Potier, Beth

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University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices9-24-2008UNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability ReportCardBeth PotierUNH Media RelationsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationPotier, Beth, "UNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability Report Card" (2008). UNH Today. 539.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/539UNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability Report Cardhttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2008/sept/bp24report.cfm.html[9/12/2016 1:24:44 PM] UNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability Report CardMedia Contact:  Beth Potier 603-862-1566UNH Media RelationsSeptember 24, 2008REPORTERS AND EDITORS: Tom Kelly, UNH chief sustainability officer, can bereached by calling 603-862-8564 or e-mailing alaina.pritchard@unh.edu. ElisabethFarrell, UNH Food & Society Initiative coordinator, can be reached by calling 603-862-5040 or e-mailing el.farrell@unh.edu.DURHAM, N.H. - The University of New Hampshire is one of 15 universities nationwide toreceive the highest score - an A-minus - on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's CollegeSustainability Report Card 2009. In addition, the SEI awarded UNH one of five nationalChampions of Sustainability in Communities Awards for the New Hampshire Farm to SchoolProgram, housed at UNH.The Sustainable Endowments Institute (SEI), a special project of Rockefeller PhilanthropyAdvisors, evaluated the 300 U.S. and Canadian universities with the 300 largest endowments(UNH's endowment is $285 million as of June 2007) for its third annual Report Card. Thecomplete Report Card is available here: http://www.greenreportcard.org.UNH received A grades (on a scale of A through F) in six of nine campus categories:administration, climate change and energy, food and recycling, transportation, andendowment transparency. UNH was specifically lauded for EcoLine, its innovative landfill gas-to-energy project that will significantly reduce energy use and emissions; its commitment toprocuring local food for campus dining; and its significant alternative transportation efforts."At UNH, we organize everything we do around sustainability. This report card looks at abroad range of sustainability activities, including energy savings, food initiatives,transportation, endowment management, and student engagement. This is consistent withthe systemic approach that we are committed to at UNH," said Tom Kelly, UNH's chiefsustainability officer and director of the University Office of Sustainability. "Credit for thisrecognition goes to everyone on campus whose ongoing creative work is helping us modelwhat we call the sustainable learning community."The NH Farm to School (NHFTS) Program, housed within the University Office ofSustainability, connects New Hampshire farms and schools by facilitating the purchase ofstate-grown and -produced foods by New Hampshire schools. Its vision is to develop ahealthy, community-based, community-supported school food system by integratingagricultural production, school food procurement and school curriculum. NHFTS currentlyserves 258 K-12 schools and five colleges."NH Farm to School brings UNH's sustainability initiatives into our community, supporting localfarmers and our rich farm heritage while promoting health and nutrition in our state'sstudents," says Elisabeth Farrell, coordinator of UNH's Food & Society Initiative, under whichNHFTS resides. "Helping facilitate farm-to-school connections is just one of the ways we'reUNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability Report Cardhttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2008/sept/bp24report.cfm.html[9/12/2016 1:24:44 PM]working to create a more sustainable food system in our state, sparking a renaissance of foodand agriculture at UNH, in New Hampshire and beyond."In addition to UNH, other New England universities to receive the top score on the CollegeSustainability Report Card are Dartmouth College, Brown University (R.I.), Harvard University(Mass.), Middlebury College (Vt.) and the University of Vermont. Rounding out the list of the15 top-scoring universities are Carleton College, Columbia University, Dickinson College,Oberlin College, Stanford University, University of British Columbia, University of Colorado,University of Pennsylvania, and University of Washington.UNH, home of the nation's first endowed office of sustainability in higher education, is a leaderin integrating sustainability throughout its curricula, operations, research, and engagementefforts through initiatives in biodiversity, climate, food and culture. Committed to being amodel sustainable learning community that prepares students to advance sustainability intheir civic and professional lives, UNH has earned several awards for its sustainabilityinitiatives, which range from innovative academic programs and research in fields likeecogastronomy and marine science to the largest transit system in the state of NewHampshire (run mainly on alternative fuels) to EPA Energy Star buildings. Discover thesustainable learning community at UNH at sustainableunh.unh.edu anddiscoversustainability.org.-30-

UNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability Report Card

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UNH Gets Top Grade On Sustainability Report Card

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