A Sustainability State of Mind Smart Growth for UMaine as a Green Campus with

Blue Sky Thinking

Paul W. Ferguson

September 26, 2013

The Sustainable University

“…for a chief executive officer or trustee committee chair, sustainability is now as much about strategy as operations, as much about broad institutional identities as individual position papers..”

The Sustainable University (Marten and Samels, 2012)

A Vision for Change

The Blue Sky PlanSustainability became one of the guiding principles and areas of distinction for the new university strategic plan, The Blue Sky Plan (2012-2017).

The Blue Sky Process renewed UMaine’s commitment, as a Land Grant University, to “return to our roots, becoming once again the transformational institutions we were intended to be” (Kellogg Commission, 2001).

A Vision for Change

The Five Major Blue Sky Pathways

Serving Our State: Catalyzing Maine’s Revitalization Securing Our

Future: Ensuring Financial Sustainability.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.Securing Our Future: Ensuring Financial Sustainability

Embracing a Culture of Excellence: Promoting Spirit of Community and Collaboration

Transforming Lives: Strengthening the UMaine Undergraduate and Graduate Experience

Restoring the Dream: Renewing Pride and Stewardship of Place

The University of Maine: Our Challenges

The “State” We’re In• By 2030, citizens over 65 will comprise 25% of Maine’s population.

• Maine’s health care costs are 24% higher than the national average.

• Maine’s electric rates are 60% higher than the national average.

• 25% of Maine’s roads are rated as poor or mediocre.

• Maine currently is 45th in the nation in average earnings per worker. In 2011, Maine had the lowest rate of income growth (3.4%) in the country, compared to the national average of 5.1%.

• College costs in Maine as a percentage of personal income have grown by 10% since 2000.

• Since 1999, relative % of UMaine’s annual budget from state appropriations has been reduced by 21% (63%-42%).

Public research universities are catalysts of economic and workforce development, cultural enrichment and lifelong learning

“UMaine is striving to be a leader in training the next generation of environmental innovators who will be confident in their ability to incorporate the latest and most exciting findings in natural systems and renewable energy research into the day to day workings of the global marketplace.” UMaine Climate Action Plan, 2010

On campus student groups such as the Green Team, Green Campus Initiative, and the Sustainability Alliance.

Collaboration with Auxiliary Services to promote single-stream recycling, trayless dining, pulping post-consumer waste, and expanding use of local foods (currently at 17% of all food served).

Blue Bike Project offers over 90 bikes and shuttle bus service. Manage 13,000 acres of forest with 2,600 acres held by the

UMaine Foundation for a “green” land endowment to fund student scholarships and internships.

Sustainability at UMaine

Formal Academic Degree Programs

MBA Business Sustainability Track. M.S. in Renewable Energy and the Environment with a

focus on deepwater wind energy. M.S. in Quarternary and Climate Studies M.A. in Global Policy, concentration in International

Environmental Policy B.S. in Sustainable Horticulture.

Sustainability at UMaine

Major Research Units and Programs

Over the last 5 years UMaine has obtained nearly $110 M in extramural funding for sustainability-related research. Climate Change Institute Advanced Structures and Composites Center Forest BioProducts Research Institute Center for Research on Sustainable Forests Schools of Earth and Climate Sciences, Food and Agriculture,

Marine Sciences, Biology and Ecology Senator George J. Mitchell Center-Home of the Sustainabilty

Solutions Initiative.

Sustainability at UMaine

Sustainable Energy Management and Procurement Practices

Actual accumulated 2012 cost savings from trended base calculations since 2005 are $7,400,342 for purchased electricity and $8,666,905 for purchased fuels.

Total campus trash generation down 35% since 2007. Campus recycling rate for common household materials up 37% since

2007. Since 2005, despite an additional growth of 200,000 gsf, total campus

energy use has decreased by 5% due to fuel switching and efficiency upgrades.

Since 2005, Campus Scope 1&2 Greenhouse Gas emissions have been reduced by 24% using less carbon-intensive fuels. Campus Carbon Neutrality projected by 2040.

Sustainability at UMaine

President’s Climate Action Plan (2013)

Climate Change represents one of the greatest challenges of our time, but is a challenge uniquely suited to America’s strengths. Our scientists will design new fuels, and our farmers will grow them. Our engineers will devise new sources of energy, our workers will build them, and our businesses will sell them.

All of us need to do our part..

A Vision for Change

Lasting Impressions