Sustainability Accomplishments and Awards
Northeastern University
August 2015
Northeastern.edu/sustainability
Northeastern has three major research areas, one of which is sustainability
Northeastern is a founding member signatory to the American College and
University Presidents Climate Commitment
Northeastern is a Boston Green Ribbon Commission member and active
participant
I.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
A. Academic
Overview
 Northeastern offers over 163 courses that integrate sustainability (Source: Institutional Research,
fiscal year 2014)
 91 faculty teach sustainability courses (Source: Institutional Research, fiscal year 2014)
 Multiple sustainability research centers and institutes across colleges: Renewable Energy,
Environmental Ethics, Business Sustainability, Marine/Environmental Sciences (Source: Institutional
Research, fiscal year 2014)
 $17.3M total sustainability research (Source: Institutional Research, fiscal year 2014)
 129 scholarly publications on sustainability and environment (Source: Institutional Research, fiscal
year 2014)
 282 scholarly events related to environment and sustainability (conferences, etc.) average/annum
over the last 3 years (Source: Institutional Research, fiscal year 2014)
 Green Chemistry Commitment: one of first 10 signatories
 24 student sustainability-related organizations (fiscal year 2014)
 NU faculty/staff were invited participants and presented at the 2011 COP 17 Summit, Durban,
South Africa (17th session of the Conference of the Parties “COP 17” to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change “UNFCCC”, and the 7th session of the Conference of the
Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties “CMP 7” to the Kyoto Protocol)
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B. Infrastructure/Operations
Overview


$23.8M total cumulative cost savings from energy efficiency and conservation initiatives 2005-2014
26% MTCE reduction/gsf 2005-2014. ACUPCC commitment goal was 20%/gsf reduction by 2015 yet we
exceed this a year early. Total MTCE savings 2005-2014: 140,091 MTCE
 $8.46M of operations budget spent on sustainability (Source: Energy Management, Office of
Sustainability, Energy Management, Regulatory Compliance, and Commissioning, fiscal year 2014)
 Energy Use Intensity (“EUI”): 6% reduction per sq. ft. in 2014 compared to 2013
 Greenhouse gas emission reduction: Scope 1 direct stack fossil fuel emissions were reduced by
7.6% from 2013-2014
 LEED certified or pending buildings: over 850,736 square feet /approximately 12% of buildings
under Facilities’ operational control
 ISEC: once completed, is intended to achieve LEED Platinum certification, the highest
level of LEED certification
 East Village: pending LEED Gold certification 2015
 George J. Kostas Research Institute for Homeland Security: LEED Gold certification
2014
 International Village: LEED Gold certification March 2010
 IV’s dining facility is certified by the Green Restaurant Association®
 IV is the first college/university dining facility in the US to earn both the 3Star Certified Green Restaurant® distinction and the LEED Gold status.
 Dockser Hall: LEED Gold certification August 2009
 Laboratory Operations: NU’s Energy Management team developed a new standard for laboratory
operations in cooperation with staff from the Environmental Health and Safety Department and
the Operations and Maintenance Department. The standard was developed during the retrocommissioning effort at the Egan Research Center on campus. The use of occupancy sensors,
advanced air-flow sensors and new Building Management System (BMS) control sequences allowed
reductions in supply air volumes during unoccupied lab times. The project reduced building energy
consumption by approximately 50% while still maintaining a safe work environment for
researchers. The new control sequences are being incorporated into new construction and
building retrofits on campus.
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 Buildings:
 “White” or “High Albedo” (highly reflective) roofs: 339,763 sq. ft. or approximately 30% of
roof gross sq. ft. under Facilities’ operational control; high albedo roofs lessen the “heat
island effect” of buildings, especially cooling needs
 Composting:
 Food waste: 2014 - approximately 552.5 tons of pre- and post-consumer food waste
annually; program began in 2007, 200 tons/year initially
 Grounds/landscape: Over 268 tons composted annually and eventually sold commercially as
soil amendment
 Dining:
 All 16 campus dining locations Green Restaurant Association®certified as of fall 2014
 26.6% of food expenditures are sustainable (fiscal year 2014, based on Princeton Review
criteria)
 New platforms catering to vegan and vegetarian dining, and new Kosher and Hallal dining
stations as of 2014, including the new “GRASS” program (grilled, roasted, braised, steamed,
and sautéed), featuring rotating schedule of vegetables prepared in unique ways with menu
items available at GRASS stations
 Allergy Food Station opened in International Village September 2013
 Real Food Challenge signed by President Aoun July 2013
 Weekly Farmers Market since 2010: held indoors during winter, outdoor September
through November; Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares are now available
through a Human Resources “Healthy You” Program
 Recycling:
 Program in its 26th year as of 2015
 35% overall diversion rate in 2014 for overall campus recycling - compared to
approximately 22 % overall for the City of Boston (City’s statistic provided by Boston’s
Recycling Program Director)
 Approximately 20 different materials recycled campus-wide in 2014
 In 2014, recycled 141.93 tons of kitchen [trap “brown”] grease at a treatment plant
approximately 30 miles away.
 It is processed into solids that are used for composting or digesters, and into #6
biofuel for large manufacturing plants which qualifies them for Green Credits
 Unlike “fryolator” grease, there is no demand for this grease which would
otherwise be discarded at a landfill
 Thousands of bins campus-wide, including 10,000 recycling bins provided for residence
hall use since 2008 (7,600 of these were distributed in 2011; 2,500+ paper recycling
bins in offices campus-wide)
 Recyclemania: U.S.-based educational institution recycling competition, now includes
Canadian schools; student-led; NU’s participation in its 6th year as of 2015
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 Trash 2 Treasure (T2T): Student initiated in collaboration with Facilities, Student Affairs,
and Residential Life; NU’s participation in its 7th year as of 2015; generates approximately
$6,500 annually from goods collected during move-out for resale during move-in
 Smoking: Smoke-free campus August 2013
 Transportation:
 2014: 24% of the University’s vehicle fleet is 100% electric;
 Bicycles:
 East Village residential housing complex, opened January 2015, provides new,
indoor storage for 80 bicycles with 20 more outdoor bicycle location stations to
be installed spring 2015; once these are in place, there will be approximately 880
bike storage spots campus-wide
 (2) Hubway bikeshare stations available on and adjacent to campus. In 2014 the
University approved a subsidized Hubway membership that is available to the
Northeastern community
 Indoor bicycle locking area is available on campus in the Renaissance Park
Garage which is adjacent to the Ruggles transit station and accesses multiple
commuter rail transportation lines. A second bike repair station installation in
the newly opened East Village residence hall complements the first one installed
January 2013 on the West Campus; showers available at several locations
 NUPD offers a free bike registration program that launched 2013; NUPD has 29
bicycle patrol certified staff and uses 21 patrol bicycles
 Carpool and vanpool matching, and promotion of the Guaranteed Ride Home program
 Carshare: Two carsharing programs on and adjacent to campus including the Enterprise
CarShare program that’s also available to students 18 years and over
 Commuting Analyses:
 93 % of students /63% of employees use sustainable commuting options
(walking, biking, public transportation, and other non-motorized means);
 54% of students /9% of employees walk, bike, or use other non-motorized
means as their primary method of transportation; and
 37% of students /49% of employees use public transportation or campus
shuttles as their primary method of transportation
 Preferential parking for carpools/vanpools, and preferred parking for faculty/staff with
daytime decals traveling with at least three total occupants
 Pre-tax commuting options with a more streamlined and accessible program now
available
 Shuttles:
 Two free campus shuttles to reduce vehicle use and traffic congestion: twice
daily Monday-Friday between Boston and Nahant campuses, and four times
daily Monday-Friday between Boston and Burlington campuses
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
 Water:
 Since 2005, despite campus growth of over 20.2%, water consumption per square foot
has been reduced 12% from 27.4 gallons/sq. ft. (2005) to 24.9 gallons/square foot in 2014
 Over $2.5M cumulative savings in water consumption 2005-2014, despite campus
growth and increased campus population
 Groundwater Recharge Area: 159,055 sq. ft. of roof or 14% of roof area discharges into
groundwater recharge area.
 Special flood control doors installed
 Stormwater pumping stations completed
 Over 190 refillable water bottle stations installed campus-wide
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II.
AWARDS
 2015
 Northeast Business Leaders for Energy Efficiency State Champion Award from the
Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
 Massachusetts Department of Transportation Excellence in Commuter Options (ECO)
Pinnacle Award
 Princeton Review: Ranked in top 50 of Guide to Green Colleges
 2014
 MA DOT ECO Spotlight Winner Award, Leadership in Commuter Options – Bicycling
 MA DOT ECO Pinnacle Award
 Princeton Review: Listed in Guide to Green Colleges
 University of Indonesia Green Metric World University Ranking: NU rated 10 th in the
world and #4 of all American schools (out of 360 total schools)
 2013
 Princeton Review: Listed in Guide to Green Colleges
 University of Indonesia Green Metric World University Ranking: NU rated 3rd in the
world and #1 of all American schools (out of 301 total schools)
 2012
 MA DOT ECO Pinnacle Award
 Princeton Review “Green Honor Roll” -highest possible score (99)
 Princeton Review: Listed in Guide to Green Colleges
 University of Indonesia Green Metric World University Ranking: NU rated 4th in the
world and #2 of all American schools (out of total 215 schools)
 2011
 City of Boston Mayor Menino’s Green Business Award
 Massachusetts Mass Save Energy Efficiency Business Award – the only school to be
awarded
 Princeton Review “Green Honor Roll” -highest possible score (99)
 Princeton Review: Listed in Guide to Green Colleges
 Sustainable Endowment Institute A- for“Green Report Card”, cited as Overall College
Sustainability Leader and Campus Sustainability Leader
 University of Indonesia Green Metric World University Ranking: NU rated 2nd in the
world and #1 of all American schools (out of total 178 schools)
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 2010
 Princeton Review “Green Honor Roll” -highest possible score (99)
 Princeton Review: Listed in Guide to Green Colleges
 University of Indonesia Green Metric World Ranking: NU rated #4 worldwide and #2 of
all American schools (out of total 95 schools)
 SEI Campus Sustainability Leader
 2009
 Princeton Review “Green Honor Roll” -highest possible score (99)
 Princeton Review: Listed in Guide to Green Colleges
 SEI Campus Sustainability Leader
 2008
 SEI Campus Sustainability Leader
 Prior to 2000
 US EPA, Green Lights and Energy Star Buildings Program Recognition Award, 1997
 United States Department of Energy Recognition Award, 1995
 Association of Industrial Plant Engineers Merit Award, 1994
 Energy Users News (EUN) Efficient Buildings National Award, Heating, 1994
 EUN Efficient Buildings National Award, HVAC, 1994
 Energy Users News Efficient Buildings Merit Award, Integrated Engineering, 1993
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