Sustainability Initiatives Aimed at Environmental Footprint Reduction – Lessons Learned from the College of EMS – Part III in the Climate Drawdown Initiative @ PSU Series

Tim White | Earth and Environmental Systems Institute

Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant completes an annual system-wide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions inventory, but because of its broad scope, the inventory does not provide unit-level detail to be used by individual colleges and campuses to assess their emissions. Unit-level inventories may provide more detailed identification and management of potentially avoidable GHG emissions, and may increase unit accountability to reduce emissions, increase sustainability, and help progress university goals. Here I describe: 1) College of EMS sustainability efforts including our first college-level GHG emissions inventory; 2) a “how to” guide for other colleges and units who care to create their own inventory; and, 3) our EMS actions aimed at reducing our college's, and therefore the university's, C footprint.