Perspectives COMMUNITY
Unity College Joins Launch of $1 Billion “Green Challenge” One of the most energy efficient colleges in the United States has signed on to one of the most ambitious initiatives in “green” history. In September, Unity College joined with 31 other leading institutions to launch the Billion Dollar Green Challenge. The goal is to invest a cumulative total of one billion dollars in selfmanaged green revolving funds that finance energy efficiency upgrades on campus. Unity is in good company. Other colleges joining Unity include Harvard, Stanford, and Arizona State. As part of the Founding Circle, Unity has the distinction of being the only institution in Maine to take the lead in making this commitment. The Challenge is inspired by the exceptional performance of existing green revolving funds, which have a median annual return on investment of 32 percent, as documented by Greening The Bottom, www.GreeningTheBottomLine.org, a report published by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. A bright spot in a rocky economy, these profitable investments are helping create green jobs in campus communities, while lowering operating costs on college and university campuses. “We’re transforming energy efficiency upgrades from perceived expenses to high-return investment opportunities,” said
Mark Orlowski, executive director of the Sustainable Endowments Institute, which is coordinating The Challenge along with 13 partner organizations. “Unity College should be commended for rising to The Challenge and investing in energy efficiency improvements on campus.” The Billion Dollar Green Challenge launched on October 11 at the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) conference in Pittsburgh. With more than 2,500 participants, including representatives of Unity College, the conference is the largest gathering to date on higher education sustainability. “The Challenge asks our higher education systems to invest in green revolving funds to support the campus sustainability movement,” said Paul Rowland, executive director of AASHE. Supporters of The Challenge include the David Rockefeller Fund, HOK, John Merck Fund, Kresge Foundation, Merck Family Fund, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Roy A. Hunt Foundation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, and the Wallace Global Fund.
Professor Doug Fox and Hannah Kreitzer ’12 presented an overview of TerraHaus at the AASHE 2011 Conference, held October 9-12 in Pittsburgh, Penn. The subject was entitled Living and Learning in a Passive House Residence Hall.
| UNITY Winter 2011