Energy Research, Policy and Campus Sustainability

Initiatives

As Boise State rapidly advances and grows as a research university of distinction, we must ensure that we do so with mindful focus on creating a campus with an environmentally neutral footprint while advancing research in sustainability.

President’s Climate Commitment

In 2007, President Kustra joined more than 400 college & university leaders by signing the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which commits Boise State to developing and executing a comprehensive plan to become climate neutral within 3 years. As part of that commitment, Kustra created the OERPCS and designated it as the office responsible for guiding the plan’s development and implementation.

The commitment requires signatories to initiate two or more tangible actions to reduce greenhouse gases while the more comprehensive plan is being developed. The OERPCS has selected the following:

• Campus Building Policy
  Establish a policy that all new campus construction will be built to at least the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver standard or equivalent.
  The policy being drafted will mandate that new buildings meet energy efficiency standards far in excess of current building codes.
• Transportation
  Encourage use of and provide access to public transportation for all faculty, staff, students and visitors at our institution. As we proceed with our GHG inventory, it seems clear that commuting will be among the largest contributor to the emissions. Promoting public transportation, car pooling, bicycling and other options will be an important part of the new OERPCS.
• Waste Minimization
  As part of the Presidents’ Climate Commitment, the OERPCS will establish a comprehensive campus-wide recycling program which will incorporate the best practices of the existing programs. Additionally, Boise State will participate in the Waste Minimization component of the national RecycleMania competition, and adopt 3 or more associated measures to reduce waste.
  1. The AVPERPCS will host a "Recycling Summit" on campus to coordinate the various recycling efforts on campus.
  2. The AVPERPCS will be developing a waste stream reduction plan, with the goal of dramatically reducing the overall waste stream of the campus.
  3. The campus is currently re-negotiating the beverage vending contracts and the impact of the contract on sustainability will be a consideration.

Campus Recycling

Boise State students, faculty and staff have initiated several recycling programs on campus, including:
the SUB; Campus Housing; Facilities Operations & Maintenance; and athletics.