| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68.50 |
| Liaison | Derek Nichols |
| Submission Date | May 17, 2022 |
University at Buffalo
PA-1: Sustainability Coordination
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
1.00 / 1.00 |
Ryan
McPherson Chief Sustainability Officer Office of Sustainability |
"---"
indicates that no data was submitted for this field
Sustainability committee(s)
Yes
The charter or mission statement of the committee(s) or a brief description of each committee's purview and activities:
In November 2007, the Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC) was created to direct UB’s efforts toward fulfilling our commitment of achieving climate neutrality and ensuring that UB is moving toward sustainability. Since then, the ESC created, submitted and began implementation of a Climate Action Plan aimed at reducing UB’s net carbon emissions to zero by 2030.
The Environmental Stewardship Committee was constructed according to one basic principle: that individuals representing units of the university with the budget authority and operational capacity to implement a climate action plan should be intimately involved in creating, managing and monitoring the plan.
Building on the success of the Environmental Stewardship Committee, in early 2017 the university reconstituted the ESC to better embed sustainable thinking, practices and decision-making throughout the university via an integrated sustainability strategy. The new university wide Campus Operations Group (COG) works to leverage the expertise of campus representatives from across the university to identify, develop and, most importantly, implement sustainable strategies across the entire university. The COG consists of key campus leaders and leverages multiple working groups
In addition to the COG, the university also advances much of its sustainability work through its climate action plan which is led by 10 CAPtains who each chair working groups focused on advancing the development of each of UB's 10 in 10 strategies. These individuals represent a diverse range of units from across the university, indicative of the university-wide effort that will be needed to help UB achieve its larger goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 (see: http://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2020/04/climate-captains.html).
The Environmental Stewardship Committee was constructed according to one basic principle: that individuals representing units of the university with the budget authority and operational capacity to implement a climate action plan should be intimately involved in creating, managing and monitoring the plan.
Building on the success of the Environmental Stewardship Committee, in early 2017 the university reconstituted the ESC to better embed sustainable thinking, practices and decision-making throughout the university via an integrated sustainability strategy. The new university wide Campus Operations Group (COG) works to leverage the expertise of campus representatives from across the university to identify, develop and, most importantly, implement sustainable strategies across the entire university. The COG consists of key campus leaders and leverages multiple working groups
In addition to the COG, the university also advances much of its sustainability work through its climate action plan which is led by 10 CAPtains who each chair working groups focused on advancing the development of each of UB's 10 in 10 strategies. These individuals represent a diverse range of units from across the university, indicative of the university-wide effort that will be needed to help UB achieve its larger goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2030 (see: http://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2020/04/climate-captains.html).
Members of each committee, including affiliations and role:
Campus Operations Group:
Susan Kurowski, Associate Athletic Director
Beth Corry, Associate VP & Controller
Nicole Dell, Campus Dining & Shops
Jeff Smith, Associate VP for Marketing and Digital Communications
Sharon Nolan-Weiss, Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Mark Coldren, Associate VP Human Resources
Kara Saunders, University Registrar
Ryan McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer
Chris Austin, Director, Parking & Transportation
Chris Bartolomei, Interim Chief of Police
Jeff Angiel, Hazardous Materials Technician
Joe Raab, Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Tonga Pham, Associate VP, Facilities
Kara Kearney-Saylor, Director of Internal Audit
UB's 10 in 10 Climate Action Plan:
Beth Corry, Associate Vice President & Controller
Tricia Kandler, Director of Facilities and Building Procurement, Procurement Services
Mark Coldren, Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Christopher Austin, Director, Parking & Transportation
Christina Hernandez, Senior Associate Vice President for Student Life
William McDonnell, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Planning
Hadar Borden, Director, Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars and WNY Prosperity Fellowship Program
Tonga Pham, Associate Vice President, University Facilities
Ryan McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer
Susan Kurowski, Associate Athletic Director
Beth Corry, Associate VP & Controller
Nicole Dell, Campus Dining & Shops
Jeff Smith, Associate VP for Marketing and Digital Communications
Sharon Nolan-Weiss, Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Mark Coldren, Associate VP Human Resources
Kara Saunders, University Registrar
Ryan McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer
Chris Austin, Director, Parking & Transportation
Chris Bartolomei, Interim Chief of Police
Jeff Angiel, Hazardous Materials Technician
Joe Raab, Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Tonga Pham, Associate VP, Facilities
Kara Kearney-Saylor, Director of Internal Audit
UB's 10 in 10 Climate Action Plan:
Beth Corry, Associate Vice President & Controller
Tricia Kandler, Director of Facilities and Building Procurement, Procurement Services
Mark Coldren, Associate Vice President, Human Resources
Christopher Austin, Director, Parking & Transportation
Christina Hernandez, Senior Associate Vice President for Student Life
William McDonnell, Associate Vice Provost for Academic Planning
Hadar Borden, Director, Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars and WNY Prosperity Fellowship Program
Tonga Pham, Associate Vice President, University Facilities
Ryan McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer
Sustainability office(s)
Yes
A brief description of each sustainability office:
UB's sustainability model focuses on finding solutions to global challenges through research, creating sustainability literate citizens through our teaching, setting the bar high in our operations, and partnering with the external community. We strive to evolve, build resilience, and minimize our environmental footprint as illustrated by our aggressive commitment to become climate neutral by 2030.
The mission of UB Sustainability (UB's sustainability office) is to connect people across the university with the information, innovation, and tools to create a better future for UB and our community through sustainability. See: https://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/about-us.html for more information.
The mission of UB Sustainability (UB's sustainability office) is to connect people across the university with the information, innovation, and tools to create a better future for UB and our community through sustainability. See: https://www.buffalo.edu/sustainability/about-us.html for more information.
Full-time equivalent of people employed in the sustainability office(s):
3.80
Sustainability officer(s)
Yes
Name and title of each sustainability officer:
Ryan McPherson, Chief Sustainability Officer; Derek Nichols, Associate Director; Erin Moscati, Sustainability Education Manager; Carrie Zaenglein, Office Manager
Institution-wide coordination
Yes
A brief description of the activities and substantive accomplishments of the institution-wide coordinating body or officer during the previous three years:
As a public research institution, our model of sustainability focuses on finding solutions to global challenges through research, educating individuals about these challenges, setting high expectations of efficiency and effectiveness in our own operations, sharing our experiences, and partnering with the external community. Through an integrated and collaborative resource planning approach, UB has become a higher education leader in sustainability. Our commitment spans over 50 years — from the origins of the environmental movement at Love Canal to the innovative operational measures we take that continue to save the university millions of dollars every year. We strive to evolve, build resilience and minimize our environmental footprint by leveraging a triple bottom line approach that works to steward our natural resources, empower our staff, students, faculty and community while creating smart long term financially efficient strategies. This purpose through people, planet and prosperity approach is the core of our internal strategy to achieve the University’s overarching goals and is recognized across the nation as a model for sustainable higher education.
Our sustainability work starts with creating an environment that supports greater efficiency and cost savings in areas such as, but not limited to, procurement, financial reporting, budgeting and overall financial decision-making. This integrated approach leads not only to economic efficiency but also provides better levels of service to students, faculty and staff as we decrease our carbon emissions and adverse environmental footprint. The University’s Operational Excellence campaign — focused on making data-driven decisions — personifies this approach and can be seen in 13 business process and system improvement initiatives that are re-defining the way we operate here at UB. By framing our work in business services, human resources, resource planning and university facilities through a sustainability lens, we are leveraging technology and culture change to address the internal and global challenges we face. While some initiatives are yielding quick savings — U Plan, UB Edge, Capital Remapping & Redesign and E-Travel — the long term return on our efforts is empowering our people to create broad inclusive positive change and leveraging greater human capital in our work. This is exemplified by the university’s investment and commitment to institutionalizing a culture of equity and inclusion throughout our entire campus community. We have worked diligently with academic and administrative offices to develop strategies that empower all members of the campus community — whether faculty, students or staff — to achieve their full potential, unburdened by barriers to advancement based on stereotypes and bias.
Our stewardship goes beyond empowering our people and making efficient and smart long term economic decisions, it is also focused on building a better world for future generations. We are committed to creating sustainably literate individuals and the leaders of tomorrow through our teaching, research and engagement. This effort is exemplified through student focused initiatives such as the Education, Leadership Fellows in Sustainability, our entrepreneurial projects Erie Hack & the World's Challenge Challenge and leveraging our operations as a pedagogical teaching tool. Central to our engagement with the community is building capacity and playing a key leadership role in establishing the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable, the Western New York Environmental Alliance and our regional sustainable development plan known as One Region Forward. Our work is also reinforced through numerous other measurable goals including moving towards zero waste and our commitment & planning to become climate neutral by 2030. Our numerous renewable energy projects work in tandem with decades of energy conservation measures and sustainable capital construction that have resulted in substantial carbon reduction and cost savings, including purchasing 100% of the university’s overall electricity use from renewable energy sources. Our integrated purpose through people, planet and prosperity approach has enabled us to create positive momentum over the past few years to launch the innovative State of Sustainability report, achieve STARS gold certification from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and rank first among colleges and universities for using green power. We won New York State's Energy to Lead prize of $1 million and were recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Environmental Champion. More recently we were singled out by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation with its Environmental Excellence Award and named the top University in the world taking climate action by the Times Higher Education Impact Assessment. We are emboldened as we take pride in our accomplishments and are motivated to continue our journey of sustained resilient evolution for our University.
Our sustainability work starts with creating an environment that supports greater efficiency and cost savings in areas such as, but not limited to, procurement, financial reporting, budgeting and overall financial decision-making. This integrated approach leads not only to economic efficiency but also provides better levels of service to students, faculty and staff as we decrease our carbon emissions and adverse environmental footprint. The University’s Operational Excellence campaign — focused on making data-driven decisions — personifies this approach and can be seen in 13 business process and system improvement initiatives that are re-defining the way we operate here at UB. By framing our work in business services, human resources, resource planning and university facilities through a sustainability lens, we are leveraging technology and culture change to address the internal and global challenges we face. While some initiatives are yielding quick savings — U Plan, UB Edge, Capital Remapping & Redesign and E-Travel — the long term return on our efforts is empowering our people to create broad inclusive positive change and leveraging greater human capital in our work. This is exemplified by the university’s investment and commitment to institutionalizing a culture of equity and inclusion throughout our entire campus community. We have worked diligently with academic and administrative offices to develop strategies that empower all members of the campus community — whether faculty, students or staff — to achieve their full potential, unburdened by barriers to advancement based on stereotypes and bias.
Our stewardship goes beyond empowering our people and making efficient and smart long term economic decisions, it is also focused on building a better world for future generations. We are committed to creating sustainably literate individuals and the leaders of tomorrow through our teaching, research and engagement. This effort is exemplified through student focused initiatives such as the Education, Leadership Fellows in Sustainability, our entrepreneurial projects Erie Hack & the World's Challenge Challenge and leveraging our operations as a pedagogical teaching tool. Central to our engagement with the community is building capacity and playing a key leadership role in establishing the Western New York Sustainable Business Roundtable, the Western New York Environmental Alliance and our regional sustainable development plan known as One Region Forward. Our work is also reinforced through numerous other measurable goals including moving towards zero waste and our commitment & planning to become climate neutral by 2030. Our numerous renewable energy projects work in tandem with decades of energy conservation measures and sustainable capital construction that have resulted in substantial carbon reduction and cost savings, including purchasing 100% of the university’s overall electricity use from renewable energy sources. Our integrated purpose through people, planet and prosperity approach has enabled us to create positive momentum over the past few years to launch the innovative State of Sustainability report, achieve STARS gold certification from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and rank first among colleges and universities for using green power. We won New York State's Energy to Lead prize of $1 million and were recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as an Environmental Champion. More recently we were singled out by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation with its Environmental Excellence Award and named the top University in the world taking climate action by the Times Higher Education Impact Assessment. We are emboldened as we take pride in our accomplishments and are motivated to continue our journey of sustained resilient evolution for our University.
Optional Fields
Job description (1st position)
Chief Sustainability Officer
Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job description for the sustainability officer position:
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Job description (2nd position)
Associate Director
Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (2nd position):
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Job description (3rd position)
Sustainability Education Manage
Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Job description for the sustainability officer position (3rd position):
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Website URL where information about the institution’s sustainability coordination is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Please visit www.buffalo.edu/sustainability for more information
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.