Blueprint for a Green Campus (2000 Edition)

The Goals

As the CU-Boulder campus grows and changes, its environmental impacts and additional demands for energy, transportation, and resources can be handled through increased efficiency rather than increased consumption. To achieve sustainability on an institutional scale, the Blueprint for a Green Campus proposes the following challenges:

Creating a Climate-Friendly Campus

CU commits to meet the emissions reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol which would reduce CU’s greenhouse gas emissions by seven percent below 1990 levels by 2010

Growing without Increasing Traffic

CU commits to cap traffic at today’s levels by growing in such a way that there is no net increase in single occupant vehicle trips by students, faculty, and staff.

Creating a Safe and Healthy Campus

CU commits to a) minimize the amount of hazardous waste generated by the campus while still maintaining the quality and quantity of research; and b) continue to advance pollution prevention programs to reduce the quantity of hazardous materials present on campus.

CU commits to minimizing our exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides a) by significantly reducing the use of harmful chemicals and volatile pesticides in buildings and grounds management through integrated pest management and b) by providing high indoor air quality in campus buildings through improved ventilation and control of indoor air pollution sources.

Greening Campus Consumption and Disposal Habits

CU adopts an environmentally preferable purchasing policy, which will institute standards for environmentally responsible purchasing.

CU caps the amount of solid waste going to the landfill at today's voludme by increasing recycling and composting efforts and by using market incentives, new technologies and purchasing policies to reduce waste generation on campus.