Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 60.54
Liaison Sarah Fortner
Submission Date March 6, 2020
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Carleton College
PA-2: Sustainability Planning

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.25 / 4.00 Alexandra Miller
Sustainability Program Coordinator
Energy and Sustainability
"---" 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 strategic plan cites the May 2011 Climate Action Plan as an "underlying assumption" that formed part of the foundation for developing the plan. the specific verbiage is that" We have a responsibility to be a wise steward of our man-made and natural environment. Accordingly, we shall seek to reduce our carbon footprint in accordance with our Climate Action Plan." This was not restated in the published plan, but can be found here: https://apps.carleton.edu/strategic/planningprocess/foundation/assumptions/ The Climate Action Plan is also cited on page 12, "developing a sustainable economy for the college is also connected with the broader goal of environmental sustainability." The Climate Action Plan has a measurable goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. It furthermore contains three interim milestones noting specific, measurable reductions in carbon emissions: Reduce emissions to 17,000 MTCDE by 2020 Reduce emissions to 14,000 MTCDE by 2025 Reduce emissions to 11,000 MTCDE by 2030 Reduce emissions to zero by 2050

A copy of the strategic plan:
FINAL___Strategic_Planning_Synthesis.pdf

The website URL where the strategic plan is publicly available:
https://apps.carleton.edu/strategic/

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:
11.06.13_CarletonClimateActionPlan.pdf

The website URL where the climate action plan is publicly available:
https://apps.carleton.edu/sustainability/about/cap/

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):
Carleton also has a Utility Master Plan which outlines our in-progress transition our district heating and cooling system from fossil-fuel based to a hot water system tied to a geothermal heat pump system by 2021: https://apps.carleton.edu/geothermal/. This plan is expected to reduce our campus carbon emissions by 15% in Phases 1 and 2 (due to be complete in 2021), and 35% by completion of Phase 3 (timing TBD). It will likewise reduce central plant operating costs by up to 35% by the completion of Phases 1 and 2.

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:
Although we have many curricular activities that are directly tied to campus sustainability, we do not have fixed, quantitative goals for our sustainability curriculum at this time.

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:
Although we have many research activities that are directly tied to campus sustainability, we do not have fixed, quantitative goals for our sustainability research at this time.

Campus Engagement 

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

A list or sample of the measurable sustainability objectives that address Campus Engagement and the published plans in which each objective is included:
Data for both the Climate Acton Week engagement and civic & community engagement is collected annually and compared to previous years. The goals of the Carleton Climate Action Plan outreach and engagement sections are expressed in terms of action items, so they are measured by being noted as "N/A" (found to be not feasible), "Pending" or "Compete". The Climate Action Plan actions include: - Re-establish the "green network" communication newsletter to update all campus groups focused on the environment and sustainability (COMPLETE) - Provide competitive awards for students pursuing summer research positions, community service projects or internships related to sustainability (PENDING) - Expand new student week to include mandatory sustainability awareness session (COMPLETE) - Connect with the Career Center to establish a consolidated green-collar jobs and internships database (COMPLETE) - Organize a series of speakers who are currently working in green-collar professions to visit Carleton (COMPLETE, the 30 minutes program and Climate Action Week speakers) - Partner with other community groups such as St. Olaf College, the Northfield Environmental Quality Commission, etc. to expand individaul sustainability projects into community-wide collaborates (COMPLETE - est. the Greater Northfield Sustainability Collaborative in 2013) - Create a reading/discussion group in partnership with the Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching with a focus on sustainability (COMPLETE - "this changes everything" book group) - Develop action guides for College departments and offices to help the campus community adopt widespread sustainability best practices and create opportunities to engage staff and faculty members in sustainability (PENDING) - Establish environmental and sustainability networks or organizations for faculty and staff members to include sustainability practices in their work, include in new employee orientation (PENDING)

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:
This information can be found in the 2011 Climate Action Plan. Install second wind turbine by fall 2011; 3378 MTCDe reduction Ongoing energy conservation efforts; 1770-2963 MTCDe reduction More efficient space utilization (life of plan); total reduction of 570 MTCDe Green building standards (life of plan); total reduction of 1140 MTCDe Central plant conversion to hot water w/ geothermal (timing TBD): 7600 MTCDe

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:
Lower baseline (2008) campus-wide energy use intensity by 20% over the life of the climate action plan (now to 2050). Achieve 10% reduction in carbon emissions per square foot of new construction from baseline expectations reported in the Climate Action Plan.

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:
We aim to audit 3-6 buildings per year, eventually building a continuous commissioning system that will allow us to monitor buildings on a "real time" basis. This information can be found in the 2011 Climate Action Plan and is referenced in the 2016 Utility Master Plan.

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:
Currently we purchase 23-24% (average) "real food" each year. Our general goal is to increase that percentage annually, but no formal target has been set.

Grounds 

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

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

Purchasing 

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

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

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:
TBD.

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:
Zero Waste by 2030. With a mission of continued education, outreach, and data utilization, Carleton’s campus will integrate zero waste into the culture and daily operations by 2030. This information can be found in the 2011 Climate Action Plan.

Water 

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

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

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:
N/A.

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:
Unknown.

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 institution has no formal, custom definition of sustainability but ascribes to the United Nations statement that sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Is the institution an endorser or signatory of the following?:
Yes or No
The Earth Charter No
The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) No
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) No
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:
Carleton signed on to the Second Nature Carbon Commitment in 2007. http://reporting.secondnature.org/institution/detail!2028##2028

The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
https://apps.carleton.edu/sustainability/about/cap/

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.