Sustainability Action Plan
SAP Progress Report & Highlight
Progress Reports | Highlights |
---|---|
2017-2018 | N/A |
2018-2019 | N/A |
2020-2021 | N/A |
2021-2022 (PDF) | N/A |
2022-2023 | 2022-2023 Highlights |
2023-2024 | 2023-2024 Highlights |
Learn more about Western’s sustainable progress on the sustainability dashboard.
Chapter Summaries
Western has been a leader in many areas of sustainability since it established the nation’s first College of the Environment, Huxley, in 1969. Our students voted to collectively fund the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits in 2005, making Western the first campus in the US to offset 100% of its carbon emissions from electricity usage with a self-imposed student fee. In 2007 Western became one of the first 50 signatories to the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment. In 2015 Western established the Institute for Energy Studies, an interdisciplinary program that brings together science, technology, public policy, business and economics to prepare graduates to address the complex issues in sustainable energy. This year, the Sierra Club recognized Western as one of the top 30 sustainable schools in the US. Western continues to innovate through its academic programs, student-led initiatives to bring in local food to the dining halls, and staff enterprises to create innovative solutions to antiquated practices.
With this tradition of environmental leadership, one might ask why Western needs a Sustainability Action Plan. Our vision is for sustainability to be something that all members of the Western community can embrace and put into practice here on campus, as well as in their home lives and communities. As we expand our understanding of the impact of human activities on the world, our perception of what it means to be sustainable grows.
Another reason for Western to adopt a Sustainability Action Plan is to honor the way sustainability is interconnected with our core values around social and economic justice. While living wages and social justice may seem distantly connected to carbon emissions and recycling, a sufficiently global and informed perspective reveals that a truly sustainable world must be as just as it is green.
Western’s path to a sustainable future will be determined by our students, staff, and faculty, and it must be bold. This Sustainability Action Plan is the product of voices from all sectors of the University, and I am grateful for the passion, commitment and hope that they have invested in this comprehensive and aspirational document. It reflects our values and vision, not only for what we hope Western will become, but for the kind of world we want to live in and help create.
Sincerely,

President Sabah Randhawa
Western Washington University graduates will be instilled with an appreciation and understanding of the impact of human choices on people around the world and the planet itself. Those graduates will be force multipliers, taking their knowledge and passion to the home and workplace, promoting, influencing, and encouraging responsible, sustainable, and ethical practices in all aspects of their lives.
While some would argue that current climate conditions are simply a result of natural climactic cycles, the evidence is irrefutable that human activities directly contribute to the types of emissions that are associated with climate change. Global warming is now recognized as one of the most important threats to ecological sustainability and human civilization. Global surface temperatures are on the rise, snow packs and glaciers are melting, and ocean levels are rising.
These changes are also impacting social equity across the globe, aggravating climate sensitive diseases and inhibiting the abilities of developing nations to enhance the quality of life for their citizens. The strategies included in Western’s Climate Action Plan must not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also meet the needs of low-income communities. Part of sustainability is consideration of economic equity and social justice. Historically, we have seen poor people throughout the world and in our community suffer the most from both the impacts and the suggested mitigations of environmental threats and catastrophes. Our plan must make social justice a priority.
As such, the solutions our community proposes and implements must be sensitive to a broader set of societal concerns. Addressing climate change locally is not only an opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also an opportunity to build a positive, community-based movement which results in increased empowerment, civic pride, and improved quality of life.
This Sustainability Action Plan is both a strategic and tactical document that brings together a number of important initiatives and plans across campus, including Western’s Climate Action Plan, the Sustainability Academy’s White Paper, and Western’s Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS) report. The purview of the SAP includes ten areas of activity that reflect the framework of STARS, the standard for campus sustainability assessment.
In 2014, the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee was charged by President Shepard to critically review the Presidents’ Climate Commitment and 2010 Climate Action Plan and offer prioritized recommendations to fulfill Western’s obligations with regard to those commitments.
This Sustainability Action Plan addresses the continuing need for programs that improve and enhance Western’s brand of sustainability, sets a vision for growing the intellectual and curricular scope of our influence, while continuing to operate in a budget constrained environment. The plan identifies goals, strategies, metrics, and benchmarks that collectively will keep Western at the forefront of sustainable universities.
To produce the plan, the Committee engaged the entire campus through a series of public meetings, participatory seminars, and ongoing surveys. Students, faculty, and staff provided over 1,800 comments and suggestions that are integrated into both the strategic goals and the recommended actions and metrics that will contribute to realizing those goals. To ensure the broadest involvement in the process, the Committee formed ten teams focused on nearly every function of the university. Participation was open to volunteers, however efforts to recruit team members also focused on individual expertise, interest, and diversity.
Some of the recommendations within the SAP are immediately actionable, while others will require new technology and/or changes to the economic picture. Many recommendations will have to compete in our resource allocation process and may not be funded in time to meet some of the articulated aspirational goals.
Western builds, supports, and sustains equitable and mutually enhancing relationships throughout our campuses, our communities, the Salish Sea region, and the world.
Western curricula and research support social, economic, and environmental sustainability through diverse perspectives.
Western inspires graduates who create a sustainable world by integrating social, economic, and ecological justice practices into their lives.
Western realizes outstanding resource efficiency and carbon neutrality in its facilities portfolio.
Western provides healthy, delicious meals that reflect diverse cultures, encourage learning about the impacts of consumer food choices, and support socially and economically just, and ecologically responsible food production and delivery systems.
Western fosters awareness of sustainable practices through the wise management of natural resources and the protection of air and water quality.
Western provides and promotes sustainable alternatives in the procurement of goods and services.
Western enables and empowers everyone to choose safe, accessible, sustainable transportation throughout the campus, community, and the world.
Western is a zero-waste institution through leadership, operations, education, and engagement.
Western utilizes additional non-financial criteria such as environmental, social and governance scoring in its analysis of securities for its investment purposes.
SAP Progress at a Glance
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Carbon Neutrality: Reduce the carbon intensity of university energy supply sources and achieve 100% net university carbon reduction. | Objective 1.1: In the short term, identify and implement financially viable carbon reduction projects to reduce carbon emissions by 15%, per state requirements, by 2020. | |||
Objective 1.2: In the mid-term, where reduction is not yet technologically feasible, seek and commit to credible carbon offsets for all continuing direct hydrocarbon use by 2030. | ||||
Objective 1.3: In the long term, achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, first through reduction and secondly through offset. | ||||
Goal 2: Maximize cost-effective energy efficiency investments in university buildings, while steadily improving building performance and occupant comfort and health. | Objective 2.1: Continue reduce the need for new construction by prioritizing the use of current facilities. | |||
Objective 2.2: Develop energy performance targets and sustainable design standards by 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Minimize light pollution while maximizing energy efficiency in exterior lighting by 2025. | ||||
Objective 2.4: Adopt policies or guidelines designed to minimize energy use and emissions from non-fixed assets such as refrigerators, freezers, custodial, and other mobile equipment by 2025. | ||||
Objective 2.5: Employ clean, renewable energy sources on- or off-campus to offset demands by 2030. | ||||
Objective 2.6: Design a university plan to support deep, holistic renovations and energy efficiency investments by 2035. | ||||
Objective 2.7: Design, construct, renovate, and operate buildings using a closed-loop process involving minimal to no waste in all processes by 2035. | ||||
Goal 3: Green Building Certification: Acquire third party certification of the environmental performance of new and existing university buildings through the USGBC’s LEED certification or equivalent process. | Objective 3.1: Complete the USGBC’s LEED Gold certification or equivalent for all new and fully renovated buildings starting in 2018. | |||
Goal 4: Utilize accepted Low Impact Development (LID) practices as standard to reduce rainwater/storm-water volume, improve outgoing water quality, and make on-campus use of collected rainwater. | Objective 4.1: Apply LID to all new construction, major renovation and other projects that increase paved surface area or otherwise significantly change university grounds by 2035. | |||
Goal 5: Build and maintain publicly accessible databases of energy use, water consumption, and carbon emissions for all university buildings. | Objective 5.1: Build and maintain a publicly accessible database of available information for ongoing energy consumption and emissions for all university buildings by 2018. | |||
Objective 5.2: Build and maintain a publicly accessible database of available information for ongoing water consumption for all university buildings by 2018. | ||||
Objective 5.3: Build and maintain a publicly accessible database of available information for ongoing carbon emissions for all university buildings by 2018. | ||||
Goal 6: Develop an active learning, living laboratory within Western’s built environment. | Objective 6.1: Expand support for courses and co-curricular programs for students that teach about local and regional stewardship solutions through skill development and campus and community engagement beginning fall 2017. | |||
Total | Complete | 0 | 4 | 4 |
In Progress | 12 | 7 | 9 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 4 | 5 | 3 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Western is internally organized to support university and community engagement to advance sustainability. | Objective 1.1: Complete a university-wide public engagement alignment process to enhance Western's structure and function for public engagement by fall 2019. | |||
Objective 1.2: Commit to a university-wide system for qualitative and quantitative assessment of public engagement efforts by fall 2019. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Follow recommendations of alignment process to incentivize community engagement for faculty, staff, and students throughout the university beginning fall 2021. | ||||
Goal 2: Western's culture and community engagement efforts reflect a strong commitment to sustainability. | Objective 2.1: Redevelop student, staff, faculty, and visitor orientation programs to emphasize Western's commitment to education for sustainability beginning spring 2017. | |||
Objective 2.2: Expand courses and co-curricular programs for first-year students that teach about local and regional sustainability issues through community engagement beginning fall 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Improve interpretation of Western-owned grounds to enhance understanding and appreciation of the unique cultural and environmental history of the area by 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.4: Establish sustainability-related interactive experiences, cooperatively designed and supported by WWU and community partners, to help build relationships among members of Western, and with the broader community by 2019. | ||||
Objective 2.5: Create a system for continually learning about (listening and dialoguing) evolving local to global sustainability opportunities and challenges by 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.6: Support the efforts of regional campuses to enhance their sustainability activities. | ||||
Goal 3: Western recruits and retains faculty and staff who focus on sustainability. | Objective 3.1: Enhance web materials that enable the public to access sustainability resources beginning fall 2017. | |||
Objective 3.2: Increase use of vibrant, visible, and accessible venues across the Salish Sea Region for community sustainability events beginning fall 2018. | ||||
Goal 4: Western engages respectfully with Coast Salish Peoples in recognition that the university occupies traditional Coast Salish lands. | Objective 4.1: Create a university-wide tribal advisory committee to advise the President and University community on issues such as curriculum, campus life and gathering spaces, interactive facilities and operations, and engagement opportunities by 2018. | |||
Objective 4.2: Establish a permanent tribal liaison position to build relationships between Western and the Coast Salish communities by 2018. | ||||
Objective 4.3: Expand and enhance institutional partnerships and collaborations with tribal institutions beginning fall 2017. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 1 | 1 |
In Progress | 9 | 9 | 9 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 5 | 4 | 4 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Western’s curricula provide all students opportunities to nurture and create the conditions for a thriving society, economy, and environment (SEE). | Objective 1.1: Increase enrollment to 50 students by 2022 in the Sustainability Studies minor. | |||
Objective 1.2: Every major has curricular options that include sustainability content by 2020. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Identify and promote opportunities for engaged learning in the area of sustainability by 2020. | ||||
Objective 1.4: Expand sustainability related student research opportunities [Independent Study Projects (ISP)] to all interested students by 2020. | ||||
Goal 2: Western supports scholarship and teaching that contribute to the understanding and promotion of sustainability. | Objective 2.1: Commit resources to promote Washington Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WAHESC) by 2020. | |||
Objective 2.2: Provide funding for three faculty and staff across disciplines to attend conferences that promote sustainability beginning 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Establish internal funding for sustainability research starting summer of 2019. | ||||
Goal 3: Western recruits and retains faculty and staff who focus on sustainability. | Objective 3.1: Maintain annual funding of a total of $10K for up to ten Sustainability Fellows. | |||
Objective 3.2: Create a tenure-track faculty line devoted to sustainability by next biennium (2019-2021). | ||||
Objective 3.3: Increase faculty capacity to offer sustainability-related curriculum by 2019. | ||||
Goal 4: Western is home to an Institute for Sustainability (IS). | Objective 4.1: Develop a 5-year strategic plan for the Institute of Sustainability by 2019. | |||
Objective 4.2: Begin fundraising campaign for Institute of Sustainability in 2019. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In Progress | 8 | 9 | 7 | |
On hold | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
No Known Progress | 4 | 2 | 2 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Research and explore new and emerging technologies, practices, and policies to increase sustainable performance in existing and new dining facilities. | Objective 1.1: Create a more efficient model to deliver food service to campus by 2019. | |||
Objective 1.2: Achieve sustainable maintenance and renovation practices, and equipment purchasing by 2035. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Reduce resource consumption (such as water, energy) by 10% of current baseline by 2035. | ||||
Goal 2: Increase environmental best practices for dining service providers and vendors. | Objective 2.1: Ensure 100% packaging of goods that University Dining Services produces is compostable/recyclable by 2020. | |||
Objective 2.2: Increase local/regional food purchasing; WA, OR, ID, BC to 25% by 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Increase REAL food purchases to 25% by 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.4: Implement a vendor environmental practices survey by 2020. | ||||
Goal 3: Provide resources and opportunities for the campus and community to increase understanding and engage in sustainable food practices. | Objective 3.1: Continue educating campus and surrounding community about healthy and sustainable consumption practices. | |||
Objective 3.2: Develop a mutually-enhancing relationship between Outback and University Dining Services beginning in 2017. | ||||
Objective 3.3: Explore funding options for offsetting increased costs to students as UDS works to meet Real Food Challenge and other local, regional food commitments beginning in 2017. | ||||
Objective 3.4: Continue to engage with the local and regional community to develop a sustainable food system model that links local producers with larger consumer entities. | ||||
Goal 4: Become zero-waste in all campus dining locations. | Objective 4.1: Develop a recycling and compost program for all retail (dining) locations and their offices that results in zero waste by 2020. | |||
Objective 4.2: Develop a recycling and compost program for all residential dining halls and their offices that results in zero waste by 2020. | ||||
Objective 4.3: Develop a recycling and compost program for all catering sites and their offices that results in zero waste by 2020. | ||||
Objective 4.4: Establish a monitoring system to identify base-line waste metrics by 2025. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In Progress | 7 | 3 | 8 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 8 | 12 | 7 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Reduce the consumption of natural resources in grounds maintenance. | Objective 1.1: Develop and implement the use of a preferred plant species list to reduce water consumption for each landscape type–formal, semi-formal, and native–by fall 2017. | |||
Objective 1.2: Develop a dashboard of irrigation water consumption per irrigated area by fall 2017. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Evaluate the viability of rain and soil moisture sensors to reduce excess water consumption starting fall 2017. | ||||
Objective 1.4: Increase and enhance the use of compost and yard debris used on campus for moisture retention and weed suppression beginning 2018. | ||||
Goal 2: Reduce air and noise pollution using sustainable landscape equipment. | Objective 2.1: Evaluate all equipment requests to determine whether a viable electric alternative exists beginning 2017. | |||
Objective 2.2: Reduce carbon impact of vehicles and equipment to the Outdoor Maintenance shop as budget allows. | ||||
Goal 3: Reduce pesticide use through Integrated Pest Management. | Objective 3.1: Continuing education classes in Integrated Pest Management for all gardeners, annually. | |||
Objective 3.2: Establish baseline of pesticide reduction by 2018. | ||||
Goal 4: Enhance stormwater treatment and reduce pollutant runoff from impervious surfaces across campus. | Objective 4.1: Continue to protect water quality by complying with all DOE-required stormwater maintenance activities. | |||
Objective 4.2: Establish regular street-sweeping contract to reduce potential pollution runoff to surface waters by 2020. | ||||
Goal 5: Provide education on sustainable practices and utilize campus grounds to foster environmental stewardship. | Objective 5.1: Continue goal of employing at least six (6) seasonal student employees in the Outdoor Maintenance shop. | |||
Objective 5.2: Continue to improve the educational component of the student employee program. | ||||
Objective 5.3: Make available educational opportunities on and around Western-owned grounds to enhance understanding and appreciation of the unique environmental setting of Western and its relationship to other global ecosystems. | ||||
Total | Complete | 1 | 3 | 3 |
In Progress | 7 | 10 | 10 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 5 | 0 | 0 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Increase awareness and adoption of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria in the selection of WWU investments. | Objective 1.1: Give due consideration to ESG criteria exercised by the companies and/or funds in which University investments are made. | |||
Objective 1.2: Make investment holdings information publicly available, including but not limited to fund performance against ESG metrics (as available). | ||||
Goal 2: Through its decision-making and communication processes, the university will ask the Foundation Board to consider including additional investment criteria, including ESG, in its selection of investments or investment managers, and communicate those decisions to the university community. | Objective 2.1: Support the Foundation in publicizing its Climate Aware Investment option to prospective donors, by the end of 2018. | |||
Objective 2.2: Ask the Foundation Board to consider setting a goal to have a meaningful amount of endowment holdings invested in the Climate Aware Fund by June 30, 2021. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Ask the Foundation Board to consider requiring investment advisors to include ESG criteria as part of their due diligence process when hiring investment managers that may manage Foundation funds, either directly or indirectly by the end of 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.4: Ask the Foundation Board to consider mandating that any investment advisor responding to an RFP be a signatory to (UNPRI) by the end of 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.5: By the end of 2018, ask the Foundation Board to consider inclusion in any agreement with an investment advisor that if the advisor ceases to be a signatory to UNPRI or follow those principles, the Foundation may terminate the agreement. | ||||
Objective 2.6: Ask the Foundation Board to consider, at such time as the Foundation makes investments itself, becoming a signatory to UNPRI. | ||||
Goal 3: Students understand both Western’s and the Foundation’s investment processes. | Objective 3.1: Advance educational opportunities for greater student learning in the management and oversight of endowments and sustainable investing. | |||
Objective 3.2: Provide learning opportunities for students to evaluate the critical difference(s) between various types of sustainable investing and traditional investments. | ||||
Total | Complete | 2 | 2 | 2 |
In Progress | 3 | 3 | 4 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
No Longer Applicable | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Encourage the use of sustainable businesses. | Objective 1.1: Develop “Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines” within Procurement processes, inclusive of lifecycle accountability, vendor information, embodied energy and emissions, and social equity practices. | |||
Objective 1.2: Acknowledge the importance of purchases from local and regional businesses. | ||||
Goal 2: Increase the percentage of use of sustainable products and natural resources throughout our supply chain. | Objective 2.1: Increase the use of recycled and reclaimed products. | |||
Goal 3: Increase the number of sustainable materials and supplies available in the bookstore for students and greater campus. | Objective 3.1: Increase percentage of purchases from local and regional businesses by 10% by fiscal year 2018. | |||
Objective 3.2: Increase sustainable textbook options by 10% by fiscal year 2018. | ||||
Objective 3.3: Develop key criteria to evaluate suppliers when we consider the introduction of new products and the replenishing of existing ones by fiscal year 2018. | ||||
Objective 3.4: Continue to improve the visibility of the bookstore’s sustainable offerings. | ||||
Goal 4: Prioritize methods of accessing library materials that have a smaller carbon footprint. | Objective 4.1: Encourage faculty to request and use materials purchased in e-form rather than paper. | |||
Objective 4.2: Encourage faculty to use resource sharing opportunities like document delivery and Inter-Library Loan (ILL), rather than ordering materials. | ||||
Objective 4.3: Encourage publishers to use more sustainable materials in their publications. | ||||
Goal 5: Designate the Facilities Management Fleet Services as the institutional office responsible for coordinating and supporting all university vehicle (specialized, departmental, and fleet) purchase and life-cycle decisions. | Objective 5.1: Consolidate the coordination of university vehicle purchases and life cycle management. | |||
Objective 5.2: Develop a vehicle procurement guide as part of the greater university e-procurement process. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In Progress | 5 | 6 | 5 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 7 | 3 | 4 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Students have a solid foundation for understanding cultural and global interdependence. | Objective 1.1: Increase participation in programs that connect students to sustainability in the local, regional, and global community beginning fall 2017. | |||
Objective 1.2: All first-year Western students, including transfers, will engage in co-curricular programs around social, economic, and environmental (SEE) justice as part of their first year of experience at Western, beginning fall 2020. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Begin and/or enhance collaborations with other local education institutions in developing and supporting SEE justice co-curriculum: local schools, Whatcom Community College (WCC), Northwest Indian College (NWIC), and Bellingham Technical College (BTC) by 2020. | ||||
Goal 2: Students gain knowledge and insight of sustainability through structured community and campus-based co-curricular experiences. | Objective 2.1: Enhance and increase co-curricular opportunities for student participation in campus-based sustainable practices beginning fall 2017. | |||
Objective 2.2: Increase student participation in service learning and civic engagement that connects to SEE sustainability beginning fall 2017. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Improve sustainability literacy throughout co-curricular learning beginning in 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.4: Increase opportunities for students to engage in SEE sustainability-focused projects, research, and grants beginning 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.5: Develop co-curricular education and outreach programs targeting sustainable living practices by 2018. | ||||
Goal 3: SEE sustainability principles are integrated in student career and lifelong practices. | Objective 3.1: Cultivate student capacity and efficacy in creating positive change in SEE sustainability by 2025. | |||
Objective 3.2: Increase pathways into SEE sustainability-based careers available to WWU students beginning fall 2017. | ||||
Objective 3.3: Graduating students have a demonstrated commitment to lifelong SEE sustainability by 2035. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In Progress | 8 | 10 | 9 | |
On Hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 3 | 1 | 2 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Western recognizes its role as a member of the larger transportation community and engages in local, regional, and state transportation issues and solutions. | Objective 1.1: Develop an integrated University Transportation Plan, including all components of campus transportation by fall 2018. | |||
Objective 1.2: Pursue Western representation on the City of Bellingham Transportation Commission for sharing data, providing input on planning processes, and cooperation on shared goals beginning in 2017. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Pursue an integrated relationship between Western and Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) executive and planning staff, and the WTA Board, establishing a framework for collaboration on current and future goals beginning in 2017. | ||||
Objective 1.4: Include Western employee and student transportation options in community resilience and disaster preparedness planning, and in communication to the broader campus community by 2020. | ||||
Objective 1.5: Identify and measure the current efficacy of transportation options for equitable access to local institutions of higher education, including Western’s extension campuses by 2025. | ||||
Objective 1.6: Begin advocacy at the state level for regional connectivity that supports reduced student reliance on automobile travel starting in fall 2017. | ||||
Goal 2: Improve safety for users of all transportation modes through education and infrastructure improvements, prioritizing by vulnerability. | Objective 2.1: Adopt Vision Zero for campus by fall 2018. | |||
Objective 2.2: Identify and develop a list of pedestrian and bicycle access and safety improvements to campus infrastructure, including service roads by June 2018. | ||||
Goal 3: Reduce climate impacts of employee and student Western-related ground travel. | Objective 3.1: Reduce employee drive alone commute rates by 10% annually over the next five years improving bus, bicycle, walking, and carpooling options. | |||
Objective 3.2: Reduce commuter student-driving rates by 10% annually for the next five years improving bus, bicycle, walking, rideshare and car-share, and carpooling options. | ||||
Objective 3.3: Reduce impacts of regional university-related ground travel 10% annually over the next five years. | ||||
Goal 4: Reduce climate impacts of Western-related air travel. | Objective 4.1: Collect and make publicly available, data on all air travel by fall 2018. | |||
Objective 4.2: Provide options to travelers for off-setting carbon by 2020. | ||||
Objective 4.3: Pursue a carbon off-setting system that benefits the local community beginning in 2020. | ||||
Goal 5: Annually decrease impacts of university fleet vehicles. | Objective 5.1: Reduce the GHG emissions of the university fleet [by 10%] by fall, 2018. | |||
Objective 5.2: All Western-owned vehicles continually meet WA State requirements for greenhouse gas emissions. | ||||
Objective 5.3: Collect information for all university fleet vehicle usage and energy consumption by 2018. | ||||
Objective 5.4: Carbon neutrality for every university-owned vehicle by 2035. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 0 | 1 |
In Progress | 10 | 13 | 11 | |
On hold | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
No Known Progress | 8 | 2 | 3 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Goal | Objective | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Goal 1: Create uniform waste collection receptacle standards across Western, providing compost, recycling, and landfill bins. | Objective 1.1: Provide portable recycling and composting receptacles with appropriate signage for all events hosted on Western property and by Western-affiliated groups, beginning fall 2018. | |||
Objective 1.2: Eliminate paper towel waste by 2020. | ||||
Objective 1.3: Expand and improve collection of non-traditional recyclable materials beginning fall 2020. | ||||
Objective 1.4: Divert waste from the landfill by providing opportunities for campus to recycle and compost effectively and efficiently by 2025. | ||||
Objective 1.5: Identify funding sources to expand Big Belly recycling program during the 2017-2019 biennium. | ||||
Goal 2: Institutionalize management practices and policies for waste collection. | Objective 2.1: Create mechanisms to connect the different departments that manage waste by fall 2020. | |||
Objective 2.2: Institute quarterly waste management meetings across stakeholders to address issues and propose improvements to waste reduction systems, by fall 2017. | ||||
Objective 2.3: Formalize, with Facility Design and Capital Budget staff, Big Belly recycling stations as a university standard for outdoor bins by 2018. | ||||
Objective 2.4: Formalize Western's Ban on Single-Use water bottle sales by fall 2017. | ||||
Objective 2.5: Create an engaged citizenry, consistent expectations, and student buy-in to waste reduction by fall 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.6: Manage waste wisely at all events hosted on Western property and by Western-affiliated groups by fall 2020. | ||||
Objective 2.7: Initiate systematic waste data-collection beginning winter 2019. | ||||
Objective 2.8: Implement a Zero Waste Certification program beginning winter 2020. | ||||
Goal 3: Provide opportunities for waste reduction education to Western faculty, staff, students, and visitors on accepted waste reduction practices. | Objective 3.1: Continue to create and improve opportunities for students to be directly involved with Zero Waste Western. | |||
Objective 3.2: Provide waste reduction training to all staff and faculty beginning in 2020. | ||||
Goal 4: Reduce electronic and hazardous waste. | Objective 4.1: Develop a framework for a university-wide centralized chemical purchasing system by 2022. | |||
Objective 4.2: Reduce quantity of hazardous academic lab waste per student by 2030. | ||||
Objective 4.3: Improve university-wide usage and replacement of computers, especially in general use computer labs by 2022. | ||||
Total | Complete | 0 | 0 | 0 |
In Progress | 9 | 5 | 8 | |
On hold | 2 | 0 | 1 | |
No Known Progress | 7 | 13 | 9 | |
No Longer Applicable | 0 | 0 | 0 |