GHG
Vanderbilt recognized for social media engagement during city’s Commuter Challenge
May. 30, 2019—Vanderbilt University was recognized for its social media engagement by Nashville Connector’s Commuter Challenge. (Susan Urmy/Vanderbilt) Presented by Mayor David Briley on May 21, Ashley Majewski, coordinator for the vice chancellor of administration, accepted the award on behalf of the university. The university’s participation and social media engagement raised awareness and engagement during Transit Month...
What’s On My Mind: Sustaining and scaling Vanderbilt’s environmental stewardship
Apr. 26, 2019—Earlier this week, Vanderbilt announced a long-term strategy that will shape our course, affect our daily lives and improve our collective future. We have pledged to power our campus entirely through renewable energy, and to be carbon neutral, by 2050. Better yet, we are committed to generating more renewable energy than we consume. Through the collaborative...
Vanderbilt outlines major plans to reduce environmental footprint
Apr. 22, 2019—University will power its campus entirely through renewable energy and commits to carbon neutrality by 2050 Vanderbilt University today unveiled a comprehensive long-term strategy to significantly reduce its environmental footprint in part by powering its campus entirely through renewable energy, putting the university on track to be carbon neutral by 2050. Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos (Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt)...
Impossible Burger has 89% smaller carbon footprint than beef
Mar. 29, 2019—Vanderbilt Campus Dining added the Impossible Burger to its menu fall of 2018. Doing so provided a vegetarian alternative to the hamburger and reduced the overall carbon foot print of the school, which is in alignment with our commitment to the Menus of Change University Resource Collaborative Initiative. A new study has found that the...
Vanderbilt Green Fund applications open
Jan. 9, 2019—The Vanderbilt Green Fund application for 2019 projects is now open until January 21st. The Vanderbilt Green Fund, established in 2011 by members of Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility (SPEAR) and Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG), is a fund set aside for sustainability projects proposed by students or faculty. This student-run process awards $150,000 to...
Carbon labeling can reduce greenhouse gases even if it doesn’t change consumer behavior
Jan. 2, 2019—by Liz Entman Dec. 19, 2018, 4:20 PM In a new commentary piece published Dec. 18 in Nature Climate Change, Michael Vandenbergh, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Professor of Law and director of the Climate Change Research Network, examines how carbon labeling can help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a variety of ways. The article, “From Myths to Action,”...
Vanderbilt greenhouse gases emissions drop 12 percent per square foot, new sustainability report shows
Nov. 12, 2018—Vanderbilt University’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped 12 percent per gross square foot in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The findings are among those showcased in the annual sustainability report released today by the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office in the Division of Administration. Vanderbilt leaders are aligning sustainability efforts with the guiding principles of FutureVU ,...
BlueSky visioning session lays foundation for carbon footprint reduction
Apr. 4, 2018— Nearly 50 people attended Vanderbilt’s first BlueSky visioning session to generate bold and creative approaches for reducing the university’s carbon footprint. FutureVU launched the BlueSky Vision Energy Study in January to identify effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions on campus. Components of the study include, but are not limited to, local and off-site energy generation, utility...
Redesigned sustainability report expands focus to include holistic environmental efforts
Mar. 15, 2018—Vanderbilt displays a new emissions baseline in a redesigned version of its annual sustainability report that outlines the university’s environmental impact in 2016. The university’s GHG emissions come from three evenly split sources. Natural gas for the on-campus power plant and individual buildings represents 31 percent; 33 percent is power purchased from Nashville Electric Service;...
Expert: Private industry, better messaging can help overcome damage from Paris withdrawal
Jun. 5, 2017—Read the Research News @ Vanderbilt story here. President Donald Trump’s announcement on Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement phases out U.S. commitments to achieve carbon reduction targets and make financial contributions to slow climate change. It was a move environmentalists found disappointing, at best. But Vanderbilt University law and...