Vanderbilt received an “A” rating and was among the top five universities recognized in a recently released analysis of environmental and social sustainability transparency.
Using data collected during the spring of 2010 from university websites and other voluntary reporting initiatives, the Roberts Environmental Center (REC) at Claremont McKenna College analyzed the 50 top national universities. The study examines voluntary environmental and social intent, reporting and performance by those universities using criteria such as financial transparency, institutional vision, environmental policies and management, community engagement, air-emissions reporting, recycling, utilities management, employee safety, green building and green purchasing.
Vanderbilt performs particularly well in categories that evaluate environmental and social sustainability intent. University policies and commitments to environmental protection, diversity, environmentally and socially responsible procurement, and employee safety helped propel Vanderbilt to being the nation’s No. 1-ranked university in “environmental intent” and “social intent” factors. The university received a perfect score of 100 for social intent.
“We have a robust online presence,” says Andrea George, director of the Sustainability and Environmental Management Office (SEMO) at Vanderbilt, “including our SustainVU website and Facebook page, ThinkOne Energy Conservation website, Environmental Health and Safety website, and our publicly available Greenhouse Gas inventories and our Environmental Commitment Statement.”
Find out more: www.vanderbilt.edu/sustainvu