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Clean Air-Cool Planet is the Northeast's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to finding and promoting solutions to global warming.
 Read about our current partners’ leadership efforts: Profiles in progress: College of the Atlantic Eastern CT State University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Roger Williams University Saint Joseph College
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University of Vermont Profile The University of Vermont (UVM, short for Universitas Viridis Montis, meaning “university of the green mountains”) has 7,500 undergraduate students, 1,050 graduate students, and 380 medical students; 1,000 faculty and 1,800 staff. Located overlooking Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont's largest city (population 40,000), UVM has nearly 300 buildings on its 425-acre main campus. Environment is a major focus of the university, along with liberal arts and health. About ten percent of undergraduates major in environmentally related areas, including natural resources, sustainable agriculture, environmental engineering, environmental science, and environmental studies. More than 250 environmentally related courses are offered across campus, and students participate in dozens of environmental projects on and off campus, as volunteers, interns, and researchers. UVM’s Environmental Council, created in 1996, has a full-time coordinator responsible for tracking environmental performance, recommending environmentally responsible practices, working with students, faculty, and staff on environmental projects, and connecting with the Burlington and Vermont community. The Council’s small grants program gives $500-1,500 to collaborative projects involving faculty, staff and students. The Coordinator maintains a "greening" website at www.uvm.edu/greening.
Past Initiatives The City of Burlington, Vermont has pledged to reduce emissions 10% below 1997 levels by 2012. In 2002, the UVM Environmental Council completed a comprehensive emissions inventory using Clean Air-Cool Planet’s inventory software. UVM works closely with the municipally owned electric utility and the gas company to increase efficiency. The University also has a relationship with the 10% Challenge, an educational program to reduce carbon emissions through behavior change. Energy and climate change are the topic of numerous classes, student projects, lectures, and activities. In February 2005 UVM hosted the Northeast Climate Conference, with help from student groups, the Environmental Council, and many interested faculty and staff on campus. Efforts to reduce energy use and carbon emissions span building efficiency, education, renewable energy projects, and transportation. BUILDING EFFICIENCY Energy efficiency measures have reduced electricity use by at least 5% and avoided the need for a significant amount of heating fuel since 1990. A $275,000 revolving loan fund established by the university trustees in 1992 funded initial efficiency efforts, followed by bonds totaling $2.5 million for energy efficiency and conservation. Projects include the following:
Read more about UVM’s efficiency upgrades by visiting the website of the Energy Management Office. EDUCATION In addition to informing the campus about the above programs and projects, the Physical Plant Department collaborates with faculty, staff, and students across campus to educate about energy efficiency and conservation:
UVM has also moved forward with renewable energy projects. UVM’s Physical Plant Department and Environmental Council collaborated on a residential-size solar panel project, supported by the Burlington Electric Department and the U.S. Department of Energy in 2001. Solar panels covering 500 sq. feet of roof space on the central heating plant not only provide up to 5 kW of electricity, but also serve as an online learning tool. The College of Engineering & Mathematical Sciences has a Comparative Alternative Energy Generation Testbed project to teach students about renewable energy. A 10-kw wind turbine was installed on campus in Fall 2005; a website, and kiosk showing real-time and historical data will be developed in the next several months. TRANSPORTATION UVM has moved to reduce its transportation emissions as well. In the early 1990s, the University created a zoned parking system, banned freshman cars on campus, and began using shuttles. After a pilot test prompted by an Environmental Studies thesis in 2001, all eight campus shuttles now run on bio-diesel (B20), emitting approximately 20% less carbon dioxide and almost 100% less sulfur dioxide. UVM is a member of the Burlington-based Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA), whose annual survey results show a decline in the use of single-occupant vehicles to campus, with a rate of less than 70% at UVM compared with local and national rates of 80%. UVM has received a designation as one of the nation’s Best Workplaces for Commuters.
Current Initiatives The University is now working towards co-generation of heat, chilled water, and electricity for the new buildings on campus; revising its utility master plan; and implementing a green building policy using LEED™ as a standard. Efficiency and cleaner energy sources will play a key role in these plans.
Future Initiatives The Environmental Council is tracking GHG emissions using Clean Air-Cool Planet’s calculator, and plans to publish a report in 2005-6. UVM will continue energy and water audits and conservation upgrades of all campus buildings. Gioia Thompson, Environmental Coordinator, is spearheading an effort by several Northeast campuses to develop a common methodology for tracking and reporting normalized data on sustainability "indicators" on campus, including GHG emissions reductions.
Contact Gioia Thompson |