The College Makes the Green Grade

Environmental initiatives at Champlain College are having a measurable effect on the institution’s carbon footprint—and earning accolades in the process. According to a study conducted by Spring Hill Solutions, a carbon management and energy solutions consulting firm based in Burlington, Vermont, Champlain’s greenhouse gas emissions per student are among the lowest for colleges in the northern U.S.

The study inventoried emissions related to such energy uses as facility heating; student, faculty, and staff commuting; travel to study abroad locations; and waste generation. On a per-student basis, Champlain’s emissions are some of the lowest calculated for the northern U.S. Factors in this performance include a compact campus with a low building-to-student ratio, few energy-intensive labs, use of lowemissions energy sources by the Burlington Electric Department, and proactive energy and transportation management initiatives.

Study results showed that nearly half of Champlain’s carbon footprint comes from transportation-related emissions, which the College has been working to address through a range of transportation options, such as free access for faculty and staff to the Chittenden County Transportation Association bus system.

The study will become a guiding document for improving the College’s energy efficiency and environmental impact. According to Michel George, vice president of Capital Planning & Auxiliary Services, those next steps include establishing carbon reduction goals and a management plan; continuing to integrate cost-effective energy efficiency, conservation, renewable energy, and sustainable design into new construction and renovation projects; and broadening the team of students, faculty, and staff working to promote changes in campus policies and operations. “We hope that our partnerships with Burlington Electric Department, Chittenden Solid Waste District, and Campus Area Transportation Management Association, coupled with our own initiatives, will enable us to reduce our carbon footprint even more and to become a collegiate and community leader in addressing climate change,” George says.

—Staff report