge and makes a positive impact on the world through collaborative and multidisciplinary approaches to research that focus on areas of great societal need. Strengthens our communities—from the Pitt community, to our region and the world around us—by expanding engagements, supporting collaborations, and embracing a global perspective. Embodies diversity and inclusion as core values that enrich learning, scholarship, and the communities we serve. Engages with the world to explore and address global issues that improve life in the world’s local communities. Supports success through a foundation of strong internal culture, a robust capacity to partner, outstanding infrastructure, and effective operations.

STATEMENT ON SUSTAINABILITY 2008 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Whereas the University of Pittsburgh was an original signatory of the 1990 Talloires Declaration supporting mobilization of the resources of higher education on behalf of sustainability; Whereas the University recognizes that sound sustainability practices benefit the institution, the City of Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region and that such practices should reflect the values of the institution; Whereas the University accepts its role as a leader and understands the importance of embodying these sound practices in all its procedures and facilities; Whereas it is possible and desirable both to maintain research and instructional excellence, realize cost savings and apply sound sustainability principles; Whereas the University recognizes that sound sustainability practices will appeal to high-caliber students, faculty, and staff and that such members of the University community will in turn reinforce the values of sustainability; Whereas considerable expertise on sustainability among University faculty and staff is available for coordination, and best practices of similarly aspiring academic institutions are readily researchable; Whereas the University of Pittsburgh recognizes the need to foster sustainability in its practices and curricula, while continuing with its adherence to sound fiscal practices. Be it resolved that the Sustainability Subcommittee of PUPC recommends the University administration: Re-affirm the commitment to environmental education and support of environmental academic education in the curriculum Foster environmentally responsible purchasing practices by striving to balance short and long-term, maintenance, life cycle and environmental costs in purchasing goods and services, with sound fiscal practices. Continue to identify, implement, communicate, and coordinate practices that preserve and promote efficient use and conservation of energy, water and other resources and increase promotion of conservation efforts to the University community, so as to reduce resource consumption. Continue the efforts to minimize solid waste production by fostering recycling and reuse. Reaffirm the University’s commitment to environmentally responsible Campus planning, design, construction and operations principles by a) Making the most efficient use of our existing physical assets before considering the addition of new facilities b) Striving to balance sound fiscal practices and environmental responsibility in the renovation, construction, operation and maintenance of the University buildings and Campus infrastructure c) Continuing with the “greening” of the Campus and efforts to implement sustainable practices in the design and maintenance of the grounds, within the limitations of the Campus’ urban context. d) Monitoring progress in accomplishment of institutional goals in such areas as energy systems, green practices, recycling, purchasing and waste management. Continue to establish processes to maintain efficient use, tracking, storage and disposal of hazardous toxic and radioactive materials and commit to keeping the presence of toxic materials on Campus and the generation of hazardous waste at reasonable levels for work and research purposes. Reaffirm the University’s commitment to facilitating pedestrian travel, bicycle use and promotion of other alternative modes of transportation such as public transit, to minimize the environmental impact of vehicles on the Campus and surrounding communities. Foster linkages among and within University academic and administration departments for the purpose of promoting, informing and reporting on sustainability efforts. The University maintains a neutral political position and has a long-standing policy that it will not implement policies or undertake practices that would be generally understood to be political in character. None of the statements in the above shall be interpreted to compromise, conflict with or violate this neutral political position. Also, the University's Institutional Master Plan addresses sustainability in its set of guiding principles, namely with a stated preference to renovate and renew existing facilities rather than building new facilities, and by increasing the efficiency of space utilization. Sustainable initiatives, such as retaining green space on campus and limiting parking, along with improvements in public and alternative transportation, are emphasized throughout the document with a green leaf symbol. (http://www.facmgmt.pitt.edu/MasterPlans/2010.pdf) Pitt is currently completing a new comprehensive Campus Master Plan that includes "Create a more sustainable campus" within its five planning principles. The Facilities Management Division's Professional Design Manual is also a guiding, living document that specifies many sustainable design requirements for new construction and renovation projects. This document is provided to all design professionals working with the University. https://fm.pitt.edu/design-manual

The task force, formed in fall 2013, has already expanded the University's curricular offerings in sustainability to include a campus-wide certificate for undergraduate students and a master's-level degree program that have a broad focus in engineering, business, and public policy. Both programs were launched in the Fall of 2016. Goals within the recently published Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Engage all undergraduate advisors and give them the tools necessary to connect interested students to sustainability themed courses, majors, minors, internships, and community activities. •Annually increase the number of students applying for and graduating with the Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability starting with the 2017-2018 Academic Year. •Increase sustainability-related service learning opportunities. •Incorporate sustainability education into all freshman seminars. •Create faculty tools, workshops, and incentives to encourage the incorporation of sustainability components into current syllabi.

Fellows each receive a two-year fellowship with $25,000 in annual support. They are expected to contribute to research within and across disciplines during the fellowship period and will develop new sustainability-related courses. Goals from the recently published Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Use the Pitt campus as a living laboratory for faculty and students to implement new ideas and study outcomes over time. •Provide more opportunities and incentives for interdisciplinary research as well as the bridging of academics and operations – promoting an environment of informing and working together. •Raise external funds for endowed chair(s) to support faculty with research expertise in sustainability. •Develop an endowed seed grant fund to provide greater opportunity for sustainability focused federal grants. •Increase prestigious scholarship opportunities for undergraduate and graduate research in sustainability. •Raise the visibility of faculty research in sustainability.

The Sustainability Plan includes specific, measurable objectives for many operational and academic endeavors, such as energy and water conservation objectives, waste reduction goals, expansion of course offerings related to sustainability, opportunities for enhanced campus engagement, etc. Goals from the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Incorporate the tenets of sustainability into all student programming. •Create an online sustainability education module for staff and develop departmental Green Teams. •Train all staff (incoming and retained) on how to infuse the tenets of sustainability into their everyday work at Pitt. •Create and deploy a comprehensive campus survey on student, staff, and faculty sustainability literacy by 2020. •Share our stories of impact as leaders on a national scale and promote our model of sustainability. In addition, Pitt participates in many programs and competitions which contain specific measurable outcomes. For example, the Pittsburgh 2030 district requires that the University track all energy consumption in the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. This information will be continually tracked and analyzed throughout the duration of the program. RecycleMania requires that the University report recycling and waste statistics for an eight week period. These weights are reported weekly and tallied for competition purposes. The Green Workplace Challenge calculates energy savings based on data in the Energy star portfolio manager for a baseline year and a program year. The University also provides documentation for many other actions related to energy, transportation, food services, purchasing, curriculum, etc.

The Sustainability Survey done in Spring 2017 provides a baseline for gauging campus opinions on sustainability. Results were incorporated into the Sustainability Plan, and future surveys will be used to benchmark against the baseline. Town-hall style meetings were held spring and fall 2017 to further engage and inform the University community. The Report on Sustainability reports specific, measureable progress in terms of energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation, and many other metrics. Ongoing Greenhouse Gas Inventories will continue to report the University's progress in reducing GHG emissions in accordance with established industry standards. The Sustainability Plan includes measurable objectives for the following: •Increase the number of sustainability-related international service projects •Track sustainability-related service and study abroad opportunities for students. Also from the Sustainability Plan: CITY/REGIONAL CONNECTIONS •Take active leadership roles in sustainability initiatives in Oakland, Pittsburgh and the surrounding region and demonstrate solutions to our grand challenges. •Incentivize sustainability activism and community work and provide opportunities for volunteerism, internships, service, and community engagement efforts that focus on sustainability. •Create a process of greater transparency between Pitt and our community for knowledge sharing and capacity building (building the tools for empowering change). •Embrace a culture of impactful service through long-term investment in our communities. PARTNERSHIPS •Connect with industry and community collaborators to support applied sustainability research and education. •Establish local and regional partnerships to accelerate the transfer of sustainability ideas from Pitt classrooms and laboratories through implementation. •Link sustainability and Community Engagement Centers more explicitly. •Invigorate our existing programs to increase the impact of sustainability education in the K-12 curriculum.

Goals From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Strive toward climate neutrality, with a goal to reduce GHG emissions by 50% by 2030 from 2008 baseline. *Produce or procure 50% of the University's electric energy portfolio from renewable resources by 2030 *Many more The University completed Greenhouse Gas Inventories for fiscal years 2008, 2011, and 2014. The FY17 inventory will be complete in spring 2018. The reports, when compared sequentially, provide an excellent depiction of the University's progress since 2008.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: *Embrace 2030 District goals of 50% reduction below the national average in energy use intensity by 2030 (from 2003 baseline) and establish design standards and operational practices to achieve them. *Pursue LEED or WELL Building certification for all projects started after 2017 and greater than $5 million. The 10-year Capital Plan identifies investments in new and existing facilities to meet the changing needs of the University. The Energy Master Plan and Energy Conservation Plan, completed in September 2017, provides a roadmap for investment in energy infrastructure while incorporating new energy sources and specific energy conservation initiatives. The 10-year Capital Plan includes an annual investment to accomplish the recommended energy conservation measures. The University's investment into existing building systems since 1996 has resulted in over $50 million in energy cost avoidance by making the buildings more energy efficient while complying with new building codes. New construction and major renovations have resulted in 7 LEED Gold, 5 LEED Silver, and 1 LEED Certified facilities, and the University is currently pursuing LEED certification for 8 additional projects.

Goals from the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Produce or procure 50% of the University’s electric energy portfolio from renewable resources by 2030. •Embrace 2030 District goals of 50% reduction below the national average in energy use intensity (consumption per square foot) by 2030 (from 2003 baseline) and establish design standards and operational practices to achieve them. The Energy Master Plan and Energy Conservation Plan, which were completed in September 2017, provide recommendations which are being incorporated into the University's capital budget beginning in 2017/2018. The University's investment into existing building systems since 1996 has resulted in over $50 million in energy cost avoidance by making the buildings more energy efficient while complying with new building codes. New construction and major renovations have resulted in 7 LEED Gold, 5 LEED Silver, and 1 LEED Certified facilities, and the University is currently pursuing LEED certification for 8 additional projects. The University has also recently implemented an Enterprise Energy Management system to provide better tracking and analysis tools for energy management. The University has established monthly energy meetings where energy metrics are provided for analysis and benchmarking and bi-weekly energy and sustainability strategy meetings where sustainability plan goals implementation and tracking are reviewed.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: * Support a local, fair, ecologically sound, and humane food system by expanding the Real Food Challenge across campus to serve 25% Real Food by 2025. *Serve 50% of to-go meals and beverages in reusable containers by 2025. *Serve meals that put plants at the center of the plant by decreasing the amount of animal-derived products sold by 25% by 2025 (from 2017 baseline). *Expand the food waste composting program to compost 50% of food waste by 2025.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Adhere to Pitt’s Sustainable Landscape Design Guidelines in all new landscape designs. •Increase tree canopy by 50% and replace 15% of lawn area with indigenous and adapted plants by 2030. (from 2017 baseline). •Maintain at least 75% of landscaped areas in accordance with Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Standards for Organic Land Care by 2024. The sustainable landscape design guidelines promote the installation of more native plants, help to reduce storm water runoff, reduce irrigation requirements, etc. http://fm.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/pictures/Design_Manual/DIVISION-S.pdf

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: *Integrate the tenets of sustainability into the University's procurement policies and guidelines. *Establish procedures, policies, practices, and educational tools to reduce the quantity and environmental impact of materials entering and exiting the University. See also: http://cfo.pitt.edu/pexpress/purchases/buyingGreen.php

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Achieve Silver-level Bicycle-Friendly University status from the League of American Bicyclists by the end of FY2020, and Gold by the end of FY2025. •Embrace the 2030 District goal of 50% reduction below the district average greenhouse gas emissions from commuter travel and direct transportation by 2030 (from FY14 baseline). •Increase active Pitt registered carpools by 2% and create 1 new vanpool annually between FY2018 and FY2030. •Reduce Pitt Shuttle fuel usage by 3% annually between FY2018 and FY2030. Efforts to date have increased and improved commuting alternatives, bicycle accommodations and advocacy, 16 electric vehicle charging stations. The Make My Trip Count survey has been instrumental in providing baseline data.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: *Reduce landfill waste by 25% by 2030 from 2017 levels. *Expand the food waste composting program to compost 50% of food waste by 2025.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Work with the City to ensure clean, healthy drinking water for all in our community. •Strive toward a water neutral campus, with a 3% reduction in water use by 2020 from 2017 baseline. •Embrace the 2030 District goals of 50% reduction below the district average in water use intensity (consumption per square foot) by 2030 and establish design standards and operational practices to achieve them. •Reduce impervious surfaces by 20% by 2030 from 2017 baseline. •Divert 25% of storm water from remaining impervious surfaces to rain gardens, bioswales, or rainwater harvesting tanks by 2030. The University meters and tracks water usage in all buildings. This data is now stored in the University's Enterprise Energy Management system which provides many opportunities to analyze and report consumption and cost data. As upgrades are completed, the system will help to quantify the actual savings related to the projects.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Strive to create a resource net for incoming students that will allow us to proactively meet our students’ physical, social, financial, and mental health needs. •Work across all impact areas of the Pitt Sustainability Plan to ensure benefits for all within the Pitt community. •Integrate the tenets of sustainability into the University’s procurement policies and guidelines. Pitt's Office of Diversity and Inclusion is committed to fostering diversity and celebrating differences, educating the community on the benefits of diversity, promoting equity, eliminating discrimination, and advancing equal access to all opportunities at the University. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion: •Coordinates, facilitates and participates in the development and implementation of equal opportunity, nondiscrimination, and diversity policies, procedures, and guidelines for the University. •Monitors progress in implementing diversity initiatives and realizing objectives for enhancing inclusion. •Prepares institutional and governmental reports including, but not limited to, the University's Affirmative Action Plans. •Develops and delivers education and training. •Organizes, collaborates on, and participates in a variety of cultural celebrations. •Investigates and/or coordinates the handling of internal complaints of discrimination, bias incidents, discriminatory harassment, and grievances associated with accommodation requests. •Develops and creates new and existing Affinity Groups for faculty and staff. http://www.diversity.pitt.edu/about

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: •Form a committee or task force to consider socially responsible investing, to be composed of faculty, staff, student and administration representatives.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: • Identify and improve the environmental quality of our indoor and outdoor spaces. •Support physical health through fitness access and active design principles. •Support the mental health needs of our students, faculty and staff. •Embrace LEED and WELL Building Certifications, and WELL Communities for our built environment.

From the Pitt Sustainability Plan: INNOVATION •Increase the number of sustainability-related patents, licenses, and start-ups (both for profit and non-profit). •Collaborate with Pitt’s Innovation Institute, the University’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, to embed sustainability principles throughout the Institute. •Work across impact areas to define innovations and ensure that there is a mechanism for students, faculty, and staff to advance ideas for impact. GLOBAL OUTREACH •Increase the number of sustainability-related international service projects. •Track sustainability-related service and study abroad opportunities for students. •Find alumni who are leading sustainability initiatives both nationally and internationally and connect them with University faculty and students. •Promote sustainability-related topics at industry and academic conferences to tell our stories of impact to greater audiences.

The University has issued a Statement on Sustainability, as follows: STATEMENT ON SUSTAINABILITY UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Approved by Faculty Assembly & Senate Council April 2008 Whereas the University of Pittsburgh was an original signatory of the 1990 Talloires Declaration supporting mobilization of the resources of higher education on behalf of sustainability; Whereas the University recognizes that sound sustainability practices benefit the institution, the City of Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania region and that such practices should reflect the values of the institution; Whereas the University accepts its role as a leader and understands the importance of embodying these sound practices in all its procedures and facilities; Whereas it is possible and desirable both to maintain research and instructional excellence, realize cost savings and apply sound sustainability principles; Whereas the University recognizes that sound sustainability practices will appeal to high-caliber students, faculty, and staff and that such members of the University community will in turn reinforce the values of sustainability; Whereas considerable expertise on sustainability among University faculty and staff is available for coordination, and best practices of similarly aspiring academic institutions are readily researchable; Whereas the University of Pittsburgh recognizes the need to foster sustainability in its practices and curricula, while continuing with its adherence to sound fiscal practices. Be it resolved that the Sustainability Subcommittee of PUPC recommends the University administration: Re-affirm the commitment to environmental education and support of environmental academic education in the curriculum Foster environmentally responsible purchasing practices by striving to balance short and long-term, maintenance, life cycle and environmental costs in purchasing goods and services, with sound fiscal practices. Continue to identify, implement, communicate, and coordinate practices that preserve and promote efficient use and conservation of energy, water and other resources and increase promotion of conservation efforts to the University community, so as to reduce resource consumption. Continue the efforts to minimize solid waste production by fostering recycling and reuse. Reaffirm the University’s commitment to environmentally responsible Campus planning, design, construction and operations principles by a) Making the most efficient use of our existing physical assets before considering the addition of new facilities b) Striving to balance sound fiscal practices and environmental responsibility in the renovation, construction, operation and maintenance of the University buildings and Campus infrastructure c) Continuing with the “greening” of the Campus and efforts to implement sustainable practices in the design and maintenance of the grounds, within the limitations of the Campus’ urban context. d) Monitoring progress in accomplishment of institutional goals in such areas as energy systems, green practices, recycling, purchasing and waste management. Continue to establish processes to maintain efficient use, tracking, storage and disposal of hazardous toxic and radioactive materials and commit to keeping the presence of toxic materials on Campus and the generation of hazardous waste at reasonable levels for work and research purposes. Reaffirm the University’s commitment to facilitating pedestrian travel, bicycle use and promotion of other alternative modes of transportation such as public transit, to minimize the environmental impact of vehicles on the Campus and surrounding communities. Foster linkages among and within University academic and administration departments for the purpose of promoting, informing and reporting on sustainability efforts. The University maintains a neutral political position and has a long-standing policy that it will not implement policies or undertake practices that would be generally understood to be political in character. None of the statements in the above shall be interpreted to compromise, conflict with or violate this neutral political position.

Sustainability can be defined as the intersection of three tenets- Social, Economic, and Environmental- and is best understood when seen through a long-term lens. Investing in sustainable practices is investing in the future. It makes good business sense, as sustainability initiatives lead to energy and water cost savings, increased productivity, and an overall more resilient organization.

1990 Pitt signed the Talloires Declaration, which supports mobilizing the resources of higher education for sustainability.

Chancellor's video for the Pitt Sustainability Plan: https://youtu.be/x_ur4V9EVyI