Executive Housekeeping Today- August 2008 - (Page 29) the green Higher Education Embracing the “Triple Bottom Line” “Seeing is different than being told” -Kenyan proverb scene The “triple bottom line” of Green, sustainable buildings—which includes benefiting the structure’s people, profit, and the planet—is finding a place in the field of higher education. The spike in the numbers of college and university buildings seeking LEED certification almost doubled between 2006 and 2007, and the benefits are being enjoyed campus-wide. For example, at the University of California’s ten campuses, all new or renovated buildings, must now be eco-friendly. This alone has saved the campus system almost $5 million since they enacted the policy in 2004. California’s Title 24 measure requires all buildings constructed with public funds be Green. But also, the many reports on California’s Greening of collegiate campuses allude not to the state mandate, but instead consistently refer to a social responsibility of institutions of learning to exist as a promotional vehicle for Green alternatives. California’s community colleges are also incorporating the “triple bottom line.” The Los Angeles Community College District—with over 40 buildings set for using exclusively renewable energy—now has one of the largest Green building efforts in the nation’s public sector. We know the numbers, but to review: buildings use up 68 percent of the electricity use in the U.S., consume 40 percent of all energy, and give off 40 percent of the total carbon emissions into the atmosphere. The efforts in California’s places of higher learning alone are promising to reduce these numbers. t by Stephen Ashkin What many used to call a “trend“ is now an official movement. I have discussed this fact quite often here, but I am enthusiastic about the strides taken in schools and universities, not just in California, but across the county. The numbers alone continue to demonstrate the validity of the “movement” moniker. According to the US Green Building Council, the amount of LEED projects in the college and university sector has risen from 42 in 2001 to almost 1,500 in June 2008. The completed projects do much more than serve as publicity tools for sustainable buildings and the Green movement. In reality, they mount more and more examples of the economic benefits of LEED certification and other Green building initiatives. We know that the “triple bottom line” must function as a “three-legged stool”—with all legs equal in economic, environmental, and social equity. And demonstrating the might of the economic leg does help sell the sustainable building programs to the mainstream. School administrators are also noting the positive impact on the improved health of the students, teachers, and staff, as well as decreased absenteeism, and some even note increased student recruitment and enrollment applications. Higher education facilities in the Pacific Northwest are also on board. At the University of Washington, custodians clean up spills with Green Seal-certified disinfectants as part of their detailed Green cleaning policy; their Dining Services department buys local, organically grown food; and the school’s fleet of cars and trucks contains more than 300 hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles. Colleges and universities are receiving accolades for their programs, such as the College Sustainability Report Card and the Green Cleaning Award for Schools and Universities. The University of Washington received an A-, the highest grade given in 2008 by the publishers of the grades, the Sustainable Endowments Institute in Cambridge. This is all great news within the school and university sector; however, what I would like to see more of is the “education” of the Green efforts that all of you are practicing. Most of us, in one way or another, are educators to our individual employers. We market ourselves, advertise, and promote—all in an effort to educate the public, customers, potential clients, stakeholders, and so on regarding our business. Does your employer include peripheral marketing materials about your Green programs? If so, are they packaged uniformly with other marketing materials in a fashion that demonstrates that the Green programs are weighed in importance as any of your products or services? If not, I strongly encourage you to work with your marketing managers to incorporate your Green programs into your marketing packages. W A 26+-year veteran of the cleaning industry, Stephen P. Ashkin is a tireless advocate for environmentally-preferable cleaning. For more information, visit www.ashkingroup.com. Convention Program 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 29 http://www.ashkingroup.com
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