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About Us

Working and learning in a physical environment inspired by one of the nation's most renowned architectural and social innovators, the University of Virginia community has a strong commitment to the tenets and practices of sustainability. A sense of personal and corporate responsibility at all levels has produced diverse activities designed to address climate change and environmental deterioration here and around the globe. We believe that our success lies in our integrated approach. While the University requires each unit to include measurable sustainability objectives among the critical functions in its annual reporting cycle, we also allow the freedom and flexibility for initiatives and ideas to flow from individual students, faculty and employees.

This website is a portal intended to assist the University community and others to visualize how U.Va. demonstrates its leadership in sustainability. By any measure, we are leaders in energy and water conservation, stormwater managements, recycling, and transportation. Our new 2008 Grounds Plan will promote progressively higher standards for sustainable planning and design, providing flexibility in achieving sustainability goals over the next decades. At the same time, we are using tools such as the SPeAR™ to continuously assess our activities in the areas of natural resources, environment, social, and economic. Through our commitment to SPeAR™ and other tools we will advance sustainability initiatives within our institution, taking into account what successes we have achieved and what challenges remain.

As a center of learning and a research institution envisioned by Thomas Jefferson as illustrating the "illimitable freedom of the human mind," we recognize the need to lead by example. The University of Virginia is committed to providing all members of our community – especially our students, who represent the leaders of tomorrow – with the knowledge and tools necessary to address the environmental challenges facing us today.

If you have comments or questions regarding our program, contact the following persons in the offices below:

Energy, Water Conservation, Recycling
Armando de Leon, Manager of Sustainability Programs
Lindsey Daniels, Sustainability Outreach Coordinator

Transportation
Becca White, Director, Parking and Transportation

Land Use/LEED
Andrew Greene, Sustainability Planner

Dining and Student Housing
Rich Kovatch, Associate VP for Business Operations

Policies


Timeline

Sustainability Initiatives as of August 2008

  • 2008 – Gro Harlem Brundtland, special envoy on climate change at the United Nations, and a former director-general of the World Health Organization, received the 2008 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture at the University of Virginia. [University]
  • 2008 – UVa establishes three new positions to support broad based sustainability program – a (1) Sustainability Planner in the Office of the Architect; a (2) Sustainability Outreach Coordinator and a (3)Sustainability Program Manager in Energy and Utilities to coalesce resource initiatives under one umbrella (energy, water conservation, storm water stewardship, outreach, and recycling).
  • 2008 – The UVa Sustainability Panel becomes the President's Committee on Sustainability in support of the increased importance of sustainability practices at the University. [University]
  • 2008 - UVa completes an initial Baseline Greenhouse Gas Assessment establishing its current carbon footprint through 2007, as the next step in monitoring and reduction of emission impacts. [Office of Environmental Health and Safety]
  • 2008 – Following the completion of the 2007 Transportation Demand Management Plan, [Office of the Architect for the University / Department of Parking and Transportation/], UVa increases implementation of TDM programs with integrated GPS-based bus prediction information available to passengers for City and University buses; occasional parking permit program expansion; carpool/vanpool incentive package with preferential parking locations; enhancing bicycle path and storage options including installation of bike racks on university transit buses and car sharing services established on campus. [Department of Parking and Transportation]
  • 2008 – Implementation of the ARUP SPeAR™ (Sustainability Project Appraisal Routine) sustainability assessment, based on four major areas: natural resources, environment, social and economic, that broadly reflect the three major categories used in the triple bottom line of equity, economy and environment. [Office of the Architect for the University / Facilities Management]
  • 2008 – Completion of the new Grounds Plan (PDF), the updated campus plan based on five principles to implement sustainability throughout Grounds and University land use practices. [Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 2007 - Formulation in progress of an Initiative for Global Sustainability, to address the challenges of protecting our natural environmental legacy and of educating a new generation of leaders in conservation and natural resource. [University]
  • 2007- Completion of the UVA Bicycle Plan and development of the Smart Transportation Map, a pocket-sized guide to bicycle and transit routes at UVa to encourage use of environmentally-friendly transportation choices. [Office of the University Architect /Department of Parking and Transportation]
  • 2007 – UVa's grade on the National Sustainability Endowment Report Card improves from a D- in 2006 to a B- in 2007. [University]
  • 2007 – The University's annual Community Briefing for the broader and University community, A Greener Grounds, is based on sustainability efforts at the University. [Office of Public Affairs]
  • 2007 – The University establishes a sustainability webpage to communicate, support, and build on sustainability activities at UVa. [Office of Public Affairs].
  • 2007 – The Sustainability Advisory Panel is established to plan and coordinate efforts recommended in the Sustainability Assessment. [Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 2007 – Board of Visitors approved the Grounds Improvement Fund (GIF) that supports sustainable Grounds improvements. [Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 2007 – Board of Visitors adoption of the U.S. Green Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards to minimize the environmental impact of building, renovating, and operating structures on Grounds. [Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 2006 – University Transit Service establishes use of biofuel and fare reciprocity program with the Charlottesville Transit Service. [Department of Parking and Transportation]
  • 2006 – The University Energy Plan is enacted, building on the University Energy Program that has garnered 13 awards since 1996. [Facilities Management]
  • 2006 – A detailed Sustainability Assessment establishes baseline measures occurring throughout the University and provides a recommended course of action for improvements. [Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 2005 – Surpassing the Virginia mandate of 25% recycling, the recycling program diverted 41% of its total waste from landfills, earning 14 awards since 1994. [Facilities Management]
  • 2005 – Development of Guidelines for Sustainable Building and Environmental Design by to promote sustainable practices on Grounds. [Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 2005 - Establishment of the Environmental Management System that serves as a tool to analyze, evaluate, manage and track environmental impacts and improved performance. [Office of Environmental Health and Safety]
  • 2004 - The ecoMOD collaboration is created by UVa and garners national attention for its award-winning design/build/evaluate program to create ecological, modular and affordable house prototypes. [School of Architecture and School of Engineering / Applied Science]
  • 2002 – UVA students win first place prize in architecture for the DOE Solar Decathlon competition in Washington, DC. [School of Architecture / School of Engineering/Applied Science]
  • 1997 – Development of the Water Resources Strategic Plan to improve the quantity and quality of stormwater management at UVA. [Facilities Management / Office of the Architect for the University]
  • 1992 – Signing of the Talloires Declaration, a ten-point action plan for incorporating sustainability and environmental literacy in teaching, research, operations and outreach at Universities. [University]
  • 1986 – Establishment of the Academical Village as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [University]
  • 1980 - The University of Virginia's Institute for Environmental Negotiation (IEN), to provide mediation and consensus building services concerning the natural and built environments. [School of Architecture's Department of Urban and Environmental Planning]
  • 1972 - University Transit Service established.
  • 1969 - Establishment of the first Department of Environmental Sciences in United States, serving as a model for interdisciplinary departments and schools. [University]