BaBson College sustainaBility and Climate aCtion Plan

Transcription

B a b s o n C o l l eg e S u sta i n a b i l i t y
a n d C l i m at e Ac t i o n P l a n
Jan uary 2011
Tab le of Contents
1–Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Energy Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Letter from the President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Sustainability: Our Definition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
American College & University Presidents’. . . . . . . . 5
Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)
Offsets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Summary of Goals, Approach, and Outcomes. . . . . 5
Authors and Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Fuel Selection and Renewable Energy. . . . . . . 24
Waste. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Green Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
2–Our Starting Place. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
About Babson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Campus Culture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Sustainability and Campus Culture Shift. . . . . . 30
Campus Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Cocurricular Activities and Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . 34
GHG Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Student Organizations and Initiatives. . . . . . . . 34
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sustainability Office. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
What’s Included. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Lewis Institute Cocurricular Activities . . . . . . . . 36
What’s Not Included . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Water/Wastewater. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Inventory Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Projections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Undergraduate Sustainability Course Offerings. . 38
Accomplishments to Date. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Graduate Course Sustainability Offerings. . . . . 39
3–Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
5–How Will We Do It?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
What Does This Mean for
Sustainability at Babson?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Time Lines and Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Shift in Culture at Babson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Sustainability Is a Global Opportunity. . . . . . . . 16
Curriculum Redesign. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Financial Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Stage I: Present–2015. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Stage II: 2016–2020. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
4–Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Stage III: 2021–2030. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Stage IV: 2031–2050. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Measurement and Reporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Criteria for Selecting Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Green Building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
B a b s o n C o l l e g e S u s ta i n a b i l i t y a n d C l i m at e Ac t i o n P l a n
Jan uary 2011
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1
Executive Su m mary
Letter from the President
The reputation of Babson College as a leader in Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® and curriculum innovation is
widely recognized. Less well known, however, is its firm
stance among academic institutions as an environmental steward. For several decades, the College has been
developing programs and initiatives aimed at reducing its
impact on our global environment and climate. Today, as an
on-campus wind turbine helps supply the College with electrical energy, and converted cooking oils power its landscape
equipment, Babson’s entrepreneurial students search avidly
for new business concepts and practices that could soon
lead to a more sustainable global environment. In addition,
Our growing sustainability commitment has been well shepherded by a sustainability steering committee that includes
representatives from diverse segments of the Babson community. This document is the outcome of their fledgling yet
substantial collaborative effort, in conjunction with a host of
partners across the campus. It provides a broad overview
of our most significant recent accomplishments, makes
our current goals concrete, establishes milestones along
the way, and highlights our plans for achieving them in the
decade ahead. And, as a leading educator of tomorrow’s
business leaders, making environmental sustainability an
integral and permanent part of our curriculum will be a
vital consideration.
as we look forward, Babson is committed to integrating
I am pleased with the substantial progress Babson has
social and economic sustainability concepts into the busi-
made toward building a more sustainable society for us all,
ness practices of the next generation of leaders, in the hopes
and invite you to revisit us in the future as this vital effort
of creating a resilient and lasting, holistic prosperity.
continues to unfold.
As I am a firm believer in practicing our pedagogy, it was
logical for Babson to join the American College & University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment, which I’m proud to say we
were able to do in 2008. Making this commitment gives us
Leonard A. Schlesinger
an opportunity to put our words into action, and it enables
President
us to compare our progress and acquire fresh insight from a
myriad of other higher learning institutions nationwide.
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Sustainability: Our Definition
Importantly, the ACUPCC is designed to be flexible and
Because environmental sustainability can be defined in
a variety of ways that depend on the challenges being
addressed and the desired objectives, we define it here
with the intent of providing the foundation on which this
plan has been designed and is intended to operate.
nonprescriptive, thus allowing members autonomy and
not committing them to any external agenda. Membership
enables institutional leaders to engage with their colleagues
to share research findings and other information and to
shape sustainability initiatives as they deem appropriate.
The ACUPCC is policy-neutral and does not engage in political
Environmental sustainability is the collective and ongo-
advocacy, focusing instead on creating practical solutions
ing effort of the Babson College community and its many
and being a role model for other segments of society.
constituents to routinely act in ways that are consistent
with protecting and improving our environment to make it
safer for our own and future generations. We recognize that
environmental sustainability is closely related to and co-
As an ACUPCC signatory, Babson is committed to meeting
several obligations, among the most significant are:
dependent with social and economic sustainability.
• Create and maintain institutional structures to plan and
guide the implementation of sustainability actions
We recognize that the definitions of other organizations,
• Complete a comprehensive emissions inventory
• Within two years of signing, develop a plan to become
groups, and individuals may differ in their scope, and even
the definition presented here is subject to change with
carbon-neutral
time. Meanwhile, it sets forth important baseline parameters from which we can create a plan that draws on the
College’s many substantial strengths to address a host of
challenges that are rapidly becoming critical for the College,
its students, and their families, and for the world in which
we all must earn a living and otherwise carry on the important activities of life.
• Take immediate action to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions
• Integrate sustainability into Babson’s curriculum
• Assure public availability of information about the
college’s sustainability plans and progress
Babson College became an ACUPCC signatory in 2008.
American College & University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC)
For more information, visit www.acupcc.org.
Founded in 2006, the American College & University
Summary of Goals, Approach,
Presidents’ Climate Commitment now includes more than
and Outcomes
670 signatory institutions nationwide. ACUPCC member
institutions openly acknowledge the substantial negative
effect that global warming has on our planet’s climate
and environment. They have, therefore, committed themselves to reducing the impact of their respective institutions
and to educating current and future generations about the
important roles they must play as conservators and educators in determining our environmental future.
Babson is in the midst of a cultural shift that is bringing
sustainability forward as a centerpiece of the College’s
identity. The College recently completed a strategic planning process. In May 2009, Babson President Leonard A.
Schlesinger released the outcome of that collaborative process, a new strategy and new vision for the College. This
vision, elaborated on in the section of this document called
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5
“Vision,” organizes Babson around three goals. It also inte-
related initiatives into one coherent vision to create
grates sustainability (social, economic, and environmental)
more streamlined implementation, and serve as a
into the very fabric of Babson’s future. To that end, this
communication tool.
document is designed to, at the highest level:
An integral part of the cultural shift toward greater sus-
• Outline Babson’s past, current, and future sustainability
tainability is Babson’s specific commitment to move the
programs
campus toward climate neutrality. Babson’s climate action
plan includes the following interim goals along the path to
• Create a tangible road map to Babson’s stated green-
climate neutrality:
house gas and sustainability goals, as committed
to by the president of the College upon signing the
Presidents’ Climate Commitment, with attainable way
markers and progress goals
• Serve as a useful, living document that can be used
to chart Babson’s progress going forward, via periodic updates
Stage
Years
GHG Reduction Goal
I
2011−2015
25% below 2005
II
2016−2020
50% below 2005
III
2021—2030
70% below 2005
IV
2031−2050
Climate Neutrality
• Organize the implementation of sustainability at
This document provides a road map for achieving those
Babson, and keep it in line with Babson’s goals, strategic
goals. The following is a brief overview of Babson’s Climate
plan, and vision. Unify Babson’s diverse sustainability-
Neutrality Road Map. The table below summarizes only the
most impactful actions in our plan.
Stage
Years
Overview of Key Actions
Financial Impact
I
2011−2015
• Energy efficiency investments
• $4 million estimated investment required, savings in excess of
$600,000 per year
• Invest in solar power generation
• Solar deal should be close to cost neutral during the life of
the contract
II
2016−2020
• Procurement of electricity from
renewable sources
• Likely requires a small premium on electricity in early years,
but provides medium term price stability, little net cost difference during the life of the contract
III
2021−2030
• Enhanced energy efficiency investment
• $4 million+ additional energy efficiency investment
(Stages II−IV) with modest return on investment
• Improved vehicle fuel efficiency
• Vehicle fuel efficiency will largely be driven by improved CAFE
standards and thus not have significant incremental cost
IV
2031−2050
• Purchase quality offsets
• Estimated cost: $180,000 annually going forward from
2050—significant uncertainty in cost
All
2011−2050
• Ongoing focus on shift toward a culture
of sustainability
• 2−4% premium on building and renovation projects—10% or
better ROI expected
• Green planning and green building policies
Note: All financial figures here and elsewhere in the report are in 2010 dollars unless specified otherwise.
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Our plan necessarily consists of numerous smaller actions
use of sustainable products, improving recycling and waste
all of which contribute toward the goal of climate neu-
management, and integrating sustainability as a vital com-
trality. Those actions are discussed in more detail in the
ponent of Babson’s curriculum.
Opportunities and Actions chapter of this document.
The following graph summarizes the anticipated cumulative impact of the actions outlined in this plan. We believe
this plan represents a road map to climate neutrality that is
The original committee included representatives from the
following major areas:
• Office of the President
• Academic Affairs
technically and financially feasible.
• Facilities Management
Babson’s Path to Climate Neutrality
• Procurement
• College Marketing
• Office of Campus Life
• Human Resources
• Graduate Students
• Undergraduate Students
Babson engaged GreenerU to build on the work of the
Steering Committee and write this Sustainability and
Climate Action Plan. The GreenerU team worked
closely with Shelley Kaplan, Maureen Lederhos, Roy
Cornelius, and Stephen Tolley of Babson in drafting this
Authors and Process
To oversee the development, planning, implementation,
and tracking of sustainability, the College established a
Sustainability Steering Committee. This college-wide committee was responsible for accelerating sustainability on
campus, and for doing much of the groundwork that is the
foundation for this document. The Steering Committee is
comprised of representatives from the institution’s faculty,
staff, and student communities who work collaboratively
in identifying opportunities, devising and implementing
plan. They have drawn extensively from content and analysis
created for Babson by Aramark and Sightlines LLC, and
used information recently compiled by the Sustainability
Office in response to both the Sustainable Endowments
Institute Survey and the Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education STARS survey. In addition, GreenerU received input from other parts of the
Babson campus including Dining Services, the Lewis
Institute, and others.
solutions, and tracking Babson’s performance relative to its
goals and peers. They engage in a broad range of activities,
including the ongoing search for opportunities in energy
and water conservation, investigating the purchasing and
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2
Ou r Starti ng P l ace
About Babson
Founded in 1919, Babson College is recognized internationally for its entrepreneurial leadership in a changing
global environment. For the last 17 years, Babson has been
ranked No. 1 in Entrepreneurship by U.S.News & World
Report, and recently has achieved the same No. 1 ranking from Bloomberg Businessweek and The Princeton
Review. In the fall of 2010, approximately 1,960 undergraduate and 1,600 graduate students were attending
Babson, representing more than 45 states and 57 countries. More than 24 percent of the undergraduates and
30 percent of the graduate students are international
students. Babson grants BS degrees through its innovative undergraduate program. Babson also is home to
the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business, which grants
MBA and MS degrees to students who are seeking strong
foundational business knowledge alongside the entrepreneurial mindset needed to succeed in the worldwide
marketplace. Additionally, Babson Executive Education
offers distinct custom degree and credit programs, con-
8
In the spring of 2009, Babson issued a new strategy,
a vision for the future of the College, the product of a
process led by the leadership of the College by engaging people across the campus. The strategy builds on
Babson’s strengths to create unique, vital value in the broader
national university landscape, and to position Babson as
a leader moving forward. Our strategy is, like sustainability itself, interdisciplinary. It incorporates people, profit, and
planet as one of its key elements, moving sustainability
from a position of relative periphery into a key strategic
priority. Our mission is to educate a generation of leaders
who will create great economic and social value around
the globe. Babson graduates are equipped to be innovative, flexible entrepreneurs ready to reinvent, redefine, and
reshape the business landscape. To do so, we believe, they
must understand the connection between environmental
and societal sustainability, social responsibility, and business success.
Campus Culture
sortium programs, and open-enrollment programs tailored
While environmental sustainability has not historically been
to help companies meet their strategic goals. By infusing
core to Babson’s student campus culture, anecdotal and
Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® into its academic pro-
statistical evidence indicate that perceptions of the impor-
grams, Babson’s graduates hit the ground running, shaping
tance of sustainability are shifting. In 2008, a survey was
their organizations and communities through innovative,
conducted across the campus to assess the perceptions of
value-generating action, while creating economic and social
sustainability. This survey was helpful, mostly in identifying
value everywhere.
the following two issues:
Jan uary 2011
• Babson community members had much to say about
sustainability, indicating an interest
provide 3,431 residential and commuting undergraduate
and graduate students, and 819 faculty and staff members
• Babson community members were overwhelmingly
unaware of existing on-campus sustainability initiatives
Comments from survey Shown by Category
with a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a wealth of College and
community resources.
Today, the campus consists of 63 buildings that total
1,701,602 square feet of building space. In FY 2005,
the Babson campus used 21.7 million kWh of electricity,
1,089,100 therms of natural gas and 93,603 gallons of fuel
oil. Campus energy intensity was approximately 118,900
BTU per square foot of built space. During the last five
years, Babson has managed to reduce overall energy consumption by almost 14 percent even while adding 52,000
square feet of built space (a 3.2 percent increase). Campus
Nearly 32 percent of respondents took the time to add
additional comments, providing more than 190 suggestions to improve sustainability, including a strong indication
that stakeholders are interested in better communication
energy intensity has declined to less than 100,000 BTU per
square foot.
GHG Inventory
and education around the topic.
Overview
For 85 percent of the existing environmental initiatives
The term “greenhouse gases” (GHG) refers to a variety of
about which they were questioned, more than one-half of
gases that contribute to the “greenhouse effect.” Green-
the respondents answered that they were “not sure” if the
house gases in the earth’s atmosphere allow solar radiation,
program in question was in place at Babson.
much of which is transmitted in the visible wavelengths,
Despite this perceived lack of communication, sustainability
leaders had been working quietly across the campus, some
for many years and achieving significant results. As you
will read in the section entitled Sustainability and Campus
Culture Shift, Babson has since systematically sought to
engage the community around sustainability, to address
the issues brought up in the 2008 survey.
to pass through the atmosphere and heat the surface of
the earth and the earth’s waters. The earth then reradiates that heat as much lower frequency (infrared) energy.
Although the greenhouse gases are transparent to the visible radiation from the sun, they absorb radiation at lower
frequencies, thus trapping the lower frequency heat radiated from the earth’s surface in the atmosphere. In essence,
these gases act like the glass in a greenhouse, allowing
the visible radiation from the sun to pass into the green-
Campus Overview
house, but keeping the heat from reradiating out of the
Babson College is located in suburban Wellesley,
greenhouse. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most significant
Massachusetts, 14 miles west of Boston. The 370-acre cam-
contributor to the greenhouse effect. However, there are sev-
pus of beautiful woods, rolling hills, and landscaped areas
eral other significant greenhouse gases, including: methane
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9
(CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
Babson has engaged a consultant, Sightlines LLC, to con-
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). All
duct a greenhouse gas inventory of the campus. This
greenhouse gases are accounted for based on their global
inventory attempts to count greenhouse gas emissions in
warming potential. Because of the predominance of CO2
accordance with the three “scopes” as defined by the Inter-
in causing the greenhouse gas effect, greenhouse gas
national Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The scopes are defined
accounting normalizes other gases to CO2 equivalents. The
in the table and graphic below.
standard unit for accounting for greenhouse gases is metric
tons of CO2 equivalents (MTCO2e).
Scope 1
Scope 2
Scope 3
Direct GHG emissions from collegeowned or controlled sources
Indirect GHG emissions from
purchased electricity
Other indirect GHG emissions
• Boiler fuel
• Off-campus emissions from
generating electric energy
consumed on campus
• Faculty, staff, and student commuting
• Fuel for College fleet vehicles
• Refrigerants
• Faculty/staff travel
• Solid waste
• Wastewater
• Paper
• Transmission and distribution losses from
purchased electricity
Scope source
Source: Widely used –
believed to originate from
New Zealand Business
Council for Sustainable
Development
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What’s Included
Inventory Results
The following is a quick overview of data that was used in
Babson College emitted an estimated 20,009 MTCO2e in
preparing this GHG inventory and its sources:
fiscal year 2009. The majority (71 percent) of Babson’s
emissions were generated from purchased electricity and
Scope 1
on-campus stationary sources consisting of natural gas and
• Natural Gas – utility bills
#2 fuel oil. Transportation, solid waste, agriculture, and
• Fuel oil − billing for deliveries
refrigerants accounted for the remaining 29 percent of
• Gasoline and diesel − billing for deliveries to college
filling stations
• Refrigerants – purchase records
Babson’s GHG total emissions.
FY 2010 GHG Emissions
Scope 2
• Electricity − utility bills
Scope 3
• Commuting − transportation survey
• Air travel – tracking of purchases through College travel
office and purchasing cards
• Solid Waste – shipping invoices from waste hauler –
this shows as a credit because of emissions offset by
off-site generation of electricity from incineration of
Babson’s trash
Source: Sightlines LLC, draft 2010 Babson GHG Inventory
• Wastewater – utility bills
As indicated in the following table, Babson has made
• Paper – vendor billing
considerable progress in the last five years with regard to
building energy use. Electricity consumption is down 19
What’s Not Included
percent and fuel consumption is down more than 15 per-
• Carbon sequestration from campus flora
cent from FY 2005 due primarily to energy-efficiency efforts.
• Composting
• Faculty/staff nonair travel, excluding daily commuting
This data also show significant reductions in air travel.
• Study abroad travel
• Residential student travel
• Manufacturing impact of products purchased by the
College or by outside vendors
• Contractor fuel use
• College events held off campus
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11
% Change
Year
FY 2005
FY 2006
FY 2007
FY 2008
FY 2009
FY 2010
FY05-FY10
Scope 1
Fleet Vehicles
374
374
374
374
362
348
-7.0%
Refrigerants
63
63
63
63
-
82
+30.2%
Agriculture
16
16
16
16
16
12
-25.0%
5,762
5,449
5,829
5,168
5,013
4,890
-15.1%
940
914
881
884
880
794
-15.6%
10,144
10,462
9,259
9,002
8,400
8,248
-18.7%
Commuting
3,663
3,648
3,697
3,726
3,546
3,257
-11.1%
Air Travel
2,161
2,117
2,277
2,327
912
983
-54.5%
Scope 2 T&D
Losses
1,003
1,034
915
890
831
816
-18.7%
191
190
192
194
175
167
-12.4%
Wastewater
11
11
11
11
12
12
+11.0%
Solid Waste
(146)
(146)
(148)
(149)
(136)
(124)
-15.4%
24,182
24,132
23,366
22,506
20,011
19,485
-19.4%
Natural Gas
Oil
Scope 2
Electricity
Scope 3
Paper
Total
GreenerU has established a “business-as-usual” baseline
Babson’s Path To Climate Neutrality
against which to measure future progress in GHG reductions at Babson. This business-as-usual case is based on
growth in building-related GHG emissions of approximately
0.5% annually.
Projections
Babson College’s GHG emissions for FY 2005 were estimated at 24,086 MTCO2e. Historically, GHG emissions have
generally trended upward on college campuses as colleges
expand their built environment and add air conditioning to
12
Jan uary 2011
more spaces, and as occupants continue to increase their
• Installation of numerous variable frequency drives includ-
use of electricity. We have estimated the cumulative effect
ing: cooling tower fans in Olin Hall, two air handling units
of these forces to push business-as-usual emissions up by
in the BECC, BECC kitchen exhaust fan, and others
approximately 0.5% annually. Had Babson remained on
a business-as-usual course since 2005, GHG emissions
would have increased by about 260 MTCO2e by 2010 and
be on a course to increase almost 5,000 MTCO2e by 2050
to approximately 28,700 MTCO2e.
• Controls upgrades in many buildings, including
expansion and upgrade of energy management system
capability, adding demand-based ventilation controls,
reprogramming equipment schedules to more closely
conform to occupancy schedules, and numerous other
As you will see below, Babson already has deviated from
business-as-usual and has reduced its GHG emissions by
almost 4,500 MTCO2e. However, the same forces of growth
and expanded use of electronic devices will continue to put
upward pressure on GHG emissions. Babson is projecting
a business-as-usual path forward from 2010 that would
increase current GHG emissions by 22 percent by 2050.
improvements to HVAC control sequences
• Adjusting and rebalancing ventilation systems in Van
Winkle Hall to reduce over-ventilation
• Replacement of old boilers with new, high-efficiency
boilers in Babson Hall, Knight Hall, and Tomasso Hall
• Conversion of kitchen waste oil for use in buildings and
grounds maintenance vehicles
Accomplishments to Date
In 2007, Babson launched an aggressive energy management program that has generated a 14 percent reduction in campus-wide energy use during the last three
years. In FY 2010, Babson consumed approximately 19.5
million kWh of electricity, 924,000 therms of natural gas,
At the same time, Babson’s faculty, staff, and students have
been working to engage the Babson community around
sustainability, and to create positive change on campus.
From the president of the College to key faculty members
to students, sustainability advocates have been hosting
events, leading initiatives, and educating their peers. Some
and 79,000 gallons of distillate fuel oil.
key initiatives include:
Recent energy efficiency efforts have included the following:
• Dark Hall Competition: The third year of the “Dark
• Upgrades to high-efficiency fluorescent lighting
Hall” was held in October 2009 to promote energy
throughout the campus
conservation in the residence halls. Green Tower representatives are exploring ways to better promote this
• Automatic common area lighting controls
program and expand upon the program’s success.
• High-efficiency dehumidification system for the
• Promoting Fair Trade Coffee: The Green Tower
Webster Pool
undergraduate residential group investigated convert • Replacement of inefficient windows in two buildings
• Ongoing residence hall energy competitions
ing Babson to fair trade coffee.
• Trayless at Trim: The Facilities Team, responding to
industry-best practices and interest from students,
instituted trayless dining at the campus’ closed
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13
access dining facility, Trim Dining Hall. Data are currently
way to expand the garden in advance of the 2011
being reviewed to assess whether trayless dining
growing season.
reduced waste and costs as anticipated.
• Dining Initiatives: The dining facilities around the
• Green Rocket Pitch: The Green Tower organizes the
Babson campus have made significant efforts to source
Green Rocket pitch, an opportunity for Babson students
a greater percentage of their food locally and to include
to pitch their green business ideas to an audience of
seasonally available foods on the menu. A complete list
students, faculty, and entrepreneurs. Each entrepreneur
of locally sourced foods is available in the Food section
is given three minutes and three PowerPoint slides to
of this document.
quickly and succinctly deliver the critical differentiating
elements of their business ideas.
• Single Stream Recycling: The Graduate Babson
Energy and the Environment Club worked closely with
the Babson Facilities team to perform a cost-benefit
analysis and then institute single stream recycling on
the Babson campus, in the summer of 2010. This major
initiative required building a new loading platform for
recycling materials and waste, educational visits to the
waste disposal facility, student and staff engagement
and a significant increase in the number of recycling
bins around campus. A signage and visibility campaign
is ongoing. Results are not yet tabulated.
• Recyclemania: Babson has participated in Recyclemania
each year for the last three years, each year reducing
waste and increasing recycling rates on campus.
• Wind turbine installation: In March 2008, Babson
College installed a residential-scale turbine, the Skystream
3.7 (1.8 kW) on the school’s campus based on a proposal created by three graduate students and introduced
through the Babson Energy and Environmental Club.
• On Campus Garden: In the summer of 2010, a group
of passionate faculty, students, and staff started a community garden on the Babson campus. Facilities staff
provided materials for several raised beds. The garden
grows herbs and vegetables, some of which are used
in the dining facility located nearby. Plans are under
14
Jan uary 2011
3
Vi sion
In the spring of 2009, after an extensive process of engagement with the broader Babson community, the leadership of
Babson issued a strategy for Babson. This strategy updated
Babson’s mission and included a new vision for the college
based on three goals. These are:
It is increasingly clear
that economic value has
1. Extend Babson’s leadership in entrepreneurship by moving from entrepreneurship as a discipline to the more
pervasive Entrepreneurial Thought and Action (ETA).
become an inadequate
®
2. Cement our lead in curriculum innovation by designing the “next generation” curriculum that integrates
profit and the common good using UN Principles for
outcome measure of
performance. Business
schools like Babson have
Responsible Management Education (PRME).
3. Expand Babson’s global reach from limited partnerships
to deeper strategic relationships, leveraging the Global
Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (GCEE).
Sustainability in social, economic and environmental terms,
is central to Babson’s strategy, and is woven throughout,
both implicitly and explicitly. The new vision for Babson is
a call to creative action, a strategic decision to set a course
for the College so that it can equip graduates to excel in a
dynamic market where resources are increasingly limited
an obligation beyond
assisting our students to
build better businesses.
We must educate them
to build a better world.
and environmental externalities are forced into the cost of
doing business. Babson is investing in becoming an educa-
–Babson Strategy 2009
tional institution that produces versatile, well-rounded global
citizens capable of creating economic and social value. This
next generation of leaders will have to balance people,
planet, and profit simultaneously.
Jan uary 2011
15
What Does This Mean for
Sustainability at Babson?
Now is a dynamic moment for sustainability on the Babson
campus. The College is shifting its emphasis, and resource
allocation toward being more sustainable and toward a
seamless integration of sustainability into the education of
every Babson student.
Shift in Culture at Babson
According to Babson’s Strategy document, “the economic
environment has shifted drastically, as evidenced by the
There is a growing recognition that the solutions to
our economic, social, and environmental problems
will come from entrepreneurial ideas and action.
Influential New York Times columnist and author
Thomas Friedman makes this point explicitly in his
latest book Hot, Flat and Crowded. As he puts it,
the solution to the problems of energy/climate and
the increasing burden on the earth’s resources will
dual shocks to the global economy from the dramatic rise
largely be developed by entrepreneurs generating
and fall in oil prices and the meltdown of the credit and
innovative solutions.
financial markets in 2008. These events have undermined
the major, unstated assumptions on which business educa-
–Babson Strategy 2009
tion has been built in the last 60 years – a cheap supply
of fossil fuels, an infinite supply of raw materials, availabil-
Education (GCEE) driven by Babson. In a global business
ity of capital at low interest rates, and low unemployment.
environment increasingly rich with opportunities to imple-
There is a growing recognition that reliance on
ment sustainability as an intelligent business strategy, this is
fossil fuels has to be replaced with alternative
another obvious place for Babson’s “sustainability in practice”
energy and production practices which emphasize
to be integrated into the larger vision of the College. Social
sustainability. These “shocks to the system” also have
Economic, Environmental, Responsibility and Sustainability
revealed the danger of relying excessively on a market
(SEERS) are constant drivers on the local level here at
model which focuses on shareholder wealth creation and
Babson, and they are increasingly drivers on the global stage.
profits, and ignores how those profits have been created.”
Opportunities abound for Babson to leverage this strength
At Babson, we believe the next generation of gamechanging entrepreneurs will see the connection between
resource efficiency and financial success. We believe our
students should be equipped to bring innovation, entrepreneurial skills, and a strong foundation in business concepts
to this challenge.
Sustainability Is a Global Opportunity
Increasingly, and guided by the new strategy, Babson’s
vision, scope, and reach are global. The centerpiece of this
global strategy is the Global Consortium for Entrepreneurship
16
to provide value to an expanding group of international
undergraduate and graduate students by helping them
develop the tools to solve the environmental, economic,
and social challenges in their own countries, and here in the
United States. The development of these tools begins with
Babson’s campus as a thriving, living, learning laboratory
for creative, dynamic social, economic, and environmental
problem solving. The campus will serve as a testing ground
and a fertile, nurturing environment for students, faculty,
and staff to explore how sustainability (environmental,
social, and economic) can be a lasting business benefit.
Jan uary 2011
4
Opportu n iti es
Overview
Criteria for Selecting Actions
Babson is committed to achieving climate neutrality by
Babson has generally considered the following criteria in
2050. We have developed a plan based on taking increas-
evaluating potential carbon mitigation efforts:
ingly aggressive steps to move the College toward climate
1. Economic impact
innovations as they unfold during the next 40 years.
2. Alignment with College’s educational mission
This plan is broken down into four stages:
3. Alignment with long-term planning for the campus
Stage I: 2011−2015
4. Ancillary benefits
Stage II: 2016−2020
Actions
neutrality, while allowing flexibility to make use of technical
Stage III: 2021−2030
Green Building
Stage IV: 2031−2050
This plan includes a very specific set of actions for Stage 1.
Actions planned for the subsequent stages necessarily
decrease in specificity. This document is intended to be a
living document with opportunity to firm up planned actions
for later stages in subsequent revisions to this plan.
Babson also has broken down its planned actions into the
following functional areas:
1. Green Building
2. Energy Efficiency
3. Transportation
4. Renewable Energy
5. Carbon Offsets
Planning – Smart Use of Space
Babson College’s vision for the campus has evolved somewhat since its last Master Plan of 2004. In the intervening
years, Babson’s educational mission has migrated toward
Jan uary 2011
17
remote learning. This is most apparent in the increased
Green Building Policies
focus on the Fast Track MBA program with a strong
As Babson either renovates existing buildings or demol-
Web-based learning component. This will be a key factor
ishes them to make room for new green buildings, there
enabling Babson to arrest historical growth in the campus
will be significant opportunity to improve the energy
footprint. The migration toward remote learning, in com-
efficiency of the campus via adherence to aggressive
bination with a conscious view toward sustainability in
energy-efficiency goals. Even without adherence to the
planning out future changes to the campus, should allow
design criteria, the process of renewing the built environ-
Babson to modestly shrink the physical footprint of the
ment should produce gains in energy efficiency, because
campus by 0.35 percent over the next 40 years. These
current building codes demand much more energy-efficient
reductions will be achieved by integrating a diligent
building practices and equipment than is typically found in
review of space needs into the planning for all future
most existing buildings.
space renovations.
Babson’s current policy is for all new construction and
The impact of these reductions will be to shrink the cam-
major renovations to be LEED Silver compliant or better.
pus from its current 1.7 million square feet to an estimated
Attaining LEED Silver compliance requires energy perfor-
1.5 million square feet by 2050. This will produce a corre-
mance at least 10 percent better than current building
sponding reduction in building energy use, although energy
codes. The green building policy already has demonstrated
density (energy use per square foot) may increase slightly
significant results: 81 Map Hill, a residence hall that came
as a result of more intensive use of space.
online in FY 2007 and was built to LEED standards, con-
Babson will embark on a new master plan in the next
year. We are anticipating that the above principles will be
embodied in the new master plan.
another residence hall of comparable size.
This Climate Action Plan calls for phasing in more stringent
green building policies. By 2015, Babson will require that all
Action Summary
new construction and major renovation work achieve LEED
What
Smart use of space
Gold certification with energy performance of at least 20
Highlights
• Enhance efficiency of
space utilization
percent below code. By 2020, the policy will require that
• Shrink campus footprint
by 10% in 40 years
18
sumes about 40 percent less energy than Van Winkle Hall,
When
Ongoing Stages I-IV
(2011−2050)
2050 GHG Reductions
(relative to BAU)
4,916 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
No incremental cost,
significant savings in
energy dollars
all new construction and major renovation work achieve
LEED Platinum certification with energy performance of at
least 36 percent below code. We are estimating that by
2050 approximately 700,000 square feet or almost onehalf of the built environment on the campus will have been
constructed under these green building policies.
Jan uary 2011
Energy Efficiency Upgrades – Stage I
Action Summary
Babson College recently completed a thorough energy and
What
Green Building Policy
Highlights
• Stage I – Existing
Policy – LEED Silver
• Stage II – LEED Gold,
20% better than code
• Stages II & IV – LEED
Platinum, 36% better
than code
When
Starting now, ongoing
and progressive
2050 GHG Reductions
(relative to BAU)
Financial Summary
• 2−4% increase in
capital budgets for
building projects
• 10% + ROI on incremental cost
Energy Efficiency
carbon reduction audit of the campus. Based on that audit,
Babson has put together a detailed plan for implementing many of its recommendations. Those projects form the
basis of Babson’s Stage I Energy Efficiency actions. Each of
these actions has been vetted in significant detail:
• BECC Energy Efficiency Improvements – HVAC controls,
lighting, water, and retrocommissioning project targeting
comprehensive upgrades at the highest energy consuming building on campus
- $600,000 investment
- Six-year payback
- 341 MTCO2e annual reductions
• Occupancy-based thermostats – intelligent control
system for dorm and hotel rooms
- Eight-year payback
• New Chillers for Coleman Chiller Plant – replace
existing gas-fired absorption chillers with new highefficiency electric chillers
-1
8-year payback1 but cost includes necessary
maintenance/repair
1
This project is being done to address problems with existing equipment as well
as for energy savings.
Jan uary 2011
19
• Skating Center Upgrades – convert from fuel oil to
• Other Energy Efficiency initiatives – Other initiatives
natural gas, upgrade controls
- Seven-year payback
• Campus-wide Lighting Upgrades – campus lighting
already is relatively efficient, this project has targeted
areas where efficiency can be improved cost-effectively
planned for Stage I include: water efficiency upgrades,
adding roof insulation as part of roofing projects, window replacements, building retrocommissioning, replacing gas-fired Zamboni with an electric machine, new
high-efficiency boilers in the BECC, and Energy Star
purchasing guidelines for appliances
- $500,000 investment2
- Six-year payback
- Nine-year payback
Action Summary
What
Stage I Energy Efficiency
Improvements
Highlights
See above
When
Stage I – 2011−2015
2050 GHG Reductions
(relative to BAU)
Financial Summary
• Approx. $4 million
investment
• HVAC Control Upgrades – specific opportunities to
improve building controls have been identified in Olin
Hall, the Babson/Gerber/Kriebel/Horn complex, the
Webster Center, and Trim Hall
- Nine-year payback
• More than $600,000
in annual energy cost
savings
• Behavior Change – Babson intends to include a push
to improve energy-related behaviors of students, faculty,
and staff as part of its newly enhanced sustainability
Energy Efficiency Upgrades – Stage II
program. This program includes a concerted, long-term
The package of Stage I Energy Efficiency upgrades is fairly
effort at shifting the campus culture toward a greater
comprehensive. Done properly, this will leave relatively
emphasis on sustainability and on individual responsi-
little opportunity for subsequent energy efficiency improve-
bility. See the discussion on “Sustainability and Campus
ments. However, recent history has shown that evolutions
Culture” later in this chapter for more details on Babson’s
in technology continue to present new opportunities to
approach to behavior change.
improve building-energy efficiency. There is good reason to
- Costs are integral to Sustainability Program
- 293 MTCO2e annual reductions (based on 5 per-
expect this trend to continue. Behavioral change efforts will
continue in Stage II and will need to be sustained to keep
from backsliding on gains achieved in Stage I.
cent of total building energy use by FY 2015)
Incremental costs only – BECC boilers and window replacements are necessary
2
capital improvement projects – base costs not included
20
Jan uary 2011
• New Energy Efficiency Opportunities – LED lighting
Energy Efficiency Upgrades – Stages III and IV
and monitoring-based commissioning are two areas that
There is necessarily significant uncertainty in predicting
show significant promise now and are likely to present
energy-efficiency opportunities 10−40 years out. We do
cost-effective opportunities within the next 10 years.
not pretend that these projections are accurate. Rather, we
Others will likely emerge, as well.
have made a few basic assumptions to serve as the basis
of projections for future energy-efficiency improvements.
- Six-year payback
Following are the key assumptions behind our projections:
• Energy prices will increase moderately, in real terms,
from 2010 levels3
• Boiler Upgrades – Babson has identified significant energy-
• Electric prices will increase further based on Babson’s
savings opportunities from replacing old, inefficient boilers
planned purchase of wind power for all of its electric
in Van Winkle Hall, Reynolds Hall, and the Webster Center
needs starting in Stage II (see Fuels and Renewable
with new energy-efficient models. However, these projects
Energy Section)
do not meet the College’s current investment criteria. The
boilers will be near or at the end of their useful life by the
• Energy Efficient technology will continue to evolve creating new opportunities for cost-effective investment in
end of Stage II, thus they will likely be replaced in that time
energy-efficiency improvements
frame as part of the normal capital projects process.
- No incremental investment
- $15,000 in annual savings
• As the target date for achieving climate neutrality
approaches and Babson contemplates purchasing carbon
offsets to achieve neutrality, Babson will re-evaluate
its financial criteria for energy efficiency projects. This
re-evaluation will lead the College to invest in longer
payback energy-efficiency projects that do not meet its
Action Summary
What
Stage II Energy Efficiency
Improvements
Highlights
Focus on new technology
When
Stage II – 2016−2020
2050 GHG Reductions
(relative to BAU)
366 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
• $500,00 incremental
investment
current financial criteria.
3
• More than $100,000
annual savings
Based on analysis of data in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy
Information Administration (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2010, Report #DOE/
EIA-0383 (2010), May 11, 2010. During the next 25 years, electric prices are projected to increase at an average annual rate of 0.4 percent in real terms; natural gas
prices are projected to increase at an average annual rate of 1.5 percent during the
same period. Based on comparing projected real retail pricing for 2035 and 2010.
Electric data from Table 8. Electricity Supply, Disposition, Prices, and Emissions;
natural gas data from Table 13. Natural Gas Supply, Disposition, and Prices.
Jan uary 2011
21
Babson is located on a large suburban campus that is
Action Summary
What
Highlights
somewhat beyond convenient walking distance of pubEnhanced Energy Efficiency
Investment in Stages III and IV
lic transportation, the local town center, and other off-
• New technology
students reside on campus, and the majority have a car.
• More liberal financial criteria
When
Stages III & IV – 2021−2050
2050 GHG Reductions (relative to BAU)
Financial Summary
• At least $3 million (current $)
in incremental investment –
above business as usual
campus destinations. Approximately 68 percent of full-time
However, the College also has a large contingent of students who commute as well as an active executive education center that is home to numerous academic programs
and corporate events. Consequently, institutional and
private transportation is a more significant factor at Babson
•10-to 12-year payback
Transportation
than at most urban campuses.
In assessing and managing the combined environmental
impact that Babson-associated transportation generates,
we’ve considered not only transportation needs of the
institution, but also the impact of commuting by students,
faculty, and staff. Our overriding objective in this regard is to
reduce the overall carbon output arising from all vehicular
transportation associated with the College.
With this goal in mind, the College already has taken several
important steps to reduce its environmental impact associated with transportation. Among these are the following:
• Purchase of three hybrid vehicles for on-campus use
• Acquisition of three high-MPG maintenance and
training grounds vehicles
• Elimination of three large-engine work vehicles
• Establishment of a campus-based bicycle sharing program
• Implementation of campus-wide transportation survey
Transportation in various forms, including fleet vehicles,
commuting, and College-sponsored travel is responsible
for approximately 23 percent of Babson’s FY 2010 carbon footprint.
• Continued operation of inter-college shuttle bus service
with Olin College and Wellesley College
• Addition of several campus-based Zipcars for student use
• On-campus use of electric vehicles by management
and staff
22
Jan uary 2011
The following is an outline of Babson’s strategy for achieving
Nonetheless, this Climate Action Plan includes a goal of re-
further reductions in transportation-related GHG emissions.
ducing air travel by 20 percent during the first 10 years of the
plan and sustaining travel at the reduced level thereafter.
Improve College Vehicle Fleet Fuel Efficiency
As the Babson fleet ages, vehicles will be replaced with
higher efficiency vehicles. Some of this improvement will
Action Summary
What
Reduce air travel
the fuel efficiency of vehicles available for purchase. The
Highlights
Rely more on teleconferencing
College also will actively seek opportunities to replace con-
When
Ongoing 2011–2020
217 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
May require further investment in videoconferencing
and related technology
occur as a matter of course as new CAFE standards raise
ventional vehicles with hybrid or electric alternatives. Our
plan is based on an estimated 35 percent improvement in
vehicle efficiency during the next 20 years.
Action Summary
What
Improve fleet fuel efficiency
Highlights
Phase out old, less efficient
vehicles in favor of new more
efficient versions
Reduced Commuting
Commuting accounts for approximately 16 percent of
Babson’s current carbon footprint. We believe that we can
When
Ongoing 2011–2030
achieve significant reductions in this through several initiatives:
2050 GHG
Reductions
(relative to BAU)
127 MTCO2e per year
• Enhancing the use of public transportation – The town
Financial Summary
Some modest incremental
costs are likely
of Wellesley currently is investigating opportunities
to enhance public transportation in and around the
town. Babson intends to work with the town through
this process
• Exploring opportunities to increase the use of bicycles
Reduced Travel
Air travel accounts for 5−10 percent of Babson’s total carbon footprint. Babson is actively seeking ways to reduce
travel-related GHG emissions. We will address this com-
for commuting
• Increasing incentives for carpooling
ponent primarily by increasing the use of virtual meetings
• Remote learning − Perhaps the greatest impact will be
as replacements for off-campus meetings, thus reducing
achieved as a result of an ongoing shift in enrollment
travel requirements. Babson is in the process of building
away from the traditional MBA program and toward the
a new telepresence room on campus to facilitate virtual
Fast Track MBA, which has a significant remote, Web-
meetings. The goal of reduced air travel will be in tension
based learning component
with the College’s goal to “Expand our global reach from
limited partnerships to deeper strategic relationships” as
articulated in Babson’s Strategy – Version 2.1, May 2009.
• Behavior change – All of the above initiatives will be
supported with behavior change messaging and more
direct initiatives via the Babson Sustainability Office
Jan uary 2011
23
Fuel Selection and Renewable Energy
Action Summary
What
Reduce commuting
Highlights
Focus on behavior change
When
Ongoing 2011–2020
341 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
May require further investment in videoconferencing
and related technology
Increased Fuel Efficiency - Commuting
Effective 2016, the U.S. EPA and Department of Transportation
will require auto manufacturers to achieve an average
fuel efficiency of 35.5 miles per gallon. This represents
a 23 percent improvement as compared to the current
Eliminate use of fuel oil for heating
standard of 27.5 mpg. GHG emissions associated with
The Woodland Hills apartments and the Babson Skating
Babson commuters will decrease as the new, more effi-
Center are the only buildings on campus that still use fuel
cient vehicles replace older, less efficient vehicles. We have
oil for space heating. Babson already has begun the pro-
assumed that the efficiency gains from this change will
cess of converting the Skating Center to natural gas. This
phase in for 10 years starting in 2016. At the end of that
project is addressed as part of the Skating Center upgrades
period, commuting emissions will have decreased 23 per-
discussed in the Energy Efficiency section. To eliminate fuel
cent on a per-mile commuted basis.
oil heating from the campus entirely, Babson plans to run a
gas line to Woodland Hills and install new gas-fired boilers
Action Summary
Increased fuel efficiency
– commuting
be done as part of renovation projects or as existing boilers
Highlights
New federal CAFE standards
gas line extension, but does not envision any significant
When
Stages II and III
– 2016−2025
481 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
No cost to Babson
What
24
in those buildings during the next 20 years. This work will
reach the end of their useful life. Babson will pay for the
incremental cost for the boiler installations.
Jan uary 2011
Action Summary
What
Highlights
Action Summary
Eliminate use of fuel oil for
heating
What
Wind Power Procurement
Highlights
• Direct participation in NE
wind farm
New gas line to
Woodland Hills
When
Stages I-IV - 2012−2031
127 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
• Approx.
$100,000−$200,000
incremental cost
• Supply 100% of purchased
electricity from renewable
sources
When
Stages II – IV – 2016–2050
Financial Summary
• Approximately cost neutral
over life of the PPA
• Approx. $50,000
annual savings
• Provides price stability /
predictability
Wind Power Procurement
Because Babson is served by a municipal electric utility, it
is somewhat more limited in its ability to purchase electricity from green sources than comparable institutions in
investor-owned utility territory. Babson does not have the
ability to purchase its electric supply on the retail market;
it must purchase through Wellesley Municipal Light Plant
(WMLP). That said, Babson has begun conversations with
Solar Thermal Pool Heating
Babson recently evaluated installing a solar heating system
for the Webster Athletic Center pool, but declined to proceed based on a relatively long payback. As fuel costs rise
and Babson liberalizes its investment criteria (see discussion on Energy Efficiency Upgrades Stages III and IV), this
project should eventually fit within Babson’s criteria.
WMLP regarding participating in a wind power development project in Maine via a Power Purchase Agreement
Action Summary
(PPA). This specific opportunity requires participation start-
What
Solar Thermal Pool Heating
Highlights
Direct use of renewable energy
eled our economic assumptions based on these discus-
When
Stage IV – 2031
sions. This project would include a fixed price for 15 years,
42 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
• $325,000 investment
(current dollars)
ing in 2011. Although this is ahead of Babson’s schedule
for clean energy purchases under this plan, we have mod-
representing an approximately 1.8 cent per kWh premium
at the outset, decreasing to a 1.5 cent per kWh discount
by the end of the 15-year PPA term.
• $11,800 annual savings
(current dollars)
Jan uary 2011
25
Solar PV Installation
Offsets
Babson is currently considering a major photovoltaic (PV)
installation on campus. The College is in the early phases of
investigating the feasibility of installing a 1-2 MW PV system.
With the current, very favorable, treatment of Solar Renewable
Energy Certificates (SRECs) in Massachusetts and federal tax
credits, we believe the College will be able to structure a deal
that will be financially viable for Babson and make a significant
contribution to our goal of climate neutrality. The plan would
be to have a third party build, own, and finance the installation on Babson’s campus. Babson will sign a long-term PPA
with the third party. After a period of time that would allow the
third party to recoup its investment in the project and make a
reasonable profit while charging Babson reasonable rates for
purchased power, Babson would take ownership of the system and all of its outputs. Although the renewable attributes
Offsets are a necessary part of almost any climate neutral-
would be sold off during the PPA term, after the PPA expires,
ity plan, but they also are something of a last resort, to be
Babson will be generating renewable energy on site to serve
used after all other feasible measures have been deployed.
the campus electric needs. We have estimated that Babson
Babson’s offset procurement strategy is fairly straightforward,
will take ownership of the system and the renewable energy
consisting of two basic components: First, starting in 2021,
attributes in 2022.
the College will require that all College travel be offset. In
This action will require close coordination with the wind power
other words, each department will be required to purchase
project outlined above, because both projects involve entering
carbon offsets to neutralize all Babson-related travel.
into PPAs for a significant share of Babson’s electric load.
Beginning in 2041, the College will phase in the purchase
of offsets, ramping up to fully offsetting all remaining
Babson GHG emissions. As indicated in the graph above,
Action Summary
26
What
Solar PV Installation
Highlights
On-site renewable energy
When
Installed 2012 – Contribution to GHG reductions in
Stage III – 2022
635 MTCO2e per year
Financial Summary
Further analysis required,
targeting $0 incremental
cost to Babson
we expect to reduce campus GHG emissions by about
two-thirds before Babson begins procuring offsets (other
than those specifically targeted at travel). The intent of
phasing in the procurement of offsets for 10 years is to
begin to provide internal financial pressure to address other
opportunities on campus that may have previously been
marginal economically.
Jan uary 2011
The ACUPCC offers the following guidelines for the use of
Waste
offsets in achieving climate neutrality4:
Babson has long been an active practitioner and promoter
of effective waste management. From the environmental
1. Offset projects are real and emissions reductions
sustainability perspective, it aims to minimize the carbon
are additional
output associated with its waste stream. Because the Col
2. Offset projects are transparent
3. Emissions reductions are measurable
4. Emissions reductions are permanent
5. Emissions reductions are verified
6. Offset projects are synchronous
7. Offset projects account for leakage
8. Credits are registered
9. Credits are not double-counted
10. Credits are retired
lege generates waste of many types and across many campus locations, it employs multiple strategies to address the
issue effectively and to date, has made significant progress.
Examples of performance improvement are telling. Babson
participated in Recyclemania, an annual 10-week intercollegiate recycling competition, and succeeded in increasing
its recycling rate from 9.5 percent in 2009 to 13.5 percent
in 2010. Meanwhile, it continually reduced trash output
from 1,341 tons in 2005 to 1,156 tons in 2009, a reduction of nearly 14 percent. And in food service, not only
are its cooking oils repurposed, but trayless dining is now
standard. Another significant achievement has been the
GHG offset markets are still relatively new, and it is dif-
recycling of 75 percent of on-campus construction waste.
ficult to accurately predict the cost of offsets in 2050. Most
Our strategic approach to waste management is four-
projections that we have seen range from $15 to $40 per
pronged. It comprises the following:
MTCO2e. If we assume $25 per MTCO2e, Babson’s costs
under this offset plan will ramp up to more than $150,000
• Increasing recycling
annually by 2050.
• Educating the Babson community about
Action Summary
4
• Minimizing trash output
waste management
What
GHG offsets
Highlights
Procurement of high-quality
offsets
When
Phasing in starting in 2021
Financial Summary
Costs ramp up to $180,000
annually by 2050 and remain
at that level thereafter
• Using technology to further reduce waste streams
Several tactics are currently planned to decrease trash volume. For example, at the end of the academic year, the
College will provide recycling outlets for books, electronics, clothing, and other items as students prepare to leave
campus. An increased effort to recycle furniture will be
an important part of this effort. During the year, reusable
cups and mugs will be encouraged for beverages and the
American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment, ACUPCC
Voluntary Carbon Offset Protocol, November 2008. http://www2.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/documents/ACUPCCVoluntaryCarbonOffsetProtocol_Nov08.pdf
Jan uary 2011
27
staff will explore opportunities for composting food waste.
Programs for recycling light bulbs and other regulated waste
items will be ongoing. Babson recently converted to single-stream recycling. This conversion will be coupled with
ongoing promotion of recycling throughout the 2010−2011
academic year.
Educating about the value and importance of recycling and
reusing also will be integral to the College’s waste management program. Student groups will be encouraged to help
educate their peers in this regard on an ongoing basis.
• Supporting local community development
• Complying with a Global Sustainable Supply Chain Code
• Reducing organic and nonorganic waste generated in
operations and at client sites
• Sourcing and promoting sustainable equipment
and supplies
• Fighting hunger and malnutrition through engagement
Sourcing Local, Fair Trade, and Organic Foods
Increasingly, Sodexo is working with its third-party vendors
Food
to source foods locally, dependent on seasonal variation.
Babson contracts with Sodexo for dining services on cam-
Where possible, Sodexo procures local foods and products
pus. Sodexo is working actively with Babson to increase
directly from the following local food producers. To date,
the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of
these include:
Babson’s food supply, and Babson is continuing to ask for
• Babson Community Garden, Babson Park, MA −
increasingly sustainable practices as part of its service.
As a company, Sodexo has committed to the following
A small percentage of seasonal herbs
• Philbin Orchards, Sterling, MA − Produce
high-level goals related to sustainability, called Sodexo’s
“Commitments for a Better Tomorrow”:
• Reduction of carbon intensity in operations and at
client sites
• Carlson Orchards, Harvard, MA − Produce
• Dole and Bailey Inc., Woburn, MA − Meats
• Green Mountain Roasters, Waterbury VT − Coffee
• Reduction of water intensity
• HP Hood, LLC, Lynnfield, MA — Dairy Products
• Promoting food choices with reduced sugar, salt, and fat
• Boisvert Farms, Hadley, MA − Produce
• Promoting health and wellness solutions for employ-
• Joe Czajkowski Farms, Hadley, MA − Produce
ees, clients, and customers
• Williams Farms, South Deerfield, MA − Produce
• Increasing purchasing from fair and responsible, certified sources
• Sourcing local, seasonal, or sustainably grown and
• Davidian Brothers Farm, Northboro, MA − Produce
• Springbrook Farms, Littleton, MA − Produce
raised products
• Sourcing sustainable fish and seafood
• Providing and promoting varied and balanced food options
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Jan uary 2011
Green Cleaning
• Clearview Orchards, Sterling, MA − Produce
• Dick’s Market Garden, Lunenburg, MA − Produce
We are working around the campus to decrease the number of potentially hazardous chemicals used in cleaning.
Babson Dining Services has been serving Fair Trade coffee
Some initiatives in this area include:
in the dining halls since 2004. Green Mountain Fair Trade
Coffee and Jazzman’s Fair Trade Coffee selections are avail-
• Dining Services use EcoLab cleaning products, which now
provide a line of more environmentally responsible clean-
able at several locations on campus.
ing products called EcoLogic. Babson is increasingly using
Waste Reduction and Prevention
this line of cleaning products within Dining Services.
Babson Dining Services has worked hard to reduce food,
energy, and water, and to use renewable and recycled materials where possible. Conservation practices include:
• Purchase and deployment of 60 ActiveIon “Ionator”
units which clean and sanitize using ionized water
instead of chemicals
Energy Conservation
• More than 60 percent of the chemicals used in cleaning
• Limited use of garbage disposals
on campus are certified as “green”
• Timers installed on hall exhaust hoods and fans in kitchen
• Equipment is being replaced with newer versions that
• Timers installed on some lights in Dining Services areas
meet green criteria such as reduced water consumption,
no or low chemical use, and HEPA filters on vacuums
Water Conservation and Waste Water Prevention
• Replacing black boards with white boards to reduce chalk
• Limited use of garbage disposals to conserve water
dust and reduce water consumption
• All previously water-cooled refrigeration has been (or
will be at the end of life cycle) replaced with air-cooled
Landscape
systems to reduce water usage
Babson’s attractive suburban setting comprises 370 acres
Food and Paper Waste Reduction and Prevention
of woodlands, athletic fields, and rolling lawns. As an environmental steward, the College’s objectives include main-
• All paper cups removed from Resident Dining halls for a
taining an attractive and highly functional campus in the
savings of 154,000 going into waste stream each year
most environmentally responsible manner feasible. To that
• Just in time cooking practices employed in all dining halls
resulting in 80 percent less food waste
to be 100 percent organic and reduced lawn fertilizer nitrogen content by 75 percent.
• Reusable mug campaign – retail outlets offer a discount
on refills with the mug
end, Babson has converted our lawn fertilization program
New efforts in managing Babson’s woodlands and landscape include the following:
• Conserve resources presently devoted to maintaining unused and little-used areas of the campus. This involves
further tree planting to reforest where appropriate, as
well as installing low-maintenance perennial plantings in
Jan uary 2011
29
these and other locations, and mowing low-use areas
Sustainability and Campus Culture Shift
monthly instead of weekly.
After the Campus Sustainability survey conducted in 2008,
• Minimize the impact of pesticides by applying them only
and in line with the anecdotal experiences of many on
where necessary, using formulations that are the least
the Babson campus, Babson greatly expanded its sus-
harmful to the environment, and switching to nonpesti-
tainability program, including outreach, communication
cide methods of insect control wherever appropriate
and coordination functions that would aid future sustainability efforts. In the fall of 2009 and spring of 2010, the
• To the extent possible use native and other low maintenance species in new plantings to lessen the demand for
ongoing maintenance
Babson community identified an opportunity to deepen the
commitment to sustainability on campus. While there were
many people who had a personal interest in seeing Babson
become more sustainable, efforts were isolated in different
Water/Wastewater
Babson recognizes that the way academic institutions use
and manage water resources has a substantial impact on
the environment, largely because of their overall community size and often-extensive grounds. We therefore
address water conservation from two general perspectives;
fresh water usage and storm water management. Several
areas and departments around campus, making it difficult
to create coordinated momentum.
The diagram on page 31 graphically depicts key people and
departments who were working on sustainability at Babson,
as of the spring of 2010. Highlighted people are those who
served on the Sustainability Steering Committee.
key steps already have resulted in considerable progress.
Since the spring of 2010, many changes have occurred
We installed numerous low-flow water fixtures in loca-
at Babson to increase communication and coordination
tions campus-wide and replaced older dishwashers with
around sustainability. Chief among them, a Sustainability
new, more water efficient equipment. We have installed
Office was established in the fall of 2010 to work along-
automated irrigation controls to better regulate water con-
side the many members of the Babson community already
sumption for landscape needs. Storm water management
engaged in meaningful sustainability work around campus
improvements included the addition of underground infil-
to expand programs, and to coordinate their efforts into a
tration chambers and large detention basins.
cohesive direction. This office is working to improve the
Babson plans to continue its program of replacing sanitary fixtures with low consumption versions as we renovate
spaces. Other efforts will include evaluating the potential
installation of “greywater” systems and using their output
for landscape irrigation and/or cooling tower make-up. The
sustainability of the Babson campus, and to serve as a
nexus of sustainability, a nerve center that helps deconstruct the natural silos that exist within organizations. The
diagram on page 32, though constantly evolving, reflects
this shift in perspective.
education component of our water conservation program
involves building and maintaining increased awareness
throughout the campus community, and involving student
groups in educating their peers about the importance of
ongoing water conservation.
30
Jan uary 2011
Sustainability Landscape – Spring 2010
Behavior and Culture Change
One of the goals of the Sustainability Office at Babson is to
create a lasting culture of ever-improving sustainability on
the Babson campus. Undoubtedly, the behavior of the people on Babson’s campus today has a critical role in making
sustainability a part of the Babson culture in the future. As a
result, we are working hard to implement programs across
the campus focused on education and communication,
but also on changing how Babson community members
behave to decrease resource use and increase the sustainability of the campus. These programs are grounded in best
practice in behavior change science.
Historically social sciences, particularly psychology, have developed various models to help us understand and resolve
behavioral problems. Frequently used in health-related
behavior change, these theoretical models, coupled with
practical therapeutic techniques, provide a solid framework
to evaluate current behavior and promote sustainabilityrelated intervention. GreenerU developed a Behavior
Change Cycle (Figure 1.2 on page 33) grounded in these
social science and psychological behavior theory models.
This model, the foundation of the behavior change program
at Babson, is comprised of six stages. Each stage includes
a process that consists of evaluating awareness, acquiring
knowledge, gaining skills, and planning and implementing
pro-environmental action.
Jan uary 2011
31
Sustainability Landscape – Fall 2010
Babson EcoReps, staff EcoLeaders, and a variety of other
and the Rocket Pitch competitions held on campus each
key stakeholders such as facilities staff are being trained in
year, Babson has begun to develop sustainability-related
workshops that use this model. This provides a foundation
counterparts, designed to fertilize the ideas that might even-
for workshop participants to understand and change their
tually become sustainable businesses. The Green Tower,
own, individual behavior, and helps them develop the skills
an environmentally oriented housing unit on campus, hosts
to facilitate and lead larger scale behavior change among
the Green Rocket Pitch every year. Students in the gradu-
their peers on the Babson campus.
ate business school have taken on their campus as a living
Green Entrepreneurship
Green Entrepreneurship has a natural home on the Babson
campus and is part of our unique approach to sustainability. As part of their business education, our students seek to
solve real world challenges with market mechanisms and
they frequently start here, on our campus. In complement
laboratory, successfully completing much of the legwork
required to make the case for single stream recycling on
campus. Green businesses are a growing percentage of
the portfolio of businesses started by Babson students and
recent alums. A few businesses recently started by or with
Babson alumni include:
to structures such as the Entrepreneurial Residential Tower
32
Jan uary 2011
Figure 1.2: GreenerU Behavior change Model (From the Babson EcoAction Workshop Handbook)
STAGE 1:
Awareness
STAGE 2:
Contempla�on
STAGE 5:
Assessment
STAGE 4:
Ac�on
STAGE 3:
Prepara�on
KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS
SKILLS
ACTION
-Descrip�on of stage
-Ac�vi�es
-How to move to the next stage
-Characteris�cs
-Tools
-Resources: Environmental
Literacy & Communica�ons
• ThinkLite: A lighting efficiency business that retrofits
existing lighting fixtures to be more efficient
• Preserve: Founded by a Babson alumnus, Preserve
makes consumer products such as toothbrushes and
• Top Sprouts: A business that builds greenhouses on
razors from recycled plastic materials.
top of or alongside existing buildings. Top Sprouts green-
• Down to Earth Waste Solutions: Founded and run by a
houses are, in part, kept warm by the waste heat of their
current Babson student, Down to Earth is an early stage
host building and they produce food crops that can then
waste recycling and vermicomposting startup.
be sold to building occupants.
• SKYNJA: Founded by a recent Babson alumnus, SKYNJA
• Big Belly Solar: Managed in part by a Babson alumnus,
is a consumer-demand response company working to
Big Belly makes solar-powered compacting trash cans for
reduce the energy load on the grid by orchestrating end
outdoor applications. Babson is home to several Big Belly
users to shut down computers at peak moments.
units. By compacting trash, Big Belly trash cans reduce
the number of truck trips and bags required to empty
outdoor garbage containers.
• LiveProud: LiveProud makes clothing from reclaimed
and recycled materials such as sail cloth.
Jan uary 2011
33
• Stone Hearth Pizza: Co-founded by a Babson alumnus, Stone Hearth is committed to very locally sourced,
frequently organic ingredients and sustainable practices.
chance to pitch their sustainable business ideas to panel
of judges.
• Solfest: Solfest is a campus-wide concert and social
In addition, Babson is leveraging sustainability as an oppor-
event co-hosted by Green Tower and the Campus Activi-
tunity to train students as leaders and change agents. The
ties Board to celebrate the end of Earth Week. The event
EcoReps program, for example, explicitly provides students
is meant to be fun and also to promote a more sustain-
with leadership skills to be used in a business context, all
able lifestyle. Green Tower members worked to reduce
while working on meaningful projects to make Babson a
the impacts of the event and to use it as a sustainability
more sustainable campus.
educational opportunity.
Cocurricular Activities and Programs
Babson has a very active cocurricular program, and sustainability is found in many areas of these programs.
• Green(er) Move Out: Green Tower has worked with
facilities to reduce waste that occurs during the spring
dorm move-out. Green Tower members gathered, cleaned,
stored, and resold mini-fridges and other appliances in the
2009−2010 pilot year.
Student Organizations and Initiatives
Green Tower
Future Initiatives
An undergraduate, interest-based housing community, the
• Greener Move Out Expansion: Green Tower members
Green Tower is designed to promote sustainability and
are investigating how to expand the diversion of reus-
foster social entrepreneurship on the Babson College cam-
able goods, furniture, and clothes during the end-of-year
pus. Because many of its members live under one roof, the
dorm move-out.
organization has a unique community. It has served as an
incubator for environmentally sustainable entrepreneurial
initiatives on the Babson campus.
Key Initiatives
• Waste Reduction: This year, Green Tower is focused
on waste reduction on campus. This includes improving
recycling rates.
Babson Energy and Environmental Club
• Bicycle Co-op Program: The bicycle co-op was a suc-
The Babson Energy and Environmental Club (BEEC) is
cessful pilot project run by Green Tower. The goals of the
a graduate student-led club that fosters innovation by
bike share were to promote good health and to reduce
addressing Curriculum Integration, Career Development,
the community carbon footprint by providing convenient
and Campus Greening.
and functional transportation. The initial response to the
program was positive: Nearly all the bikes were checked
out most of the time. The Green Tower members are
re-evaluating the program.
• Green Rocket Pitch: Hosted by Green Tower, the Green
Rocket Pitch gives students and recent graduates a
Key Initiatives
• Single Stream Recycling: Babson Energy and Environmental Club members developed a detailed business
case for the implementation of single stream recycling
on campus and worked with Facilities staff to bring this
plan to fruition. Members toured waste facilities, developed cost/benefit analyses, and presented their case
34
Jan uary 2011
to Babson decision-makers. Single stream recycling was
and network. Popular themes include alternative energy,
adopted in summer 2010.
traditional energy, conservation, and green architecture.
• Babson Energy and Environmental Conference: The
BEEC hosts a very successful annual regional energy and
environmental conference. Speakers at the 2010 event
included Stonyfield Farms CEO Gary Hirshberg, NPR’s
Typical activities of the Alumni Green Forum include but are
not limited to:
• Events each fall and spring semester for alumni, students,
and other members of the Babson Community
Tom Ashbrook, and others. The theme was Sustainability
• Education, sharing insights during monthly Executive
in Action.
Committee meetings, official Alumni Green Forum
Key Future Initiatives
events, and casual meetings
• Waste Reduction/Composting: BEEC members have
continued to focus their efforts on further waste reduc-
• Opportunities to stay informed about green/sustainability initiatives within the Babson Community
tion on the Babson campus. They are currently exploring
• Promoting green-themed alumni and student-
the feasibility of composting.
initiated businesses
• Babson Energy and Environmental Conference: Plans
• Green Entrepreneurship, generating ideas that can be adopted
for this successful event are underway for 2011.
by alumni and other members of the Babson Community
Net Impact
Net Impact is “an international nonprofit organization with
a mission to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use
the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.” Babson has both a graduate and an undergraduate Net Impact chapter. While Net
Impact is not exclusively focused on environmental issues,
increasingly, participants are engaging in sustainability
Sustainability Office
In 2010, Babson opened its first dedicated Sustainability
Office. The office is located prominently in the Reynolds
Student Center and it serves as the nexus of sustainability
on campus. The office serves the following functions:
• Connects sustainability activities and programs around
initiatives and collaborating with green groups on campus,
despite their somewhat broader focus.
campus into a unified program
• Communicates within the Babson community about sus-
Green Alumni Green Forum
tainability activities on campus
Babson boasts an increasing alumni presence in the
energy, environment, sustainability, and cleantech fields.
• Helps students, staff, and faculty develop and deploy
sustainability projects and programs around campus
The Babson Alumni Green Forum serves as a networking
and professional development forum for its members—
• Develops and deploys programs that improve or enhance
alumni, students, friends of Babson, faculty, and staff. The
forum offers Babson alumni (graduate and undergraduate)
who are interested in sustainability and “green” business
the sustainability of the Babson campus
opportunities to engage in life-long education, share ideas,
Jan uary 2011
35
• Tracks progress and reports to external entities as needed
to meet Babson’s reporting requirements
The Sustainability Office runs the following programs:
• Babson EcoReps
• Staff EcoLeaders
• The Sustainability Fair
In addition, the Sustainability team coordinates and implements three sustainability related campaigns each year. In
2010−2011, these are:
1. Environmental Action Workshop Series: Organized,
structured workshops for students and staff on becoming environmental change agents on campus.
2. Campus Wide Eco Mini Challenges: Four mini-behavior
The 12 undergraduate EcoReps and two graduate coordi-
challenges, each a week long, designed to raise awareness
nators completed a rigorous three-part training workshop
and increase sustainability participation. The first Challenge,
designed to provide skills to make the EcoReps successful
in early November 2010, was the Zero Waste Challenge.
campus culture change agents. EcoReps are participating
3. EcoReps Directed Campaign: A campaign designed and
in and leading the four Campus Wide Mini Eco Challenges
implemented by the Babson EcoReps and guided by
and then will complete a major sustainability initiative in
the Sustainability Office. This campaign is targeted at
the spring term.
changing a behavior on campus that will impact environmental sustainability.
Eco Reps Program
The Babson EcoReps program is in its second year. During
the summer of 2010, the Sustainability Office redesigned
the program with the following goals:
1. Work with students to improve the sustainability of
the campus
2. Work with students to improve communication about
sustainability at Babson
3. To develop Babson students as leaders and change
Lewis Institute Cocurricular Activities
The Lewis Institute is a curricular and cocurricular resource
center on campus dedicated to the acceleration and
amplification and communication of the positive impacts of
social innovation on and beyond the Babson campus. The
Lewis Institute connects resources, relationships, networks,
and thought leaders to further the Babson mission of
incorporating sustainability and responsibility—social, environmental, and economic—into how we teach, how we
act, and how we influence. This mission makes the Lewis
Institute a major driver of integrated sustainability at Babson,
via the following initiatives, programs and approaches:
agents within the College
36
Jan uary 2011
• FROM DAY ONE: Making a Difference: The Lewis
executives, the curriculum is structured around these com-
Institute hosts a major event in the fall aimed at intro-
petencies to ensure that students develop varied skills, and
ducing new students to social entrepreneurship and
are better able to adapt to an ever-changing business en-
driving home the message that they can make a differ-
vironment. Increasingly, this means integrating efficiency,
ence. Students can participate in a wide variety of ser-
resource management, and sustainability into the fabric.
vice programs including many environmental options
such as invasive species removal and park clean-ups.
The day concludes with a celebration that includes
local and sustainable foods and that meets green
event guidelines.
All first-year students participate in the Foundations of
Management and Entrepreneurship, a yearlong immersion
into the world of business where student teams develop,
launch, and liquidate their own for-profit ventures. Babson
teaches accounting, economics, finance, marketing, opera-
• Amplifying and accelerating sustainability: The Lewis
tions, and organizational behavior in an integrated series of
Institute staff works with the Sustainability Office to con-
courses. As part of the Advanced Program, students design
nect and unify sustainability efforts around the campus
their own learning plans and concentrations, which can con-
by co-branding groups and events, networking people
sist of upper-level elective courses in liberal arts and manage-
and creating connections. This includes groups such as
ment, field-based experiences, and cocurricular activities.
Ashoka, Starting Block, Net Impact, etc.
Graduate Program Overview
• Making social entrepreneurship visible by inviting
The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College
social entrepreneurs to Babson as speakers, teachers,
offers a suite of degree programs that prepare students
and workshop facilitators
to succeed in a competitive global market. Babson
• Hosting a lecture series on social entrepreneurship that
will likely include a sustainability speaker in the spring
• Providing awards and recognition for staff, students,
graduates succeed in large corporations, startups, family business, nonprofits, or any organization that needs
creativity and innovation to develop new products, processes, and markets. Babson’s portfolio of programs
and faculty working on social entrepreneurship
includes the Master of Business Administration (MBA),
and sustainability
Master of Science (MS), and Certificate in Advanced
Management (CAM) programs; all are designed to meet
Curriculum
a wide variety of professional and personal needs.
Undergraduate Curriculum Overview
The MBA degree is offered through four programs including:
The undergraduate curriculum at Babson integrates core
competencies, key business disciplines, and the liberal arts
• Two-Year MBA program: well-suited for career
into foundation, intermediate, and advanced level courses.
changers and those who need to more fully develop
The competencies are rhetoric; quantitative and informa-
their business knowledge and personal network
tion analysis; entrepreneurial and creative thinking; ethics
• One-Year MBA program: designed for business
and social responsibility; global and multicultural perspectives; leadership and teamwork; and critical and integra-
undergraduates with a well-defined career path, who
need to obtain a full-time MBA in only 12 months
tive thinking. Based on feedback from leading corporate
Jan uary 2011
37
• Evening MBA program: perfect part-time program
Babson/Olin/Wellesley Partnership
for working professionals who need a MBA program
In the fall of 2009, Babson, Wellesley College, one of the
that allows maximum flexibility due to both personal
country’s premier liberal arts colleges, and immediate
and professional needs
neighbor F.W. Olin College of Engineering, one of the coun-
• Fast Track MBA program (blends online learning
with on-campus visits): a 24-month, part-time program is designed for experienced professionals who
want to advance their careers while earning a degree,
try’s leading engineering colleges, formalized a collaborative agreement that builds on their geographic proximity
and complementary curricula to explore the synergies in
the schools’ three missions.
but need the convenience and flexibility of Web-based
The three colleges are in the process of exploring new aca-
learning in a rigorous classroom learning environment
demic, social, and business opportunities. Examples include
For more specialized interest areas, Babson offers
three MS programs.
• M S in Technological Entrepreneurship: a joint program offered in collaboration with Tecnológico de
Monterrey (Mexico), this program prepares graduates
for careers in the Latin American marketplace
• M S in Global Entrepreneurship: a unique program
offered by three of the world’s most prestigious
entrepreneurial institutions—EMLYON Business School
(Europe), Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business,
and Zhejiang University’s School of Management (China),
which prepares graduates for global careers
joint research and curricular projects, common centers to
coordinate conferences and programs, and shared services.
At the same time, the institutions hope to break new ground
in interdisciplinary studies and projects.
The goals of the collaboration are to:
• Expand educational opportunities for students
• Develop interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and
problem solving
• Facilitate faculty research and teaching projects
across campuses
• Assist one another in administrative functions
• MS in Accounting: this program prepares graduates for
One of the most immediate synergies of the collaboration
public accounting careers in dynamic and global professions is the development of a certificate program in sustainabil-
Babson Executive Education Overview
Babson Executive Education is ranked among the world’s
best providers. Organizations around the globe and from
key industries choose Babson for progressive and flexible
educational solutions that leverage the global business and
teaching expertise of faculty, industry experts, and partners.
While sustainability is not yet an explicit part of the Executive
Education program at Babson, opportunities for integration exist.
ity, tentatively scheduled to launch in fall 2011. While the
details of this program are still undefined, it is intended to
capitalize on the relative strengths—liberal arts, engineering,
and business—of the three schools to create a truly interdisciplinary and innovative educational program that leaves
certificate holders well equipped to tackle the integrated
challenges of sustainability.
Curriculum Redesign
To date, the Babson College Sustainability Course Guide
produced by the Energy and Environment Club lists
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Jan uary 2011
18 courses with, broadly speaking, sustainability-related
MBA students. Most courses are centered on business
content. Sustainability is implicitly and explicitly included in
learning, and some have some implicit or explicit connec-
a number of additional courses currently offered within the
tion to sustainability. Presently, none of the explicitly related
Babson curriculum. The coordination of sustainability within
sustainability courses that are available are part of the core
the academic program is beginning to increase and the
curriculum of the One-Year and Two-Year MBA programs.
shape of a “sustainability” curriculum is coming into focus.
Sustainability-related courses (including courses that inte-
This is very much in line with Babson’s strategic vision.
grate sustainability) in the graduate and undergraduate
Curriculum is now being designed around the framework
programs include:
of the UN PRME, to address people, planet, and profit issues
• Biodiversity and the Environment
simultaneously. This redesign gives Babson an opportunity
to integrate social, environmental, and economic sustain-
• Business and the Environment
ability into the fabric of our curriculum. This will be further
• Ecology of Animal Behavior
supported by the Babson/Olin/Wellesley Sustainability
• Economic Botany
Certificate program mentioned above.
• Environmental & Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Undergraduate Sustainability Course Offerings
• Environmental Economic Policy and Analysis
The Babson undergraduate curriculum integrates core
• Environmental Technology
management competencies, key business disciplines, and
• Global Warming, Business, and Society
the arts and sciences into foundation, intermediate, and
advanced courses exposing students to business and liberal
arts. Many of our courses integrate environmental issues
with business concepts while others focus on environmental sciences alone or the role of environmental issues in
• Energy: Past, Present & Future
• Imagining Sustainability: Nature, Humanity, Business,
and the End of Sorrow
• Meteorology
• Natural Disasters
society, the arts, and culture.
The foundational and intermediate programs take place
• Oceanography
during the freshmen and sophomore years at Babson.
• Place and Landscape in American Lit
Many of these courses focus on the environmental science
• The Role of Animals in Technology, Law and Society
alone, rather than the business aspects.
• Social Entrepreneurship by Design
The undergraduate curriculum integrates core management competencies, key business disciplines, and the arts
and sciences into foundation, intermediate, and advanced
courses exposing students to business and liberal arts.
• Green MCFE
• Sustainable Entrepreneurship Inspired by Nature
• Environmental Entrepreneurship
• 21st Century Entrepreneurship
Graduate Course Sustainability Offerings
The Babson graduate program offers elective courses to
• Financing and Valuing Sustainability
One-Year, second-year Two-Year, Evening, and Fast Track
Jan uary 2011
39
5
How wi ll we do it?
Time Lines and Actions
The graphic above shows the anticipated cumulative effect
Stage
Years
GHG Reduction Goal
report. The table below outlines Babson’s GHG reduction
I
2011−2015
25% below 2005
goals—targets that we believe we can achieve by following
II
2016−2020
50% below 2005
III
2021−2030
70% below 2005
IV
2031−2050
Climate Neutrality
of the actions described in the Mitigations section of this
this plan. The GHG reduction goals reflect Babson’s targets
for the end of each time period and are expressed as a percentage reduction from 2005 GHG emissions.
40
Jan uary 2011
Financial Plan
start out at a premium of approximately 1.8 cent per kWh,
Babson’s financial plan for implementation of this
Climate Action Plan will evolve as Babson’s technical
as energy costs escalate, that premium would decrease
to the point that the wind power cost would represent an
estimated discount of 1.5 cents per kWh by the end of
approach evolves.
the 15-year PPA term. Based on this information, we have
assumed no net cost for this renewable power. In fact, a
Stage I: Present–2015
Babson’s plan for the next five years centers on continuing the moderately aggressive rollout of energy-efficiency
long-term PPA for renewable power could represent a valuable hedge against potentially volatile energy costs.
initiatives we began in 2007. This plan includes approxi-
Although energy-efficiency figures less prominently in
mately $4.2 million in Stage I energy-efficiency initiatives.
Babson’s Stage II plans, the college will invest more than
As this report is being prepared, Babson already has imple-
$800,000 in incremental costs associated with its green
mented more than $1 million of that $4.2 million, leav-
building policy and additional energy efficiency invest-
ing approximately $3 million in investment required during
ments. Savings from these initiatives are estimated at more
the remainder of Stage 1 to achieve our energy-efficiency
than $80,000. We also expect to begin to see savings from
targets. These energy-efficiency investments are expected
increased fuel efficiency in Babson’s vehicle fleet. These
to yield annual energy cost reductions of nearly $500,000.
savings are estimated at around $15,000 annually.
Also in Stage I, Babson plans to have a large photovoltaic (PV) system installed on campus under a PPA.
Initially, a third party will own the system and sell power to
Babson. It is expected that the third party will sell the
attractive Massachusetts Solar Renewable Energy Credits
(SRECs) to help finance the project. In later years, Babson
will take ownership of the system, use the power directly to
power the campus with clean renewable energy, and retire
Stage III: 2021–2030
In Stage III, our focus returns to energy-efficiency as we
expect increased energy costs and loosening of Babson’s
financial criteria for energy-efficiency projects to yield
additional opportunities to invest in energy-efficiency on
the Babson campus. We estimate that the College’s green
building standards will require incremental expenditures
of approximately $400,000 in new building and reno-
any renewable energy credits.
vation projects and that Babson will invest an additional
$1.6 million in energy-efficiency projects. These combined
Stage II: 2016–2020
The College’s Stage II plans center around procuring electricity from renewable sources. Because Babson is served
by a municipal utility, the College is not eligible to buy
investments are expected to yield almost $300,000 in
annual energy cost savings. Fuel savings in Babson’s fleet will
continue to increase.
power directly from a third-party provider but will have to
Additionally, Babson expects to take ownership of the PV
coordinate closely with Wellesley Municipal Light Plant in
system discussed in the “Mitigations” section of this plan.
structuring any renewable energy purchase. Babson already
When Babson takes ownership of the system, the power
has begun reviewing participation in a Maine wind power
generated by the PV system will provide significant financial
project via WMLP. The deal structure would include a fixed
savings by offsetting power purchases. Buyout costs at the
price for electricity for 15 years. Although that price would
Jan uary 2011
41
end of the PPA can range from minimal to fairly substantial
depending on the financial structure of the deal.
Stage IV: 2031–2050
This Climate Action Plan includes continued investment in
energy efficiency in the fourth and final stage of the plan.
The investment opportunities are expected to arise out of
new technologies and Babson’s anticipated willingness to
entertain longer payback energy-efficiency projects as the
target date for climate neutrality approaches.
The majority of the GHG reductions planned for Stage IV
come from the purchase of offsets. If Babson is able to
achieve its goals for the other mitigation strategies, the
College expects to be left with a balance of approximately
7,350 MTCO2e per year by 2050. At $25 per MTCO2e, offsets will cost Babson approximately $180,000 annually. Measurement and Reporting
Babson will continue to conduct an annual GHG inventory, which will serve as the ultimate indicator of progress toward climate neutrality. Additionally, Babson will
update this plan every two years. The updates will include
actual GHG emissions based on Babson’s annual GHG
inventory and discussions of progress on the specific actions
outlined in this plan. Babson also may adjust goals, tactics, and
discussion of detailed actions in these periodic updates.
42
Jan uary 2011
Babson Park, MA 02457-0310
Phone 781-235-1200
www.babson.edu

BaBson College sustainaBility and Climate aCtion Plan

Transcription

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