Woodrow Wilson School Policy Task Force: Development of Policy Initiatives for the Sustainable Use of Energy at Prince

1. Woodrow Wilson School Policy Task Force:Development of Policy Initiatives for the Sustainable Use of Energy at Princeton University Presentation to the Princeton administration May 9, 2007

2. Organizing Principlefor a Sustainable Princeton Miriam Chaum

3. Introduction • Princeton is one of the world’s finest universities • The University has shown an enduring commitment to climate change research, technology, and policy development • Carbon Mitigation Initiative • Cooperative Institute for Climate Science • Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) • Universities across the U.S. are making ambitious efforts to reduce their own emissions • Princeton has the potential to become a leader among these colleges and universities • The recommendations of this Task Force are possible first steps in fostering a more sustainable Princeton

4. Institutionalization Emissions Inventory Comprehensive Plan 1 year 2 years Present 2 months Part 1: University Presidents Climate Commitment • Princeton’s Goal • Carbon neutrality achieved immediately using offsets • Characteristics • Eliminates carbon footprint • Establishes Princeton as a leader • Provides forum for collaboration with other institutions • Opportunity to effect national policy change

5. Part 2: Corzine’s Executive Order No. 54 • Princeton’s Goals • Reduce on-campus emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 • Reduce on-campus emissions to 80% below 2006 levels by 2050 • Characteristics • Annual offset purchase will function as a self-imposed carbon tax and encourage on-campus reductions • Long-term with some lead time • Good start in findings of ENV-ST01 • Will require creativity and encourage participation of campus community

6. Two-Part Organizing Principle • President Tilghman signs the Presidents Climate Commitment as soon as possible and commits Princeton to carbon neutrality immediately through offset purchases. • Simultaneously, Princeton commits to Governor Corzine’s Executive Order No. 54 through on-campus emissions reductions.

7. Findings from ENV ST01 Ben Steiner

8. Princeton University Carbon Dioxide Emissions • 1990 emissions = ~110,000 mt of CO2 • 2006 emissions = ~125,000 mt of CO2 • BAU 2020 emissions = ~190,000 mt of CO2 • 42% CO2 emissions reduction necessary to meet Executive Order No. 54

9. Achieve Carbon-Neutrality Immediately • 77% is off-campus offsets. Costs $350,000/yr. No Sexy-Tech

10. Achieve Executive Order No. 54 by 2020 On-Campus • Known on-campus projects can cut 2020 emissions by 26% at cost of $690,000/yr • Insufficient for Executive Order No. 54

11. Achieve Executive Order No. 54 by 2050 On-Campus • Meeting the 2050 goal of 80% emissions reductions from present levels on-campus would require dramatic changes in energy use on campus • Meeting the 2050 goal requires a greater annual % change than the 2020 goal

12. The Ethics of Passing the Buck: The Role of Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets Molly Rapoport

13. The Ethics of Off-site Purchasing • Global warming is a global problem • Universities are academic and research leaders • Special obligation to go beyond off-site purchasing • Experiment with on-site renewables and set an example • Fulfilling the President’s Climate Commitment • Off-site purchasing may allow us to reach carbon neutrality immediately • Jump start sustainability program • But must assure additionality of purchases • Additionality • The difference between the amount of energy produced with the REC or offset and the amount of energy that would have been produced had the REC or offset not been purchased. • The difference between RECs and offsets: neither are a long term solution, but they can be a good start

14. Renewable Energy Certificates/Credits • What is a REC? • Represents the environmental benefits of 1 MWh of electricity from a renewable energy source added to a certain power grid • Often from wind farms or solar arrays • $0.50 to $10 per MWh • Challenges • No guarantee of additionality • price instability • lack of regulation • No local benefits • Ethically questionable choice for Princeton • Except as part of multi-university initiative

15. Offsets • What is an offset? • A credit financing a part of a project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions below business as usual trajectory • Possesses additionality by definition • $5 to $25 per ton of CO2 • Clear Criteria: additionality, ability to quantify benefits, permanence, meticulous monitoring, verification, registration, and clear known ownership • Challenges of illegitimate offsets • Lack of regulation and transparency • Unreliability of carbon sink and “leakage problem” • No local benefits • Purchases are time sensitive • Informed and interested consumers can easily overcome these challenges and find and purchase legitimate and dependable offsets

16. Recommendations • Princeton jump start its sustainability program by purchasing offset projects and go carbon neutral right now - fulfill President’s Climate Commitment • Princeton can ensure the legitimacy of offsets and ascertain additionality making offsets an ethical choice in the short run • Once the sustainability program is on its feet, move towards on-campus initiatives as Yale has done • Offsets are not a long term solution • Princeton can extend its academic and research leadership into the realm of environmental sustainability • Undertake some projects that many other universities may not be able to afford and set an example among the academic community: Princeton’s special responsibility as the wealthiest university in the US per student

17. President Executive VP Provost VP of Facilities Admin. Admin. Director of Engineering Vice Provost Admin. Assistant Sustainability Manager Assoc. Sus. Manager Climate Coord. Transport. Coord. Interns Sus. Design Coord Revised Structure Developing Princeton’s Office of Sustainability James Kuczmarski

18. Elements of Campus Sustainability Efforts 1 2 4 Funding 5 3 6

19. Applying the Elements to Princeton • Element One: Commitment from Top Management “Princeton should grow in a manner which is sensitive to geography, sensitive to energy and resource consumption and works to sustain strong community relations” - Shirley Tilghman • University should sign the President’s Climate Commitment • Specify any desire for research and curricula focusing on local and regional sustainability issues

20. President Executive VP VP of Facilities Admin. Director of Engineering ljlkjInterns Sustainability Manager Assoc. Sus. Manager Key Top Management Office of Sustainability Academics Facilities Students Applying the Elements to Princeton (2) • Element Two: Chain of Administrative Command President Executive VP Provost VP of Facilities Admin. Admin. Director of Engineering Vice Provost Admin. Assistant Sustainability Manager Assoc. Sus. Manager Climate Coord. Transport. Coord. Interns Sus. Design Coord Revised Structure Current Structure

21. Applying the Elements to Princeton (3) • Element Three: Metrics for Success • Establish metrics to assess the extent of sustainability education and research • Element Four: Budgets and Funding • Expand budget • Create an endowment • Launch a revolving loan fund

22. Applying the Elements to Princeton (4) • Element Five: Publicity Efforts • Establish new channels of communication • Monthly newsletter • Send university-wide emails with sustainability updates • Publish columns in university publications • Element Six: Active Engagement of Students and Faculty • Continue student outreach • Enhance the sustainability curriculum (eg. summer workshop) • Offer compensation for incorporating sustainability into class syllabi • Encourage sustainability professionals to offer classes • Create a joint-appointment faculty member

23. Green from the Bottom Up:University Endorsement of Student Grassroots Initiatives to Reduce Campus Energy Use Jonah Wagner

24. Why Student Groups? • Empirically, student grassroots sustainability initiatives are: • Low-cost • Widespread and well-integrated in the student body • Result-oriented • They have been somewhat effective at Princeton, but they have been highly effective at other universities.

25. Princeton’s Goals in Engaging Student Activism • Increase the publicity and visibility of campus environmental issues. • Foster a self-sustaining ‘green’ culture on campus. • Become a leader in the Ivy League in student energy conservation and GHG emissions reduction.

26. Recommendations • Increase funding for the Office of Sustainability • Broaden scope to provide direct, unsolicited assistance to student sustainability groups and initiatives • Create incentives for energy conscious lifestyle changes among the student population • Install energy monitors with real-time data feeds in student dormitories • Establish a baseline of student energy usage from which to gauge the impacts of University energy conservation initiatives • Increase collective student body energy awareness

27. Recommendations (2) • Create options for sustainable living on campus • Rezone and retrofit old dormitories with energy efficient appliances and living products. • And/or Construct sustainable student housing • Construct a carbon neutral environmental campus center • Model for sustainable development on campus • Hub for campus environmental activity and discourse

28. Green Buildings and Infrastructure Growth Aaron Buchman

29. Growing Campus: Cause for Change Princeton’s energy use is growing Options: 1) Augment our local generating capacity 2) Purchase more electricity from grid 3) Reduce demand by improving energy efficiency in new and renovated buildings • Why choose to reduce demand? • Reduces Princeton’s carbon footprint • Reduces operating costs • Avoid infrastructure expansion • Increases options for supplying energy

30. Other Benefits of Green Buildings • Healthier buildings: fewer sick days • Some efficient features are also perks for occupants: more windows, better temperature control • Public recognition • Attract top students and faculty, who are increasingly environmentally-conscious • Recruit environmentally-conscious donors, alumni

31. Recommendations • Bring sustainability into the pre-project stage • Set Ambitious but Achievable Sustainability Goals • Imagine a building optimized for efficiency in energy and cost: Demand that level of efficiency • Allow architects aesthetic flexibility – let them choose how to reach that goal • Alter the Lifecycle Cost Comparison Study process • Devote comparison efforts where they count most • Expect higher future energy costs • Reconsider LEED certification • New campus-specific standards suit the Princeton context

32. Campus Transportation Connor Cobean

33. Aspects of Transportation • Employee Commuting • Transportation Demand Management • Faculty Air Travel

34. Employee Commuting • Become named a “Best Workplace for Commuters” by the EPA and Department of Transportation • Carpool/vanpool program • Incentive programs (eg. preferential parking) • Subsidize public transit • Create a campus coordinator of commuting • Publicly commit to 15% reduction in number of employees to drive to work alone within 18 months • * Start charging for parking *

35. Transportation Demand Management • Create an Transportation Demand Management program within the Office of Sustainability • Give this program the power to affect campus planning • Commit to alternative transportation rather than increasing parking supply • Fund program with parking fees • The Cornell model

36. Air Travel • Construct at least one high-end video-conferencing center (but at a nominal cost to users) • Offer incentives for professors • Require professors to record travel through the Travel Portal

37. Benefits of Transportation Emission Reductions • Direct CO2 reductions – meeting emissions goals • Foster a “green” campus culture • Commit to addressing Princeton’s full, and most accurate, ecological footprint

38. Key Recommendations • Overarching Recommendation • Sign Presidents Climate Commitment and achieve carbon neutrality immediately through offset purchases • Meet Governor Corzine’s Executive Order No. 54 through on-campus emissions reductions • ENV ST01 Results • Immediate carbon neutrality could be achieved through offset purchases costing $350,000/yr. 77% of emissions reductions would be off campus • Known on-campus projects can cut 2020 emissions by 26% at cost of $690,000/yr • Princeton should jump start its sustainability program by purchasing offset projects rather than RECs to go carbon neutral right now.

39. Key Recommendations (2) • The Office of Sustainability should be used to institutionalize the commitment to sustainability • Endorse and encourage student grassroots emission reduction efforts • Emphasize green buildings through an improved design process • Develop a Transportation Demand Management program within the Office of Sustainability