The lamps that shine outside the Fitzpatrick CIEMAS are capped with down lighting shrouds to reduce light pollution. The effort is an example of the kind of environmental-friendly work that the new Environmental Management Policy encourages Photo credit: Jim Wallace

Durham, N.C. - Duke now has a formal, institution-wide environmental policy (see below) that aims to make the university a national leader in implementing environment-friendly management and practices.

The policy has been signed by President Richard Brodhead, Chancellor for Health Affairs Victor Dzau, Executive Vice President Tallman Trask and Provost Peter Lange. It was reviewed by the University Priorities Committee, Academic Council and the Committee for Facilities and Environment.

The policy is the result of a planning process funded by Tallman Trask's office that brought input from students, faculty and staff. It commits the university to leadership in three areas: environmental research and education, environmentally responsible operations and environmental stewardship in the community.

"The policy emphasizes the importance of the stewardship work Duke is already doing, and, it sets a high bar that challenges us to do even better," Trask said.

Examples of some of Duke's ongoing efforts include Duke's commitment made in 2002 to construct "green" buildings that consume less energy, use non-toxic materials, and produce less waste than traditional buildings. The Pratt School of Engineering's new FitzpatrickCenter was awarded a silver rating by the U.S. Green Building Council on April 8.

In summer 2003, Duke adopted one of the most comprehensive environmentally-preferable purchasing policies of any university in the country, said Sam Hummel, Duke's Environmental Sustainability Coordinator.

A working group is currently developing a plan to aggressively reduce Duke's greenhouse gas emissions as a result of an emissions inventory conducted by a graduate student last summer.

This month, a series of events has been organized to move Duke toward greater environmental sustainability in its dining halls. More information about Duke's sustainability initiatives is available online.

Many of these initiatives have been made possible by the Green Grant Fund set up by the Office of the Executive Vice President in 2004. The Fund makes $50,000 available annually for student, faculty and staff initiated projects that will reduce Duke's environmental impact. It has been used to put on conferences, conduct research, provide education and training, and seed new programs.

Students have been a driving force behind Duke's commitment to sustainability. The Duke University Greening Initiative, a primarily graduate student group; and Environmental Alliance, the undergraduate environmental organization on campus, were major promoters of the new policy. Another key contributor was the Environmental Programs group in the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office.

Hummel said that throughout the policy approval process, he was impressed by the number of people that said "it's just the right thing to do." He believes that kind of attitude attracts top-flight people and is a big reason why Duke is a leader in so many areas.

While Duke has many initiatives already underway, Hummel said the next step is to coordinate environmental management more holistically. "We are looking right now at opportunities to connect our operational initiatives with classroom learning and undergraduate research and then take that knowledge out to share with the community," he said.

DukeUniversity Environmental Policy

The policy is listed below:



Duke University seeks to attain and maintain a place of leadership in all that we do. This includes leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainability on our campus, in our medical institutions, and in the larger community of which we are a part. We will bring vision, intellect, and high ethical standards to our pursuit of environmental leadership in research and teaching, institutional operations, and our relationship with the community.

Academics

Duke University will continue to be in the forefront of environmental research and education and will continue to use our institutional capability to constructively affect environmental policy. We are committed to supporting interdisciplinary environmental scholarship and research, disseminating information about environmental research and policy, increasing faculty and student awareness of environmental issues, and enhancing environmental educational offerings.

Operations

Duke University will integrate environmental management into our operations and business planning and decision making processes. We are committed to examining the actual and potential environmental impacts associated with our activities and services. We are committed to continual improvement of environmental performance, and we will set and track measurable environmental performance goals and objectives.

DukeUniversity will comply with relevant environmental laws and regulations and go beyond compliance by integrating the values of sustainability, stewardship, and resource conservation into our activities and services. We will make decisions to improve the long-term quality and regenerative capacity of the environmental, social, and economic systems that support the University's activities and needs. We will work to lessen the overall environmental impact of our activities and services by engaging in pollution prevention activities and by developing and promoting practices that maximize beneficial effect and minimize harmful effects of operations, research, and activities on the surrounding environment.

Community

Duke University is committed to playing a constructive and collaborative role as a responsible environmental citizen in the life of the surrounding community. We will maintain a positive and proactive role in communicating with the surrounding community, especially the Durham community, regarding our environmental activities and performance.