Woodrow Wilson School Policy Task Force:

Development of Policy Initiatives for the Sustainable Use of Energy

at Princeton University

Presentation to the Princeton administrationMay 9, 2007

Organizing Principlefor a Sustainable Princeton

Miriam Chaum

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

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

Pre

sent

2 m

onth

s

Institutionalization

1 ye

ar

Emissions Inventory

2 ye

ars

Comprehensive Plan

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

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.

Ben Steiner

Findings from ENV ST01

• 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

Princeton University Carbon Dioxide Emissions

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1990 CO 2 emissions: 110,000 mt 2006 CO 2 emissions: 125,000 mt

Achieve Carbon-Neutrality Immediately

• 77% is off-campus offsets. Costs $350,000/yr. No Sexy-Tech

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Offsets

• Known on-campus projects can cut 2020 emissions by 26% at cost of $690,000/yr

• Insufficient for Executive Order No. 54

Achieve Executive Order No. 54 by 2020 On-Campus

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0 20 40 60 80Reduced Emissions (1000 mt CO2/yr)

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• 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

Achieve Executive Order No. 54 by 2050 On-Campus

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Total Power Steam CHW

~3.5%/yr decline in CO2 emissions

1990 CO 2 emissions: 110,000 mt 2006 CO 2 emissions: 125,000 mt

~1%/yr decline in CO2 emissions

The Ethics of Passing the Buck: The Role of Renewable Energy Certificates and Carbon Offsets

Molly Rapoport

• 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

The Ethics of Off-site Purchasing

• 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

Renewable Energy Certificates/Credits

• 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

Offsets

• 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

Recommendations

Developing Princeton’s Office of Sustainability

James Kuczmarski

Revised Structure

President

Director of Engineering

Sustainability Manager

Interns

Assoc. Sus. Manager

Admin.VP of

Facilities

Executive VP

Sus. DesignCoord

Climate Coord.

Transport. Coord.

Vice Provost

Admin.Provost

Admin. Assistant

Elements of Campus Sustainability Efforts

Budgets and Funding

Publicity Efforts

Metrics for Success

Office of Sustainability

Overarching Philosophy

Commitment from Top

Management

Chain of

Administrative Command

Active Engagement of Students and Faculty

1

6

5

4

3

2

Funding

• 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

Applying the Elements to Princeton

Current Structure Revised Structure

Key

Top Management Office of Sustainability Academics

Facilities Students

President

Director of Engineering

Sustainability Manager

ljlkj

InternsAssoc. Sus. Manager

Admin.VP of

Facilities

Executive VP

President

Director of Engineering

Sustainability Manager

Interns

Assoc. Sus. Manager

Admin.VP of

Facilities

Executive VP

Sus. DesignCoord

Climate Coord.

Transport. Coord.

Vice Provost

Admin.Provost

Admin. Assistant

Applying the Elements to Princeton (2)

• Element Two: Chain of Administrative Command

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

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

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

Jonah Wagner

• 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.

Why Student Groups?

• 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.

Princeton’s Goals in Engaging Student Activism

• 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

Recommendations

• 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

Recommendations (2)

Green Buildings and Infrastructure Growth

Aaron Buchman

Princeton’s energy use is growingOptions:

1) Augment our local generating capacity2) Purchase more electricity from grid3) 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

Growing Campus: Cause for Change

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

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

Connor Cobean

Campus Transportation

Aspects of Transportation

•Employee Commuting

•Transportation Demand Management

•Faculty Air Travel

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 *

• 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

Transportation Demand Management

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

• Direct CO2 reductions – meeting emissions goals

• Foster a “green” campus culture

• Commit to addressing Princeton’s full, and most accurate, ecological footprint

Benefits of Transportation Emission Reductions

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.

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