Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.11
Liaison Sarah Williams
Submission Date Feb. 7, 2020

STARS v2.2

Whitman College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete N/A Elissa Brown
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
Office of Sustainability, Physical Plant Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name of the institution’s featured sustainability program, initiative, or accomplishment:
Net zero GHG emissions from electricity and natural gas consumption

A brief description of the institution’s featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:

Whitman College is implementing the dual approach toward carbon neutrality laid out in our 2016 Climate Action Plan. We realize that it will take time and financial investment over time to implement energy efficiency and other emissions reduction projects, such as LED retrofits, transitioning to electric vehicles, and more. So as we pursue those opportunities, we are also purchasing Renewable Energy Credits to cover 100% of our kWh of electricity consumption, as well as carbon offsets to cover 100% of our therms of natural gas consumption.


Which of the following impact areas does the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Air & Climate
Buildings
Energy

Website URL where more information about the accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
OP-2: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A photograph or document associated with the featured program, initiative, or accomplishment:
---

Name of a second highlighted sustainability program/initiative/accomplishment:
Commitment to divest from fossil fuels

A brief description of the second program/initiative/accomplishment:

Whitman's board of trustees committed in November 2018 to divest from any fossil fuel reserve companies listed as part of the Carbon Underground 200. At the time of that decision, the College’s endowment had an approximate 0.92% exposure to those fossil fuel companies. As of June 2019, this exposure had dropped to 0.51%, as Whitman gradually reduces its exposure from these companies through our investment managers.


Which impact areas does the second program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Air & Climate
Coordination & Planning
Investment & Finance

Website URL where more information about the second program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the second program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
PA-10: Sustainable Investment

A photograph or document associated with the second program/initiative/accomplishment:
---

Name of a third highlighted program/initiative/accomplishment:
Immersive, sustainability-focused educational study program: Semester in the West

A brief description of the third program/initiative/accomplishment:

Whitman College's Semester in the West is an interdisciplinary field program focusing on public lands conservation and rural life in the interior American West. Our objective is to know the West in its many dimensions, including its diverse ecosystems, its social and political communities, and the many ways these ecosystems and communities find expression in regional environmental writing and public policy. The program first ran in 2002, and is scheduled for the fall semester every other year in even years.


Which impact areas does the third program/initiative/accomplishment most closely relate to?:
Curriculum
Research
Public Engagement
Diversity & Affordability

Website URL where more information about the third program/initiative/accomplishment may be found:
STARS credit in which the third program/initiative/accomplishment is reported (if applicable):
AC-5: Immersive Experience

A photograph or document associated with the third program/initiative/accomplishment:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.