Pepperdine University

Pepperdine’s university management committee passed a sustainable stewardship policy. The university practices water conservation and uses native vegetation on campus. Sustainable cleaning supplies and recycled paper products are used. The director of regulatory affairs functions as the sustainability officer, and there are ten positions in other departments that focus part-time on sustainability.

Pepperdine has installed energy-efficient lighting, including fluorescent bulbs and LED lighting, in construction, remodeling, and retrofits. A central automation system controls lighting and HVAC systems to minimize energy consumption.

Dining services offers fair trade coffee and spends 32 percent of the food budget on local items. Ecotainers are used in place of Styrofoam. The school has achieved a 40 percent diversion rate, including electronic and hazardous waste. Pepperdine composts landscaping waste for mulch.

Pepperdine designs buildings according to LEED criteria, and the feasibility of certification is being considered for a new project. Construction projects have used recycled carpet tiles, low-emission VOC paints and flooring, centrally controlled automation systems, natural gas heating systems, and low-flow toilets and showers.

Pepperdine’s Surfrider Foundation engages students in improving water quality in the Pacific Ocean. The Volunteer Center has an environmental program that is student-led and engages students in green service projects, including trail restoration and maintenance, as well as creek cleanups.

The facilities management and planning department has a fleet of 20 electric vehicles. There is a shuttle service around campus and Malibu, as well as a ridesharing program and 12 subsidized vanpools. Mass transit users and carpoolers receive subsidies and are eligible to receive prizes in monthly drawings.

The university makes a list of endowment holdings and its proxy voting record available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community at the investment office. Information on endowment holdings is also available upon request and on a password-protected website.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in renewable energy funds. Some real estate managers factor sustainability into making real estate investments.

The university provides its investment managers with guidelines that determine proxy votes.