Emory observed National Campus Sustainability Day on Wednesday alongside hundreds of other schools across the nation.

Emory kicked off the day with a mass bike ride at 8 a.m., in which more than 50 faculty, staff and students commuted to campus along North Decatur Road.

Other activities included Fuji bike giveaways, “green” tours, energy efficient light bulb giveaways and awards for the freshman dorm energy competition. Dobbs and Trimble Halls were the two winners of the competition.

First started in 2003 under the direction of the Society for University and College Planning, the event became widespread on college and university campuses in 2006. Emory participated in an SUCP-organized webcast last year.

Director of Sustainability Initiatives Ciannat Howett said she hopes the day sent the message that significant conservation choices can occur through small choices that have long-lasting effects.

“There’s an increasing awareness that we touch future generations through daily choices,” she said.

Howett highlighted the interactive and highly visible nature of the events as key to their impact on the community.

“I want people to become more aware of the concept of sustainability, and become more aware of what they can do,” she said.

Emory Environmental Alliance Co-President Sarah Parsons hailed the day as a success and expressed a hope that students would share the conservation messages of the event with the greater Emory community.

“The great thing about having an institution like Emory is that you have a lot of people concentrated in one little spot,” she said. “It’s just like teaching in a classroom. Students take their ideas with them on to other places.”

Both Howett and Parsons noted a trend of increased awareness and involvement this past year with sustainability efforts on campus.

Howett said when she was hired a year ago, Emory had only four or five groups focused on conservation. One year later, this figure has risen to a dozen, with much of the expansion occurring in the professional schools. The trend reflects what Howett calls a “growing momentum.”

Parsons echoed Howett’s sentiment, praising Emory’s freshmen in particular for their passion and dedication.

“We’re getting these firecrackers coming in,” said Parsons. “There’s so much more awareness.”

As Emory was celebrating Sustainability Day, the Sustainable Endowments Institute released a report card that gave Emory an average grade on its environmental efforts.

The B-minus was an improvement from the C Emory received from the group in January. The University received only one A, for green building, in January. The latest report awarded Emory four A’s, in green building, administration, transportation and investment priorities.

Emory received F’s in two endowment-related categories, endowment transparency and shareholder engagement.

The Institute has said it focuses on endowments because rich universities like Emory can use their clout as shareholders to influence corporations’ environmental practices.

Howett was not available for comment on the report card.
Parsons said she does not consider the grade as an indication of a lack of sustainability concerns at Emory and noted that the grade was an improvement from last year’s.

— Contact Sarah Powell at sbpowel@emory.edu