THE YEAR IN SUSTAINABILITY ANNUAL REPORT, FISCAL YEAR 2015

Transcription

1 THE YEAR IN SUSTAINABILITY ANNUAL REPORT, FISCAL YEAR 2015

2 OUR MISSION The Sustainability Institute acts as convener, cultivator and champion of sustainability across campus, in the state and region, and around the world. The Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire is recognized nationally as a leading authority on sustainability within higher education. We work closely with students, faculty and staff on campus and practitioners from all sectors in our own community and beyond to bring learning in sustainability to life. Our unique, collaborative approach helps reveal the powerful, practical and positive impacts of sustainability by cultivating a deeper and broadly shared understanding of its true nature. We believe sustainability goes far beyond green and extends across and beyond disciplines, from the food we eat to the culture in which we live. By integrating this view of sustainability into the heart of our curriculum, operations, research and engagement, we encourage personal, local and national examples of genuine leadership in the field of sustainability. 2 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

3 When I assumed my position as director of the Sustainability Institute at UNH in 1997, sustainability as principle and practice in higher education was still emerging. Today, almost 20 years later, sustainability is an established and competitive arena for positive change across higher education internationally. As a leader in this movement, UNH has much to celebrate: an undergraduate degree in EcoGastronomy, an international symposium on the central role of the humanities in sustainability, a sustainability science research collaboratory, and a collaborative social innovation challenge. We ve developed the largest transit system in the state, run mostly on alternative fuels and clean technologies and EcoLine, a landmark project that diverts methane from the atmosphere by piping filtered landfill gas from a landfill to campus to fuel our power plant. We also established the first organic dairy research farm in the nation that serves as a long-term agroecosystem study site, and the Campus Carbon Calculator used by thousands of higher education institutions brought additional successes, many of which are highlighted in this report and all of which are built on collaboration connecting across the campus and deeply into the community. As we look ahead to the coming year we see a never ending need and opportunity for creative collaboration. Among the most exciting is the establishment of the new undergraduate dual major in sustainability, expected to launch in the spring of This new offering will immerse students in an innovative curriculum with flexible pathways involving transdisciplinary learning served by innovative pedagogy. This new dual major is a unique curricular initiative in undergraduate education for sustainability, that draws on many disciplines and fields of practice that will empower the next generation of sustainability leaders. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm. Tom Kelly, Director Chief Sustainability Officer The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

4 Fellowships 2014 Applicants Fellowship Alumni Climate Fellows: Pairing outstanding students with projects that will propel the US toward a low-carbon future. In 2014, the Sustainability Institute at UNH became the new home of the Climate Fellows program, originally launched by our long-time partner Clean Air-Cool Planet. The program matches exceptional college students from diverse backgrounds with high priority climate solutions projects. Through this nationally advertised and highly competitive program, students receive skills training, mentoring, networking opportunities, and a stipend for full-time summer projects undertaken with a wide range of partner organizations. 4 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

5 CURRICULUM I learned as much in my 10 weeks as a Climate Fellow as I did in my four years here as an undergrad. Or at least, I got to apply and experiment with my learning more than ever before. This experience changed me Tegan O Neill, 2014 Climate Fellow The Campus as Collaborative Curriculum What kind of learning can happen when you pool knowledge from teams of students from across campus, the Lamprey Professor of Climate and Sustainability, and staff from Campus Energy and Planning and the Sustainability Institute? The kind of learning that leaves a lasting impact on everyone involved and on our campus. In what has become an annual tradition over the past fifteen years, students in Global Environmental Change (ESCI 405) worked with their Professor, Cameron Wake, and in partnership with members of the UNH Energy Task Force to review WildCAP, UNH s climate action plan. Student teams evaluated strategies and opportunities for campus energy and greenhouse gas management and in the process developed their analytical, interviewing and negotiation skills; they also gained interdisciplinary insight into the UNH campus as a socioecological system where leadership and collaboration intertwine with biogeochemical cycles and technology to address climate change. The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

6 50 % 32 % GHG reductions goal for 2020 (from 2001) Progress to date 44 % Amount that UNH s carbon footprint is below the national campus average STARS Gold The Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS) was developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to provide a complete and nuanced picture of the ways in which a campus embraces sustainability across its curriculum, research endeavors, operations, and administration. In 2014, the Sustainability Institute worked with partners from every part of campus to document and publicly report UNH s performance and once again achieved a Gold rating, putting the University in the top 5% of colleges and universities nationwide when it comes to sustainability. 6 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

7 OPERATIONS Sustainability is a core value and pillar of the UNH identity that inspires and challenges us. We want to build on all of the great work that UNH has already done and we re charting the pathway to take things to the next level to continue our national leadership. Chris Clement, UNH Vice President for Finance and Administration WildCAP In 2014, the Sustainability Institute worked with the UNH Energy Task Force to update and continue implementation of the University s Climate Action Plan, called WildCAP, and our annual Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHGI). WildCAP lays out a path to a 50% reduction in the institution s carbon footprint by 2020 through a combination of energy efficiency, conservation, and use of clean, renewable energy; for example, in early 2015, UNH began purchasing hydropower from a small local dam. The 2014 GHGI confirms that UNH continues to be on track to meet the 50% by 2020 goal. The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

8 % kg N/person/year - The average U.S. Nitrogen footprint kg N/person/year - The amount of that footprint attributable to food consumption (or 20.5 kg N/person/year) - The amount of the food-related nitrogen specifically from average U.S. individual meat production and consumption Nitrogen inventory Management of excess nitrogen is a critical component of ecosystem health, climate change and therefore sustainability. In 2014, UNH was asked to join the first cohort of universities in the nation to pilot a nitrogen inventory and management tool for campuses. The Sustainability Institute is supporting and hosting a PhD researcher who is helping spearhead this national effort. Through participation in this program, UNH is contributing to the development of an important methodology and tool for institutions one that we are now working to integrate into our nationally-recognized Carbon Management and Analysis (CarbonMAP) platform, used by campuses across North America. 8 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

9 RESEARCH It s exciting to contribute to rigorous scientific inquiry on nutrient pollution here at UNHSI knowing that my work will directly improve sustainability on this campus (and many others). Allison Leach, Nitrogen Footprint Researcher and UNH graduate student Sea-level Rise, Storm Surges, and Extreme Precipitation in Coastal New Hampshire: ANALYSIS OF PAST AND PROJECTED TRENDS a PUBLICaTION OF THE SUSTaINaBILITY INSTITUTE at THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW HaMPSHIRE a Climate Solutions New England Climate Solutions New England (CSNE) is a collaborative, regional initiative to develop and assess integrated solutions that respond to climate change and advance overall sustainability. The initiative is coordinated by the Sustainability Institute, which supports engaged scholarship by UNH faculty in various disciplines to advance regional solutions to climate change. In FY 2014, the Sustainability Institute supported and published research that included an updated assessment of climate change impacts across NH and New England; a new report on climate change and health for the state of NH; and a new report on coastal flooding. All of this research is aimed at providing relevant and timely data for policy- and decision-makers in NH and the region. The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

10 The continuous donations of fruits and veggies give us a platform to talk about gratitude, giving back to your community, and hunger in New Hampshire and beyond. Bonnie Powers, kitchen manager, Phoenix House Dublin Food Solutions New England Food Solutions New England (FSNE) is a regional, collaborative network coordinated by the Sustainability Institute that is organized around a single goal: to transform the New England food system into a resilient driver of racial equity and food justice, health, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities. In 2014, FSNE released A New England Food Vision, a collaborative report that considers the future of our region: a future in which food nourishes a social, economic and environmental landscape that supports a high quality of life for everyone, including generations to come. 10 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

11 ENGAGEMENT New Hampshire Farm to School Established in 2004, New Hampshire Farm to School (NHFTS) facilitates connections between New Hampshire farms, fishermen, and K-12 schools that support learning, community building and economic opportunity. Over the past year, NHFTS provided trainings and ongoing technical support to schools and farmers across the state. Through its New Hampshire Gleans project, over 65,000 pounds of produce was harvested from local farms and distributed to local food pantries, soup kitchens, community suppers, and schools. The year ended with a new collaborative vision that will broaden the beneficial impacts of NHFTS volunteers in the gleaning program of NHFTS farms in the gleaning program of NHFTS recipient organizations in the gleaning program of NHFTS The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

12 FY15: FUNDING SOURCES SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE Endowment 53% Gifts from Individuals* 15% Gifts from Foundations 22% Thomas W. Haas Endowed Professorship in Sustainable Food Systems 4% Grants 5% Other 1% * Major individual contributions from Josephine A. Lamprey Professorship in Climate and Sustainability, the Josephine A. Lamprey Climate Fellowship, and Eve and Leo Pierce Jr., Food Solutions New England Fund. 12 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

13 FINANCIAL OVERVIEW FUNDERS Alan and Harriet Lewis Andrew W. Bateman Ben & Jerry s Foundation Castanea Foundation Charles T. and Marion M. Thompson Foundation of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Claneil Foundation Corey S. Johnson C&S Wholesale Grocers Flatbread Portsmouth Inc. Geoffrey T. Freeman Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation Henry P. Kendall Foundation High Meadows Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation Hubbard Family Island Foundation, Inc. Jane s Trust Foundation Josephine A. Lamprey Josephine A. Lamprey Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation John Merck Fund Katherine Leone Leichtag Foundation Leo and Eve Pierce Melissa W. McCoy Megabus Merck Family Fund Panta Rhea Foundation Proteus Fund Rebecca R. Turner Robert G. Schoen Ruth and James Ewing Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Ryan A. McPherson Sand Dollar Fund Share Our Strength Solidago Foundation Susanne Satterfield Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Stephen Zwerling Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation Vermont Community Foundation You Have Our Trust c/o the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

14 SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE TEAM 14 The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2015

15 Staff Tom Kelly Founding Director Chief Sustainability Officer Jennifer Andrews Sustainability Project Director Jackie Cullen Communications & Information Coordinator Elisabeth Farrell Sustainability Project Director Colleen Flaherty Program Support Assistant Maureen Miller Business Manager Project Staff Erin Allgood Project Coordinator New Hampshire Food Alliance Erin Hardie Hale Research & Planning Associate New Hampshire Food Alliance Stacey Purslow Program Coordinator New Hampshire Farm to School Johanna Rosen Community Organizer & Communications Coordinator Food Solutions New England Jennifer Wilhelm Research & Planning Associate New Hampshire Food Alliance Faculty Scholars Joanne Burke Thomas W. Haas Professor in Sustainable Food Systems Paul Kirshen Climate Education Initiative Faculty Scholar Paula Salvio Culture & Sustainability Faculty Scholar Cameron Wake Josephine A. Lamprey Professor in Climate & Sustainability Fiona Wilson Faculty Scholar Fellows and Interns Sakib Ahmed 2014 Climate Fellow Briana Brand Energy Task Force Ambassador Raija Bushnell 2014 Climate Fellow Katie Carbonara New Hampshire Food Alliance Fellow Alicia Chevoor Communications Intern Casey-Marie Claude 2014 Climate Fellow Rebecka Flynn 2014 Climate Fellow Daniel Horner 2014 Climate Fellow Sarah Large 2014 Josephine A. Lamprey Climate Fellow Allison Leach Nitrogen Footprint Researcher Tegan O Neill 2014 Climate Fellow Naomi Odlin Culture & Sustainability Initiative Intern Katie Rocci Biodiversity Education Initiative Intern Alejandra Ruiz Office Assistant Megan Schiappa Nitrogen Footprint Intern Deanna Silva Data Collection & Reporting Intern Nick Shaw Climate Data Intern Ruby Woodside 2014 Thomas W. Haas Climate Fellow The Sustainability Institute Annual Report, Fiscal Year

16 131 Main Street 107 Nesmith Hall Durham, NH p) f) sustainableunh.unh.edu