Florida State University–Tallahassee

College Sustainability Report Card 2009

The Sustainable Campus and Community Committee addresses environmental concerns on the Florida State University campus. The committee is also calling for the creation of a sustainability office and coordinator. A website details various initiatives that the university has undertaken.

A graduate student at FSU has completed a carbon emissions inventory. The university has implemented a campus-wide energy and utility savings program and has reworked lighting controls under the football stadium to reduce nighttime use by more than 50 percent. Construction on a 42-megawatt biomass plant is scheduled to commence shortly on the Southwest Campus.

Florida State sources from local farms and dairies, and fair trade coffee is available. The university recycles paper, cardboard, and glass in addition to surplus office furniture, vehicles, and equipment. Some yard waste is composted at the university’s nursery and the rest is taken to the county dump, where it is processed into landscaping mulch. All to-go containers will be biodegradable, effective September 2008, and there will also be a discount for using a refillable mug.

FSU design guidelines and specifications require LEED certification as the minimum standard for major construction projects, with a goal to strive for Silver certification. Two buildings are pending LEED certification and two more LEED buildings are scheduled for completion in fall 2008. The nearly complete off-grid, zero-emission building is completely solar powered, with excess electricity used to produce hydrogen for energy storage.

Student organizations at FSU include the Environmental Service Program, Noles for a Sustainable World, and Greeks Going Green. A residence hall competition for maximum energy savings will take place in fall 2008.

Students, faculty, and staff have unlimited, free access to citywide buses and the campus shuttle. Some areas of campus have been closed to vehicles to promote a pedestrian-friendly environment. Employees who carpool have ride-matching resources and are guaranteed a ride home.

The university and the Florida State University Foundation have no known policy of disclosure of endowment holdings or its shareholder voting record.

The university and the Florida State University Foundation aim to optimize investment return and have not made any public statements about investigating or investing in renewable energy funds or community development loan funds.

The university and the Florida State University Foundation have not made any public statements about active ownership or a proxy voting policy.