Sustainability by the Numbers, 2022

CAMPUSSUSTAINABILITY

BY THE NUMBERS

2022

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ABOUTUNOSUSTAINABILITY The Office of Sustainability works with university administration, faculty, staff, students and community leaders to heighten awareness for and identify, implement, and assess sustainability practices across the campus. Our vision is to have UNO integrate sustainability - concern for people, the environment, and fiscal responsibility - into everything that we do.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha commits to engage and collaborate with campus and community members to improve operations for a better environmental, economic, and social future. The Office of Sustainability leads UNO's projects and programs aimed at achieving our campus Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) goals. The accomplishments and information within this report are a result from cross-campus collaboration, student leadership, and community engagement.

95%

of our campus community agree that it is important that UNO take active steps towards sustainability action

92%

of our campus community agree that UNO should be a community leader in sustainability

SILVER

University Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) rating

PLANNING,COORDINATION,ADMINISTRATION SUSTAINABILITYGUIDING DOCUMENTS Sustainability Master Plan In November 2014, UNO released the Sustainability Master Plan for campus. The plan, the result of months of research led by the Chancellor?s Sustainability Committee and the Verdis Group - an Omaha-based sustainability consultant firm - articulates UNO?s sustainability vision and identifies a path to integrate sustainability into all aspects of campus.

have proposed an updated set of sustainability goals. These updated goals provide better alignment between UNO and UNMC sustainability efforts and increase opportunities for collaboration and progress at each campus.

campus and serve to advise the Administration on sustainability-related matters.

SIX subcommittee working groups of

UNIVERSITYSTAFF, FACULTY,AND COMMITTEES

students, staff, faculty, and community leaders focus on specific areas of sustainability, developing and implementing projects and initiatives that progress UNO towards achieving our Sustainability Master Plan (SMP) gaols.

Officeof Sustainability Staff

Student Government SustainabilityCommittee

Vision statements and goals were created for Energy, Buildings, & Emissions; Water & Sustainable Sites; Campus Planning & Mobility; Materials, Waste, & Recycling; Campus Culture; Community Engagement; and Academics & Research. In nearly every category, a measurable metric was identified and a baseline set so future progress can clearly be measured.

Kristina Hughes Sustainability Coordinator

In 2019, leaders from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska Medical Center,

UNO's Sustainability Committee, formed in October 2013, is a group appointed by the Chancellor to promote sustainability efforts on the UNO

Three student worker positions

SustainabilityCurriculum Committee

Multiple student interns

Communityof Practicefor Chancellor's Sustainability Committee Sustainability

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CAMPUSCULTURE Sustainability is an integral part of UNO?s culture and identity. Students, faculty, staff, and administrators make decisions every day that are environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and financially feasible. To measure how sustainability is integrated into campus culture, a Sustainability Engagement Survey is conducted every two years. Data from this survey is used by the Office of Sustainability and Sustainability Committee for program development and planning.

Students in SUST1000 perform a waste audit at Milo Bail Student Center in September 2021

ACADEMICS UNO's vision and goal are that all graduates, faculty, and staff are sustainability literate.

Sustainability literacy is embedded in curricular and co-curricular programs, and it is realized in the classroom (physical and virtual) and through experiential learning on and off campus..

PROGRAMSINSUSTAINABILITY OFFEREDATUNO Sustainability Minor Interdisciplinary minor program open to all majors at UNO

Multidisciplinary Studies - Sustainability Concentration Total enrollment of students in sustainability programs at UNO:

56 STUDENTS (2019-2020)

95%

CommonlyIdentified Strengths

of our campus communit y agree that it is impor tant for UNO to take active steps towards being more sustainable

RECYCLING: Good visibility and access to recycling bins

Top Areas UNOShould Focus On WASTE: reducing waste, increasing recycling, purchasing environmentally-responsible products ENERGY: conserving energy, making buildings more energy efficient, and generating energy on site from renewable sources (e.g. wind or solar) DIVERSITY: ensuring that people are invited to the table to share multiple background, perspectives, and priorities during creation of sustainable solutions at UNO

92% of our campus communit y agree that it is impor tant for UNO to be a communit y leader in sustainabilit y

ENERGY CONSERVATION: Recognition of UNO energy conservation efforts such as automatic lights and building improvements MavRIDE PROGRAM : Appreciation for the sustainable transportation options available at UNO including MavRide and shuttles

CommonlyIdentified Opportunities PROMOTION & COMMUNICATION: Need for increased and improved communication of sustainability concepts and resources to campus WASTE REDUCTION: Opportunities for increased waste reduction strategies including access to composting and other waste streams as well as increased education resources

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8%

18% 73%

Student workers with Office of Sustainability at the Wellness Fair in November of 2021

STUDENTOPPORTUNITIES The Office of Sustainability is housed within the Division of Student Success, and student engagement is a key priority. Students are an integral part of sustainability at UNO and directly contribute to campus sustainability initiatives with the most impact.

LEADERSHIP

SUSTAINUNOSTUDENTORGANIZATION INTERNSHIPS

Two Student Positions

35-40 Student Members

Four Student Interns 2020-2021

on Chancellor's Sustainabilit y Commit tee

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

1.

2.

3.

4.

Community garden management and expansion Composting program advocacy and approval Food recovery program management Monthly Omaha park clean-up events

1.

2.

Sustainability microcredentialing program development Waste reduction program and strategy development

Multiple student positions on each subcommittee working group.

EMPLOYMENT

SUSTAINABLELIVINGCOMMUNITYIN HOUSING

STUDENTEDUCATORS PROGRAM

Three Student Worker Positions

64 Student Resident s

30 Student s as Trash Talkers

POSITION TITLES: 1.

2.

3.

Communications Manager Community Garden Manager Program Developer/ Manager

Dedicated RA and sustainability programming

SERVICELEARNINGACADEMY PROJECTS One SLA Project Annually

Trash Talkers are student leaders providing peer-to-peer education to other students, staff, and faculty about waste reduction strategies

Top: Students in SUST1000 (section 1) leading sustainability expo during Campus Sustainability Month 2021 for their SLA project Fall 2021. Top right: Student volunteers through SustainUNO helping plant trees for Arbor Day 2021 and UNO's annual celebration of our Tree Campus USA recognition. Bottom left: Student enjoying B-Cylces on Dodge Campus Fall 2021. Bottom right: Students in SUST1000 (section 2) and from Blackburn School presenting on their waste reduction plans for their SLA project Fall 2021.

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TRANSPORTATION Due to its size, UNO?s campus has a significant impact on traffic and parking in midtown Omaha. Adopting policies that encourage the use of active or lower-emission transportation options can reduce road and parking congestion, reduce pollution, promote healthy lifestyles, and preserve infrastructure.

60%sustainable transpor tation usage by campus members coming to and going between our campuses. Currently, 36%of Our sustainable transpor tation goal is

our campus communit y are using sustainable transpor tation. (2019) There are many programs and initiatives at UNO to help lower the barriers to sustainable transportation, and a large variety of opportunities for UNO to invest in supporting sustainable transportation infrastructure.

Single occupancy vehicles (SOVs), or individuals driving alone to campus account for nearly 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions from UNO

MAVRIDE Since the program expanded to the entire campus in 2017, the MavRide has provided free bus passes to all students, staff, and faculty at UNO.

Note: Omaha Metro Transit opened all bus lines for free in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, they provided free passes to some of their bus lines in 2021. Due to this, UNO is not able to get current ridership data for their MavRide program

OTHERPROGRAMS Four electric vehicle (EV) charging stations 50% discount on annual pass with B-Cycles for UNO Students Six shuttle stops across both Dodge and Scott campus

Both: B-Cycles kiosks on UNO's campus

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ENERGY, EMISSIONS, ANDBUILDINGS Fossil fuels currently account for two thirds of the energy generation profile of the electricity used

by UNO. To achieve our net-zero emissions goal by 2030, UNO will use energy efficiently and strive to have energy produced from renewable and carbon-neutral sources equal to the amount consumed.

7% reduction of emissions in the last 10 years

Initiatives -

Building temperature policy Holiday building power down LED lighting replacement Room Occupancy Sensor Geothermal heating projects, Mammel Hall & Glacier Creek Preserve Updated HVAC system

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One LEED Gold certified building, Mammel Hall (pictured below)

Sorting bins ready for students in SUST1000 perform a waste audit at Milo Bail Student Center in September 2021

WASTEREDUCTION Our vision at UNO is to reduce, reuse, or recycle nearly all materials to the extent that very few waste products are sent to the landfill, and our purchasing decisions include lifecycle cost and closed loop considerations. To meet our goal of being a zero-waste campus by 2030, over 90% of all materials coming off our campus will be diverted from the landfill

Since 2014, UNO has increased diversion by 28%

Waste Audits

WASTEREDUCTIONINITIATIVES

Based on waste audit results from September 2021, with proper

Compost Program

from Milo Bail Student Center have the potential to be diverted from the landfill into other streams already available at UNO to be reused or recycled. This means we are able to achieve our waste reduction goals with few financial investments into new programs and higher emphasis on providing more education and communication to our campus community.

Two housing buildings participating in our opt-in campus compost program

16 housing units have completed compost training 20 RAs have completed compost training Two housing staff have completed compost training Both UNO student dining areas, Maverick Landing and Milo Bail Student Center are composting in their food prep areas

Hefty OrangeBag Program Six UNO buildings have orange bins to collect soft plastics for the Hefty Orange Bag program

sorting, more

than 85% of materials currently coming

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SUSTAINABILITYSITES Sustainability sites at UNO offer our campus community opportunities to interact with and better understand nature and the environment. Many of these sites are also critical due to the location of the Dodge, Scott, and Center campuses in the Little Papillion Creek watershed and because water is an important resource in Nebraska.

Fivesustainability gardens on campus 1.

2.

3.

Bioretention Garden (Hayden House, pictured below) Rain Garden (CEC) Community Garden (Allwine) a. Food grown donated to Maverick Food Pantry 4. Native Garden (Kayser Hall) 5. Herb Garden (Scott Cafe)

Threenaturepreserves 1.

2.

3.

Glacier Creek Preserve T.L. Davis Preserve Turkey Creek Preserve

RECOGNITIONINSUSTAINABILITY Silver Rating 2017, 2019 Bronze 2014

Designated as a "TreeCampus" since 2011-2021

Recognized as a "Green College" 2015-2018, 2022

Officeof Sustainability 228A Community Engagement Center unomaha.edu/sustainability

6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE68182

sustainability@unomaha.edu

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/ or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment.

UCTEMP2020