University of Colorado Boulder is already one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly campuses in the nation, but leaders are still pushing to make it better.
“Being sustainable isn’t just an environmental thing, it’s also about money,” said David Kang, vice chancellor for infrastructure and sustainability. “If we can create more resources with sustainability, then those can be reinvested in things equally important to the campus.”
Kang spoke to CU Boulder and system leaders on Friday as part of a panel on increasing sustainability across the university system. The Boulder campus consistently receives high ratings from industry and higher education groups for its sustainability efforts.
Sustainability and savings went hand-in-hand when designing the addition to the Ramaley biology building, Kang said. By reducing the project’s square footage, project managers shaved $9 million off of the final price tag. The change will also reduce operating expenses by 10 percent a year.
“It’s not easy to tell people, ‘I know you want your lab next to your office next to your classroom, but by doing that it’s going to cost $9 million more,’” Kang said. “Can we think of doing things differently? It’s not going to detract from the experience but it might not be exactly what you’re used to. Those cultural changes are difficult but I think we’re starting to make those changes and people are buying into it because they see the benefit.”
Those efforts are adding up, Kang said. Over the past 10 years, CU Boulder’s campus footprint grew by 3 million square feet, or 29 percent. The campus’ energy intensity — or inefficiency — dropped by 27 percent.
CU Boulder students Abigail Weeks, Michael Quirk and Paige Hartwell said they made the trip to Denver to listen to the presentation because they want to be informed and involved in making the campus more sustainable.
“I think sometimes it’s hard for students to have avenues to get directly involved with policy making,” Weeks said. “Even if we don’t talk during the meetings, the conversations we have with people after and having people know students are present is why we come.”
Quirk said he wants to see campus leaders prioritize more renewable energy and more transparency about how the CU system is investing in fossil fuels.
“We think students should have a seat at the table in writing policy with how CU is going to work on the climate emergency,” he said.
The pursuit of more Earth-friendly practices is a system-wide effort, Regent Lesley Smith said, and one that regents of different political stripes can agree on.
Smith, a Democrat, is working with Regent Heidi Ganahl, a Republican, to revitalize the CU system’s pursuit of sustainability.
“The board has been divided on a lot of issues, not everything, but I think it’s great if we can all come together and work together on this,” she said. “We’re making some good first steps and I’m excited to see where we go with this.”