Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University is developing its first comprehensive sustainability strategic plan to be completed in spring 2009. The plan is supported by faculty, staff, and student sustainability advisory councils. The university will be formally soliciting input from the campus community, alumni, and community stakeholders on the strategic plan through public forums.

The university completed a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and has begun the next phase of planning to determine its emissions reduction goals. The university has undertaken considerable measures to increase energy efficiency.

Dining services attempts to incorporate locally produced food as often as possible, based on demand and the growing season. Cage-free eggs, fair trade coffee, and organic produce are served. All beef, pork, and poultry products are antibiotic-free. Dining services has also made an effort to reduce waste by purchasing biodegradable food containers. The university runs a comprehensive recycling program.

The university has committed to meet LEED Silver standards, at a minimum, for all new construction and major renovations initiated in 2008 or later. The university has one LEED-certified building, eight registered for certification, and seven in the planning stages. The university is working on a program to recommission the operation of its existing buildings through the LEED-EB program.

The Student Green Council, consisting of student leaders and representatives from all ten green student groups, serves as one of the advisory councils for the sustainability strategic plan and coordinates all student sustainability events. The university has planned a 2008 Freshmen Reading Program formed around a book on global climate change and is planning its first Eco-Olympics.

Washington University provides members of the campus community with a U-Pass for the public bus and rail system. More than 17,000 of the 25,000 eligible participants have enrolled in the U-Pass program. The university has created a campus master bicycle plan and began a car-sharing program on its Danforth and medical campuses with six hybrid vehicles.

The university makes a list of endowment holdings available to trustees, senior administrators, and other select members of the school community at the investment office. Information on proxy voting records is not made public.

The university aims to optimize investment return and is currently invested in community development loan funds. The university is also exploring renewable energy funds or similar investment vehicles.

The university asks that its investment managers handle the details of proxy voting.