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The Sustainability Office was created in 2001 after two years of planning and more basic volunteer sustainability efforts.
The Sustainability Office’s mission includes advancing “ecological integrity, economic prosperity and social equity” and seeking to “catalyze the development and implementation of sustainable policies, practices and curricula for all members of the University community.”
Buildings completed in the past few years serve as one example of their efforts. The FedEx Global Education Center includes planted areas on the rooftops that absorb moisture and toilets that flush with rainwater. In 2005, Carrington Hall became the first building in the UNC-system to be certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council. Part of Morrison Residence Hall’s renovation included the installation of solar panels.
Students currently pay $4 a semester for a sustainability fee that funds renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, which generates an annual budget of over $200,000.
UNC clearly wants to be seen as a leading institution for sustainability and environmental stewardship, but apparently not when it comes to its money.
The UNC Sustainability Office and various student environmental groups met Tuesday in the Student Union’s Great Hall for a celebration of campus sustainability initiatives.
The event, Campus Sustainability Day, featured displays of on-campus efforts for students to tour.
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