the City College of New York Campus Climate Action Plan

The City College of New York
CAMPUS
CLIMATE
ACTION
PLAN
For the American
College and
University Presidents’
Climate Commitment

The City College of New York Climate Action Plan
Table of Contents
President’s Letter 4
Executive Summary 5
1. Introduction 7
2. Campus Emissions 13
3. Mitigation Strategies 18
4. Educational, Research and
Community Outreach Efforts 23
5. Financing 26
6. Tracking Progress 26
Appendix
i. CCNY Green Task Force
Members and Climate Action
Plan Contributors 28
ii. About the CUNY Sustainability
Initiative and PlaNYC 29
2 3

President’s Letter
Executive Summary
In 2007, The City College of New York
(CCNY) became a charter signatory
to the American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment and a
participant, through The City University
of New York (CUNY), our parent institution,
in New York City’s PlaNYC Sustainability
Initiative. These actions were taken
in recognition of the serious threat posed
by global warming and in acceptance of
a challenge to exercise leadership by reducing
our greenhouse gas emissions and
setting an example for the community
and society we serve.
Our climate action plan describes how
we will make our facilities more energy
efficient, reduce our waste stream and
incorporate sustainable practices in
campus life. It identifies the measurable
steps that all members of our College
community – students, faculty, and staff -
will take to have a positive impact on the
environment, both on and off campus.
Our public purpose and educational mission
is to prepare students to meet the
needs and challenges of the age. In the
21st Century, students must be knowledgeable
about the sustainability issues
confronting them so that they will have
a framework for assessing the impacts of
their actions as individuals and members
of society. We must also listen to them
as they invent new ways to solve these
problems.
Further, we must continue to advance
knowledge on environmental issues and
discover solutions for them. That is why
I am proud to launch our new Master of
Science program, Sustainability in the
Urban Environment, a joint effort of our
schools of architecture and engineering
and our division of science and our
selection by the U.S. Department of
Energy as a finalist for its Solar Decathlon
competition in 2011. These initiatives
complement the substantive research
being conducted in the energy and environmental
fields here, and position us for
further leadership in sustainability.
In creating this plan, students, administrators
and faculty worked together in
meaningful ways to forge new connections
that will fortify our efforts to
achieve our goals. We look forward to
taking the necessary actions together.
Robert E. Paaswell, Ph.D.
Interim President
April 22, 2010
This climate action plan for The City
College of New York (CCNY), the first
campus of The City University of New
York (CUNY), describes the measures we
have pledged to take to achieve climate
neutrality as a signatory of the American
College and University Presidents’ Climate
Commitment. This commitment
entails reducing our institution’s energy
usage and greenhouse gas emissions to an
effective level of zero by 2050. Achieving
this goal requires the ongoing commitment
of administrators, faculty members
and students.
Our campus comprises 16 buildings of
approximately 3 million gross square
feet. Two additional buildings under construction
and scheduled for completion
in 2014 will add approximately 400,000
square feet.
Our climate action planning process
started with an inventory of our energy
utilization. This inventory was conducted
by the engineering firm of O’Brien and
Gere (OBG), whose services were made
available by CUNY, our parent institution,
and the Dormitory Authority of the
State of New York (DASNY).
For the baseline year of 1993, campus
greenhouse gas emissions were calculated
to be 55,023 metric tons of CO2E, the
measurement of greenhouse gas emissions.
By 2008, our emissions had fallen
to 37,192 metric tons of CO2E as a
result of facilities improvement projects
and the inclusion of power purchases
from renewable energy sources.
As part of our participation through
CUNY in the New York City’s sustainability
initiative, PlaNYC, our interim
goal is to further reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to 31,442 metric tons by 2017.
Thereafter, the target goal is to lower
emissions to approximately 11,000 metric
tons by 2050, an amount representing
the lowest achievable level of greenhouse
gas emissions.
To claim climate neutrality in the future,
we will work with CUNY to offset the
amount of these remaining greenhouse
gas emissions. Among the actions we
will explore are purchases of renewable
energy and investment in new energy
technologies that are projected to become
available.
We and CUNY have jointly identified
ten capital and facilities improvement
projects to reduce our greenhouse gas
emissions. These projects, estimated at
$ 77 million in total, are included in our
capital plan through to 2017.
In addition, nearly $44 million in facilities
projects have been identified that
are in the planning stages for inclusion
in future capital plans. Opportunities to
accelerate projects by obtaining outside
funding are being pursued.
In addition to taking positive actions
toward reducing our greenhouse gas
emissions, our institution has committed
itself to rethink the way we teach, learn,
conduct research, and operate. These
actions will reinforce the knowledge
about sustainable practices and climate
change that our students acquire in their
classrooms and laboratories.
We will support faculty members as they
find new ways to work together to find
solutions to the pressing problems of
climate change and energy utilization.
We will provide opportunities for our
neighbors and other citizens of New York
City to prepare for professional opportunities
in the new “green economy.”
To provide the ongoing leadership and
monitoring our climate action plan
requires, we have established the CCNY
Green Task Force. It is led through the
Office of the President and the Office
of Campus Planning and Facilities,
and comprises administrators, faculty
members and students. Additionally, we
have incorporated tracking greenhouse
gas emissions into our maintenance and
operations database to provide accurate
progress reports.
Fulfilling our historic mission of access
and excellence in the 21st Century now
requires that we prepare our students
to meet the challenges of global climate
change and energy use. We are determined
to fully engage our resources as an
institution to lead by example and to find
new ways to inform educate and influence.
Producing this plan has served as a
critical step toward taking our beliefs and
values and putting them into action.
4 5

Introduction 1
The City College of New York, the first
college of The City University of New
York, was founded in 1847 to offer
higher education to the children of the
working class and immigrants. Today, we
are a comprehensive teaching, research
and service institution dedicated to accessibility
and excellence in undergraduate
and graduate education.
CCNY prepares its diverse student body
with opportunities to achieve academically,
creatively, and professionally
through the College of Liberal Arts and
Sciences, the Bernard and Anne Spitzer
School of Architecture, the Grove School
of Engineering, the Sophie Davis School
of Biomedical Education/CUNY Medical
School and the School of Education. We
offer more than 115 undergraduate and
graduate programs, including doctoral
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil,
electrical and mechanical engineering and
joint Ph.D. degrees in biology, biochemistry,
chemistry and physics with CUNY’s
Graduate School and University Center.
Ours is the largest undergraduate
research program in the New York metropolitan
area. It gives students the opportunity
to work closely with eminent
scientists in a wide variety of specializations.
As a public institution, our mission
includes contributing to the cultural,
social, and economic life of New York.
The campus occupies 35 acres along
Convent Avenue from 130th Street to
141st Street in Manhattan. It serves more
than 16,000 students and has approximately
2,000 faculty and staff.
The year 2007 marked the Centennial of
the opening of the campus in the historic
Hamilton Heights section of Harlem.
The five original landmarked buildings
are considered among the finest examples
of neo-Gothic architecture at any institution
in the United States. Some of the
landscape surrounding these buildings
also has landmark designation.
Today there are 16 buildings with approximately
three million gross square
feet on the campus. Two were re-built in
the last five years and feature energy-efficient
systems. One was erected during
the 1980s. The rest date back 35 years or
more. An additional 400,000 square feet
under construction on the South Campus
is projected to be completed by 2014.
The age of our oldest buildings – and
of the campus’ physical plant – renders
severe challenges to reducing our energy
usage.
7

Table 1: The City College of New York - Campus Buildings
Figure 1: Campus Map
Total Gross SF
No. of
Floors
Date
Built
Date of
Rehab
Remarks
Aaron Davis Hall 67,720 5 1962
Baskerville Hall 61,450 5 1907 1985 Window Replacement, Exterior
Renovation, Top floor renovation
underway
Compton Goethals
Hall
Schiff House-Child
Care Center
137,929 9 1907 1985 Window Replacement, Exterior
Renovation
4,704 3 1912 1980 Window Replacement, Exterior
Renovation
Harris Hall 119,027 8 1907 1985 Window Replacement, Exterior
Renovation
Howard E. Wille Administration
55,618 5 1962 1980 Exterior Renovation
Building
North Academic
Center
885,656 11 1982 1992 Hi-efficiency Lighting Program
Marshak Science
Building
Structural Biology
Center
School of
Architecture
620,782 18 1972 Est. 2011 Exterior/Façade, fume hoods,
strobic fans
57,847 4 1937 2006 HVAC, Mechanicals, Air handlers
182,879 8 1958 2009 Gut Renovation to Spitzer
School of Architecture: Interior,
Exterior, Mechanicals
Shepard Hall 340,239 12 1907 1985 Window Replacement, Exterior
Renovation
Steinman Hall 318,522 14 1962 1982 Exterior Skin and Windows
Storehouse 12,088 3 1926
Vivarium 6,681 1 2007 - Constructed as Temporary
Facility
Wingate Hall 61,517 5 1907 1985 Window Replacement, Exterior
Renovation
Source: CCNY
Table 1 provides a summary of
campus buildings, their size, age,
and the nature of significant
rehabilitations that have been
performed or is underway.
8 9

The City University of New York
CUNY is the nation’s largest urban public
university. It serves more than 243,000
degree-credit students and 240,000 adult,
continuing and professional education
students. The University comprises 23 institutions
in all five boroughs of New York City
and is dedicated to academic excellence and
the provision of equal access and opportunity
for students, faculty and staff.
It ranks third in university system enrollment
in the United States behind the State
University of New York (SUNY) and California
State University systems. CUNY and
SUNY are separate public university systems
that receive funding from New York State;
CUNY is additionally funded by the City of
New York.
There are over 6,100 full-time teaching
faculty in CUNY, including world-renowned
experts in virtually every field of human
endeavor. Starting in 2005, CUNY has been
investing billions of dollars in the sciences
and aggressively recruiting world-class researchers
and professors who can inspire the
next generation of scientists from all walks
of life.
CUNY and New York City’s
Sustainability Challenge
CUNY is a participant in New York City’s
PlaNYC challenge, an environmental action
plan designed to move New York City
toward a more sustainable future with regard
to land, water, air, transportation, energy
and other climate change-related areas.
PlaNYC requires a commitment to reduce
institutional greenhouse gas emissions by
30 percent by 2017. To this end, CUNY’s
campuses have been charged with creating
unique and measurable ten year sustainability
plans.
The initiatives that CUNY campuses have responsibility
for developing cover areas such
as recycling programs, green procurement
practices, installing bike racks and reviewing
energy use and efficiency. Support for these
initiatives is provided by a change management
structure led by the CUNY Sustainability
Task Force.
The Task Force established 21Universitywide
committees to assist CUNY campuses
in creation and implementation of their
plans. The Task Force helps the campuses
address barriers and obstacles they encounter
in their attempts to introduce more
sustainable practices, identify potential
funding sources for these initiatives and with
one another to address overlapping issues of
common concern.
American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment
Against this background of commitment to
sustainability from CUNY, CCNY became
the first CUNY campus to become a signatory
to the American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment
(ACUPCC) in 2007.
By signing the ACUPCC, CCNY pledged to
reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to an
effective level of zero by 2050. This is to
be accomplished through enacting meaningful
energy reductions and conservation
measures and by taking steps to offset the
impact of remaining unavoidable emissions.
ACUPCC’s steps toward this goal include:
• Establishing an institutional structure to
oversee the development and implementation
of our compliance with the commitment;
• Completing an emissions inventory
within a year of signing the ACUPCC;
• Implementing at least two tangible actions
out of the seven suggested by ACUPCC
aimed at reducing our carbon footprint
within the first two years of signing the commitment;
• Integrating sustainability into our curriculum
and making it a part of the educational
experience;
• Formulating a climate action plan, setting
a target date and interim milestones; and
• Making our climate action plan, inventory
and program publicly available.
We are on schedule with these commitments.
Our institutional structure has been
established and has been leading our campus
planning efforts. Our emissions inventory
is complete, and we have implemented the
initial actions we identified.
To spearhead the new climate action planning
initiatives in 2007, then-President Dr.
Gregory H. Williams established a campuswide
task force, CCNY Green, led by his
Chief of Staff, Michael Rogovin. CCNY
Green is the umbrella of sustainable commitment
at CCNY. It is charged with developing,
implementing, overseeing and coordinating
all efforts – faculty, administrative and
student – to promote a “green” campus and
to ensure compliance with our commitments
to both ACUPCC and CUNY to PlaNYC.
The task force established working groups to
focus on the following specific areas:
• Recycling/Reuse
• Sustainable Purchasing
• Landscaping/Rain Runoff/Remediation
• Auxiliary Enterprises
• Energy Conservation
• Carbon Inventory
• Curriculum
• Student activities
The initial actions selected were in the areas
of procurement and recycling. The purchasing
subcommittee of the CCNY Green Task
Force created and implemented a new procurement
policy that mandates 100 percent
recycled paper for all offices and computer
labs, as well as a policy on purchasing to
cover energy efficiency and sustainable/
green materials.
The impact of these policies has been substantial;
some of the more visible results are
a campus fleet that includes hybrid, all electric
and natural gas powered vehicles, green
products being used to clean our facilities,
and printing policies requiring double-sided
copies. In the fall, our food service vendor
will open a new venue that will source fresh
produce from a 100-mile radius.
The campus recycling program was expanded
to include diverting obsolete and
depreciated computers and other electronic
equipment to organizations that repair and
redistribute them for reuse. We have begun
to install fountains that dispense chilled and
filtered tap water so people can refill their
own containers as an alternative to bottled
water. Still needed are changes to the
placement and quantity of recycling bins for
increased collection for recycling.
Our campus benefits from the University’s
actions to purchase 20 percent of power
for senior colleges from renewable energy
sources and policies that require all new
buildings to obtain “silver” certification under
the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Green Building Rating System.
10 11

Campus Emissions 2
An inventory of our campus greenhouse
gas emissions was produced as a result of
CUNY partnering with DASNY to engage
the consulting engineering firm O’Brien
& Gere (OBG), whose services were made
available to CCNY. The greenhouse gas
inventory program OBG developed for
CCNY was a pilot program for all CUNY
campuses. OBG’s inventory served as a basis
for a complete energy assessment report,
with recommendations concerning feasible
options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
the estimated emission savings and the
estimated costs.
CCNY’s electricity expenses as of 2008 are
$6,000,000 annually. Its power is sourced
by the New York Power Authority and
distributed through Consolidated Edison.
Energy costs are not paid directly from the
campus’s budget but, rather, through the
University.
OBG used the World Resources Institute
and World Business Council for Sustainable
Development (WRI/WBCSD) accounting
protocol to quantify and account for greenhouse
gas emissions. In this plan, the terms
greenhouse gas emissions refer to units of
CO2E.
CCNY has chosen an organizational boundary
based on operational control of emission
sources. Specifically, CCNY will report
100 percent of greenhouse gas emissions
from sources that are metered/measured
by CCNY and for which future emission
reduction actions can be taken. The operational
boundary defines emission sources as
belonging to one of three scopes:
• Scope 1- All direct greenhouse gas emissions,
including stationary, mobile, process
(e.g., kilns or flares) or fugitive sources
under operational control of CCNY. These
include:
o Stationary Sources – boilers and generators
burning natural gas and #2 fuel oil;
o Mobile Sources – buses, trucks, passenger
cars, forklifts and utility vehicles burning
gasoline, diesel or compressed natural gas;
o Process Sources – cryogenic CO2 (dry
ice); and
o Fugitive Sources – chiller (refrigeration)
plant using HFC-134a.
• Scope 2 - Indirect greenhouse gas
emissions from consumption of purchased
electricity heat or steam, including purchased
electricity – purchased grid electricity
and purchased renewable electricity.
• Scope 3 - Other indirect emissions, such
as the extraction and production of purchased
materials and fuels, transport-related
activities in vehicles not owned or controlled
by the reporting entity, electricity-related
activities (e.g., transmission & distribution
losses) not covered in Scope 2, outsourced
activities, waste disposal, etc. These include
employee and student commuting, landfilled
solid waste and the supply chain of
purchased laboratory chemicals.
OBG began the inventory process with a
questionnaire distributed to all CCNY staff
that was designed to identify all greenhouse
gas-emitting activities on campus. Based
upon results of the initial questionnaire, a
greenhouse gas collection scorecard was
then developed and distributed to staff.
The purpose was to determine CCNY’s
greenhouse gas emissions over the previous
15 years – going back to the 1993
fiscal year baseline. They also collected
bills, meter readings, parking permits, and
other relevant records. The 1993 fiscal year
(July 1, 1992-June 30, 1993) was set as the
baseline year for our ACUPCC reporting. A
series of formulas to estimate greenhouse
gas emissions from a wide range of activities
was developed.
OBG calculated that CCNY’s greenhouse
gas emissions in the baseline year of 1993
totaled 55,023 metric tons (mt) of CO2E.
Electricity usage and stationary combustion,
e.g. campus boilers and generators, accounted
for 83 percent of the total. Commuting
emissions comprised 13 percent, solid waste
contributed 3 percent, with mobile source,
fugitive emissions and laboratory supply
chain waste comprising the additional 1
percent of greenhouse gases.
Using the 1993 baseline year as a starting
point, OBG determined that CCNY’s greenhouse
gas emissions were gradually decreasing
due to a number of initiatives. Table
2.1 shows the decline in total emissions. A
description of the main initiatives follows.
A. Enactment of Energy Conservation
Measures. Measures such as the use of
compact fluorescent lighting, the addition of
motion detectors to activate lights and turn
off lights on 80 percent of the campus, the
installation and upgrade of some heating and
cooling equipment including:
• The conversion of our boiler plant to
natural gas from #6 heating oil in 1995;
• The shutdown of the high temperature hot
water loop in the summer;
• Central chiller plant replacement and
the conversion of chilled water to primarysecondary
pumping system; and
• The upgrade to more energy efficient
low flow of fume hoods and installation of
strobic fans throughout Marshak Science
building.
B. CUNY and CCNY participate in a New
York Power Authority (NYPA) fuel switching
program. This program coordinates CCNY
energy demand with New York City Peak
demands, and notifies our staff to switch fuel
sources during these periods. For example,
on notoriously hot days in August, when
demand is at its height, CCNY might switch
from electrical power to its own steam generation
for cooling. These measures reduce
the overall load on the regional power grid,
which reduces the need to expand this infrastructure.
These energy demand switches
also save money, as they are rewarded by
energy providers with a reduced rate on the
power.
C. Impact of Recycling Program. CCNY
has an active recycling program for both
paper and metal. By recycling these wastes
instead of sending them to a landfill, CCNY
avoided 4,265 mt of greenhouse gas emissions
in fiscal year 2008.
D. Impact of Renewable Energy Purchases.
New York State’s Executive Order 111,
signed by Governor Pataki in June 2001,
mandates that by 2010, 20 percent of state
agency and authority building electricity
come from renewable sources. CUNY
began purchasing electricity from renewable
sources in fiscal year 2006. Over the next
three fiscal years, CCNY used between 4.8
and 7.3 million kWh annually of renewable
power. This corresponds to approximately
10 percent of CCNY’s total annual electricity
usage and to emission offsets of between
2,000 mt and 3,400 mt of greenhouse gas
emissions per year.
12 13

Table 2.1 – ACUPCC Commitment Emission Reductions
Figure 2.1
Fiscal Year
(July 1- June 30)
Total observed and projected
CCNY emissions 1
Notes
1993 55,023 ACUPCC baseline year
2005 43,754 PlaNYC baseline year
2006 40,090
2007 36,944
2008 37,192
2017 31,442 Target PlaNYC goal – 30% reduction
from baseline year
2050 11,000 Target ACUPCC goal – represents
unavoidable level of emissions to
be offset through action including
renewable energy purchases
*Source: OBG
1 In metric tons of CO 2
E
Source: OBG
Estimates of how much greenhouse gas
reduction is needed in future years was
calculated to take into effect both square
footage on campus and number of students –
since both of those factors affect the quantity
of emissions that will be generated.
Our buildings currently contain about 3
million gross square feet of space. Two
science buildings under construction will
add close to a half million square feet of additional
space by 2014. No plans have been
announced for additional construction past
that date.
Our student enrollment in fall 2009 was
16,300. Since many students attend college
only part-time, however, it is better to
base future projections on the number of
full-time-equivalent students. That figure
was 10,328 in 2008 and, based on the most
recent population predictions, we expect the
number to remain constant at least through
2025, grow 1.5 percent, 3 percent and 4
percent respectively over the following three
years, and then stabilize again through 2050.
As shown in figure 2.1, by fiscal year 2008,
total emissions had dropped to 37,192 mt
from 55, 023 mt. Further, the share of
emissions from electricity and stationary
combustion together had dropped to 76 percent
of total emissions from 83 percent. Also
by 2008, 17 percent of CCNY’s greenhouse
gas emissions resulted from students, faculty
and staff commuting to campus via either
cars or public transportation and the remaining
seven percent of emissions were from
various other sources.
14 15

Table 2.2: Enrollment Growth Projections
Figure 2.2- Annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source from fiscal years 1993 to 2008
Fiscal Year Gross Square Feet (x 1,000) Full-Time-Equivalent Students
2008-09 3,000 10,328
2010-11 3,154 10,328
2016-17 3,440 10,328
2020-21 3,440 10,328
2030-31 3,440 10,638
2040-41 3,440 10,741
2050-51 3,440 10,741
Source: OBG
By looking at these projections of our
building space and our student population,
OBG determined that we need to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by 5,500 metric
tons (from 37,192 mt of emissions in fiscal
year 2008 to 31,442 mt) to meet our initial
10-year-plan of a 30 percent reduction by
2017. Thereafter, our target is to achieve
emissions of 11,000 mt or less by 2050,
which has been calculated as the unavoidable
level greenhouse gasses associated with our
projected future operations.
Through a combination of reduction of
direct and indirect emissions and future projections
in emerging new lighting, renewable
energy and equipment technologies CCNY
will achieve its goal of zero emissions by
2050.
Source: OBG
Figure 2.3- “Business As Usual” Trajectory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Source
Source: OBG
16 17

3 Mitigation Strategies
The largest percentage of energy consumption
on our campus occurs in existing
campus buildings. A building-by-building
assessment of the CCNY campus helped
us identify not only the following projects
Figure 3.1: Potential Capital Projects and Metric Tons of CO 2
E Conserved
Source: OBG
Near-Term Projects
Our first goal toward reaching our target
of climate neutrality by 2050 is to further
reduce our emissions 30 percent by 2017.
Our Department of Campus Planning and
Facilities worked with OBG to identify
ten projects to be accomplished. They are
listed in order of the amount of reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions they are expected
to achieve. Collectively, they are estimated
to reduce emissions by 12,729 mt on an
annual basis.
1. Marshak Science Building
Upgrades
Fume hoods in science labs are similar to
those over kitchen ovens, but need to be far
stronger and more effective due to the risk
but other opportunities for reducing our
energy consumption. We are committed to
implementing measures that reduce energy
consumption in our infrastructure, from
lighting to heating, ventilation, air conditioning
(HVAC), temperature controls to
plumbing, central heating/cooling plants
to distribution systems, electrical loads to
laboratories and swimming pools.
of contaminants from experiments. Recent
work at CCNY has included upgraded
laboratory fume hoods, which reduced the
potential of exhaust air being re-introduced
into the air intakes. The next phase of work
required is the installation of a dedicated air
makeup system. This is a complicated retrofit
which will ensure both occupant safety as
well as energy efficiency.
This project is estimated to result in 3,396
mt in annual emission reductions and will
incorporate the installation of direct digital
system controls (described in the following
item 3) which will produce additional greenhouse
gas emission savings. It is estimated to
cost $33 million.
2. Steinman Hall Facility
Upgrades
In Steinman Hall, the fume hoods will be
upgraded or replaced as appropriate. In
addition, the upgrades call for the ventilation
units throughout the building to be
replaced. Lighting upgrades, window seals,
window shading and direct digital system
controls will be implemented as well. This
is a significant investment to a building that
houses many of the most important energy
and climate change research and development
activities that occur on our campus.
This project is estimated to result in 3,237
mt in annual emission reductions and to cost
just over $ 32 million.
3. Campus-wide direct digital
automation controls in buildings
The campus-wide direct digital control
system will provide control over interior
lighting and temperature control in addition
to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This
also has an immediate impact on the comfort
levels we can provide in our buildings across
campus. The project is estimated to bring
3,115 mt in annual emission reductions and
to cost $7 million.
4. Steam Trap Maintenance
Program
We have prioritized assessment, repair and
replacement of steam traps to minimize the
loss associated with steam trap failures, reduce
steam waste and eliminate unsafe steam
plumes from condensate systems. The project
is estimated to bring 1,008 mt in annual
emission reductions and to cost $150,000.
5. Improve interior lighting by
installing high-efficiency fixtures
and controls
Fixtures that conform to the Lamping Best
Practices Program are to be installed in
buildings as part of our capital plan in Steinman
Hall, Marshak Science Building and
Shepard Hall. The total cost of the project
is $3 million and is considered as part of a
phased plan across our campus. It is estimated
to bring 856 mt in annual emission
reductions.
6. Re-commission Central Chiller
and Boiler Plant
Our central plant has been undergoing significant
overhaul that is due to be completed
this year. Commissioning is to ensure that
the plants’ equipment and systems deliver,
if not exceed, the performance and energy
savings promised by their design. When
applied to existing facilities, commissioning
identifies the almost inevitable “drift” from
where things should be and puts them back
on course. Commissioning is a systematic,
forensic approach to quality assurance, and
will incorporate the 500 control points in
the existing direct digital control system and
utilize existing chilled water flow meters
and power monitoring sensors to monitor
and optimize plant efficiency. The project is
estimated to bring 738 mt in annual emission
reductions and to cost $300,000.
7. Data Center Improvements
Our data centers have expanded quickly,
with new technology crowding out the
old. Our IT department consulted with a
firm to obtain recommendations concerning
obtaining energy cost savings and found
that even organization of the rows of units in
our server rooms could provide significant
energy savings and more efficient cooling
for these units. They also recommended the
best and most efficient cooling units to be
used, an energy monitoring and a remote
sensing system as a failsafe for temperature
fluctuations. The project is estimated to
bring 124 mt in annual emission reductions
and to cost $150,000.
8. NAC Boiler Heat Recovery
The installation of a boiler flue gas economizer
on the boiler system in the NAC
(North Academic Center) heating plant
would make producing steam from makeup
water more energy efficient than producing
steam from the warmer condensate,
which is how it is made now. The project is
estimated to bring 95 mt in annual emission
reductions and to cost $250,000.
9. Renovate HVAC in Shepard
Hall and Retro-Commission
Baskerville and Compton and
Goethals buildings
This renovation will implement direct
digital automation controls, air handling unit
replacements and lighting retrofits. The estimated
total cost is $900,000 and the annual
savings in emission reductions is estimated to
be 148 mt.
10. Replace pneumatic
domestic water supply system in
Marshak Hall
Replacing the Marshak domestic water
supply system will eliminate leaks in pump
discharge pipes, provide more uniform
water delivery and reduce water consumption.
Additional energy savings will result
from eliminating the need to add pressure to
get water to the top floor. The total cost is
estimated to be $75,000 and the project will
generate 12 mt in annual emission reductions.
As an imperative, the implementation of
meters and sub-metering throughout is an
essential first step to achieving our commitments.
The meters will allow us to measure
and track campus energy consumption on
a real-time, building-by-building basis. In
turn, it will help us identify energy-use patterns
not apparent through monthly utility
readings.
18 19

Table 3.1 Near Term Projects (until 2017)
Figure 3.2 Long Term Emission Reduction Strategies
No. Description Total Cost Annual Reduction in
Greenhouse Gas Emissions*
Estimated Annual
Savings
1 Marshak facility upgrades $33,000,000 3,396 $773,828
2 Steinman facility upgrades $32,431,000 3,237 $1,107,341
3 Campus-wide direct digital $7,000,000 3,115 $744,000
controls building automation
system
4 Steam trap maintenance $150,000 1,008 $218,000
program
5 Interior lighting $3,000,000 856 $253,000
6 Re-commission central $300,000 738 $219,000
chiller and boiler plant
7 Data center improvements $150,000 124 $37,000
8 NAC boiler heat recovery $250,000 95 $21,000
9 New HVAC Shepard, retrocommission
$900,000 148 $39,980
Baskerville and
Compton and Goethals
HVAC
10 Replace Marshak water $75,000 12 $3,630
supply system
Total $77,256,000 12,729 $3,416,779
* in metric tons of CO 2
E
Completion of energy conservation measures
and infrastructure renewal projects
and implementation of behavior modifications
are projected to decrease our annual
carbon footprint by approximately 21,000
mt of greenhouse gas emissions from the
forecasted 43,600 mt under a “business as
usual” scenario of emissions for fiscal year
2050 to a level of approximately 23,000mt
of greenhouse gas emissions, a 58 percent
reduction from the 1993 baseline year (see
figure 3.2 above).
The remaining emissions will be offset
through purchase of renewable energy
certificates. However, over the course of the
commitment period, CCNY will consider
emerging, alternative and renewable energy
technologies as part of a diversified portfolio
of greenhouse gas reduction projects. The
candidate technologies with the most promise
for CCNY are solar photovoltaic power
generation, solar thermal and light-emitting
diode lighting technologies. Based on
comparative cost and benefit analysis, these
emerging technologies may be implemented
in place of purchasing renewable energy
credits.
CCNY will monitor the advancement of
these technologies, as well as federal or state
incentives that can offset a portion of the
project costs. Future updates to the climate
action plan will include a discussion about
the advancements, implementation and reliability
aspects, market costs and viability to
the CCNY project portfolio as we pursue
carbon neutrality.
Additional Energy Reduction
Strategies
Behavioral changes, increased energy awareness
by the campus community and better
operation and maintenance practices cost
little, if anything. However, they can achieve
significant changes – estimated to be five to
15 percent of annual energy use.
As a result , CCNY has committed to the
following actions that can be implemented
rapidly, and at minimal cost:
• Shutting down escalators during periods
of low occupancy
• Repairing or replacing weather stripping
on doors and windows, and sealing openings
to reduce air infiltration
• Using smart power strips for computer
peripherals so that equipment will turn off
automatically when not in use
• Installing software to provide central
control over PC power settings
• Setting computers, monitors, printers,
copiers and other business equipment to
energy-saving features, and turning them off
at the end of the day
• Improving maintenance practices such
as the repair of piping and duct leaks, the
removal of abandoned equipment and the
frequency of coil cleaning and filter changes
• Providing ongoing training of facilities
staff in the operation and maintenance of
campus systems and controls
• Continuing to replace older plumbing
fixtures with water-saving faucets and toilet
flush valves
• Reading and recording all existing utility
meter levels on at least a monthly basis
Source: OBG
Behavior Change (1528 MT)
Lighting Fixtures and Controls (856 MT)
Campus Wide DDC Automation (3115 MT)
Commission Central Chiller Plant (733 MT)
Retro- Commission/Shepard HVAC (72 MT)
Steam Trap Replacement (1008 MT)
Boiler Heat Recovery (95 MT)
Data Center Improvements (124 MT)
Marshak Upgrades 3396 MT)
Facilities Operation and
Maintenance Improvements
As part of our climate action planning
process, the Office of Campus Planning and
Facilities, with support from CUNY Office
of Campus Planning, has implemented an
ongoing preventative maintenance program
to optimize energy efficiency. The program
will extend life of equipment and be
our ongoing archive as part of the Office’s
infrastructure.
While the entire campus community has a
role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
the largest burden falls on the Office
of Campus Planning and Facilities and the
maintenance staff. Facilities management
sets an example for the rest of the campus,
since it is also at the heart of all campus activities.
Adequate resources and staffing will
enable the office to implement many of the
strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Implementing best practices in facilities
maintenance will contribute to reducing
Steinman Hall Upgrades (3237 MT)
Water Supply - Marshak (12 MT)
Building Envelope (754 MT)
NAC HVAC (1952 MT)
LED Lighting Retrofits 3112 MT)
Photovoltaic Array (269 MT)
Solar Thermal Pool Heater(178 MT)
Purchased REC (23,168 MT)
Emissions After Reductions (0 MT)
expenses by preserving the value of assets
and extending the useful life of systems and
equipment. The climate action plan includes
a commitment to ongoing training for the facilities
management staff and providing them
with the resources to operate and maintain
buildings at peak efficiency.
20 21

Educational, Research and Community 4
Outreach Efforts
While the steps we are taking to reduce the
College’s greenhouse gas emissions are important,
the most significant impact on climate
change we can have as an institution is
through engaging and educating our students
and neighbors, and through the knowledge
being acquired through the solutions and
knowledge generated by our scholars.
The goals that have been set for the areas of
Student Engagement, Research, Curriculum
and Community Outreach are intentionally
established as short term, to be assessed and
renewed as necessary to maintain momentum
during the next decades.
Student Engagement
Student participation and education are essential
for achieving the goals of the climate
action plan and for becoming a “green”
campus. These actions create an important
connection between what they learn in the
classroom and the lab and their impact on
their physical environment.
Student engagement has emerged as a
vibrant source for the implementation of
sustainable ideas and outreach to the college
community. Students have organized
the training incoming freshman in campus
policy and offer them the opportunity to
participate in activities to promote more
widespread awareness of their behaviors:
from their choices in food, to their recycling
habits and their curriculum.
They are having an impact on the resources
used by students. For example, students requested
that library copiers have flash drive
attachments to give the option of scanning
rather than printing textbook reading
excerpts. Students brought forward the idea
of offering the student handbook electronically
as downloadable files to smart phones.
Supporting these efforts to reduce consumption
and waste by students will be several
outreach efforts to increase environmental
awareness and knowledge. These include efforts
to promote greater participation in student
environmental organizations, expanded
support for the annual Earth Day celebration
and an annual survey to assess and track
students’ environmental consciousness.
Goals and Responsible Office:
• Use annual Earth Day celebrations to
educate incoming students about and renew
commitment to the climate action plan
(CCNY Green Task Force)
• Decrease student paper consumption
(Procurement)
• Increase use of reusable water bottles
(AEC vendor stats)
• Improve effectiveness of campus recycling
program (Facilities tracking)
• Increase visibility of campus environmental
clubs and student participation in
them and their activities (Student life and
leadership)
• Engage students in sustainability issues,
assess their awareness of these issues as foundation
for developing module as part of core
undergraduate curriculum (Cross campus/
Environmental Science Consortium)
Research
Fundamental changes are taking place in the
environmental and social sciences as well
as in the world of architectural design and
regional planning. We have embraced our
responsibility to study these problems as
an academic institution and assist in finding
solutions to them. Our faculty members are
providing the necessary leadership on these
issues and forging scholarly partnerships that
capitalize on the interdisciplinary strengths
of CCNY and of CUNY.
Much of the research being conducted at
CCNY relates to sustainability and the environment;
we anticipate this will be an area
of growth. As CUNY’s flagship campus for
science and engineering, CCNY has a strong
base of research relating to sustainability,
the environment and energy. Our campus
is home to several established research
institutes that investigate issues in these disciplines
as listed in Table 4.1. Additionally,
dozens of faculty members have research
interests in these areas and are recognized
scholars.
Expanding research in environmental science,
with a focus on climate change and
remote sensing, and sustainable energy is
a high strategic priority. CCNY’s newly
granted status as a Ph.D.-granting institution
and the construction of the CUNY Science
Research Centers on our campus position
CCNY to compete more vigorously for
new faculty, graduate students and research
funding. A new Assistant Vice President for
Research, who will start in the fall, will support
these efforts.
22 23

Table 4.1 – Centers and Institutes Addressing Sustainability
Name
Center for Water Resources and
Environmental Research
The Environmental Science and
Engineering Institute
CUNY’s National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Cooperative Remote Sensing
Science and Technology Center
CUNY Institute for Municipal Waste
Research
CUNY Environmental Crossroads
Initiative
CUNY Energy Institute
CUNY Institute for Urban Systems
University Transportation Research
Center
CUNY Institute for Transportation
Systems
Links to these centers and institutes can be
found on CCNY Green Task Force website:
www1.ccny.cuny.edu/facultystaff/
ccnygreen/index.cfm.
In addition to advancing knowledge and
training graduate students, all of these programs
are designed to involve undergraduates
in research, particularly those from
historically underrepresented populations.
The goal is to encourage them to pursue
advanced study.
Goals and Responsible Office
• To become the preeminent national
research and education center for environmentally
sustainable urban and regional
design, with a particular emphasis on coastal
mega-cities. (Office of Academic Affairs)
• Become a leader in creating
Focus
Conducts research on a considerable variety of topics in the water
resources/environmental area including natural hazards, pollution
movement, surface water and groundwater cleanup, wetland preservation,
ecology preservation.
Brings together multidisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers to
help tackle the diverse problems of water resources and environmental
issues
The Center’s research and training focuses on all aspects of remote
sensing including: sensor development, satellite remote sensing,
ground-based field measurements, data processing and analysis,
modeling, and forecasting
Conducts research on the generation, treatment, processing, recycling,
and disposal of municipal waste and on related topics. Its
research is carried out in close cooperation with city, state, and
federal agencies and with community organizations.
The Initiative is dedicated to mobilizing interdisciplinary science and
technology partnerships to address strategic 21st century environmental
problems facing the NY metropolitan region, the nation, and
the globe.
A focal point for CUNY-wide research initiatives related to energy
production and utilization - its initial focus will be on energy storage
applications for the transportation and residential sectors
Operates the CUNY Building Performance Lab, focus of work is
greening existing commercial properties by promoting advanced
building system technologies and best practices that reduce energy
use and improve indoor environmental conditions and waste management
practices
One of 10 federally designated national centers, it coordinates the
work of area universities in supporting research, education and the
transfer of technology in the transportation field
Trains transportation planners, engineers and managers to plan effectively,
design optimally, operate efficiently, and manage transportation
systems
interdisciplinary approaches for studying and
providing education on sustainability topics.
(Office of Academic Affairs)
Curriculum
We believe our students must have a
fundamental understanding of the climate
change and energy issues as part of being
an educated citizen in this century. Our
curriculum provides opportunities to
obtain this understanding a number of ways.
First, a new core general education option
implemented in fall 2009 ensures that all
undergraduates receive a foundation in issues
related to climate change. Further, undergraduate
majors in the science and engineering
disciplines benefit from a diverse array of
additional courses that cover topics relating
to climate change and the environment and
often participate in research.
Additionally, interdisciplinary academic
programs are being designed to prepare
students to meet the challenges of climate
change and to better prepare them for the
kinds of professional opportunities the green
economy will produce.
The Grove School of Engineering and the
Division of Science have established an
Interdisciplinary program in Earth System
Science and Environmental Engineering focusing
natural resources, environmental and
climate problems. A pioneering new Master
of Science degree program, Sustainability
in the Urban Environment, was recently
launched. The program is a joint effort
of the Spitzer School of Architecture, the
Grove School of Engineering and the Science
Division. Students trained in the program
will work in teams to design and implement
strategies for sustainable development of
water, land, air, food, energy, waste, construction
and transportation. In addition,
they will be prepared to work in diverse
professional settings involving collaboration,
interaction and communication with
teams of scientists, engineers, architects and
others.
A new interdisciplinary program of the
Division of Science and the Grove School of
Engineering, Environmental Earth Systems
Science (EESS), is designed for students
interested in emerging environmental issues
as well as environmental policy. A combined
curriculum of science and engineering
courses provides a foundation for studying
emission control, climate change, global
warming, resource management, public
health, and environmental remediation.
A letter of intent to establish a new professional
Master of Science degree in Earth
Systems and Environmental Engineering
(E3) has been prepared. The new interdisciplinary
program, jointly developed by the
Grove School of Engineering and the Science
Division, will integrate several traditional
science and engineering disciplines, with
the overall goal of training students to solve
contemporary environmental problems and
address the emerging needs of today’s global
society.
Also, under development by the departments
of Earth and Atmospheric Science and
of Economics and Business is an interdisciplinary
Bachelor of Arts program in environmental
studies. This program will provide a
broad foundation in the sciences and allow
the student to follow a specific track that
will emphasize economics, social policy or
environmental regulation. Students who
complete the program, which will draw
upon the College’s strengths in areas such as
water resources, environmental geochemistry
and geographic information sciences,
will gain a powerful comparative advantage
for entry into graduate programs.
Other programs that enrich the curriculum
include the Charles B. Rangel Center for
Public Service, which prepares students for
leadership in government, and which offers
a concentration in environmental policy, and
the Colin Powell Center for Policy Studies.
The Powell Center helps students obtain
practical experience in areas such as environmental
policy through its service learning
component. The Center offers generous
scholarships, leadership development training,
and opportunities for public service and
public policy research—including in the
areas of environmental policy and sustainability.
The Powell Center also encourages
faculty to teach service-learning courses.
Attaching service projects to classroom
work helps enhance student learning. Many
service-learning students have worked on
projects related to sustainability, environmental
justice and environmental entrepreneurship.
Goals and Responsible Office
• Launch the Master of Science degree in
Earth Systems and Environmental Engineering
(E3) in fall 2011. (Grove School of
Engineering and Science Division)
• Launch the Environmental Studies B.A.
program by fall 2011. (Departments of
Earth and Atmospheric Science and Economics
and Business)
• Continue to respond to needs to prepare
students for leadership on sustainability topics
through additional graduate and undergraduate
programs, enhanced as practicable
with service learning opportunities. (Office
of Academic Affairs, Powell Center)
Community Development and
Training
We are an active participant in the affairs of
the communities of Upper Manhattan, which
includes the neighborhoods of Harlem,
Washington Heights and Inwood. Thus, we
have a variety of opportunities to promote
sustainable practices.
CCNY community members participate in
community events that promote sustainability
or are organized by local environmental
organizations. Our campus facilities are
often used as venues for events hosted by
community groups. These events present an
opportunity to educate group leaders about
sustainability as our facility usage policies
require sustainable practices.
The Adult & Continuing Education (ACE)
department currently offers a number of live
and online courses that offer professional
development in many areas, one of which
is green construction. CCNY is interested
in expanding these courses with its partner
in this effort, The Center for Sustainable
Energy at Bronx Community College.
The City College Architectural Center
(CCAC), now celebrating its 30-year anniversary,
works to improve the quality of the
built and natural environment through community
design and civic engagement. The
CCAC focuses on physical design, planning,
and advocacy projects. Most recently CCAC
has partnered with the CUNY Institute for
Urban Systems and its Building Performance
Lab in accepting a legacy contribution from
the family of former Architecture School
Dean Max Bond. This will enable CCAC to
hire young architecture students in conducting
an energy efficiency project for the campus
itself, and learn the strategies to ensure
that buildings they design will optimize their
functions in an environmentally sound way
We have identified several opportunities to
apply the College’s expertise in sustainability
to a broader constituency in the communities
we serve, namely, the next generation
of students and scholars. We are exploring
developing curriculum on sustainability
for the Urban Scholars and Upward Bound
programs that serve middle school and high
school youth.
Goals and Responsible Office
• Increase College leadership in environmental
awareness and sustainability practices
in the Upper Manhattan community (Office
of Urban and Governmental Affairs)
• Adult & Continuing Education program
will explore expanding existing course
offerings that include sustainability in their
curriculum (ACE Office)
• Develop curriculum on sustainability for
middle and high school students participating
in Urban Scholars and Upward Bound
programs (Office of Urban and Governmental
Affairs, School of Education)
• Positively impact the neighborhoods
surrounding the campus with beautification
projects incorporating sustainable practices
(CCAC, Office of Urban and Governmental
Affairs)
24 25

5 Financing the Plan
The most costly elements of our climate
action plan are the planned capital projects
which in the near term entail an investment
of approximately $77 million by 2017 and
of approximately $44 million more by 2050.
At this time, near-term projects are included
in the capital plans for our institution, which
are made through CUNY based on New
York State approvals. Energy cost savings
resulting from these projects will accrue
to the University and to the State. We are
now in the planning stages with CUNY for
including the long-term projects in future
capital plans.
Identifying other funding sources that could
accelerate the implementation of some of
the other facilities projects described in
this plan is one of our goals. As a start, we
have recently applied to the New York State
Energy and Research and Development
Authority’s Energy Efficiency program for a
grant to conduct steam trap replacement in
the Marshak science building. The ongoing
activities of the CCNY Green Task Force will
continue to be funded through the Office
of the President and the Office of Student
Affairs.
6 Tracking Progress
Progress on all of the goals described in this
climate action plan will be monitored by
the CCNY Green Task Force, which will be
convened at minimum twice a year by the
President’s Office. Additionally, progress
toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and conducting waste audits will be monitored
and conducted by the Department of
Campus Planning and Facilities.
CCNY has developed a measurement tool
that will enable it to monitor its greenhouse
gas emissions on a monthly basis. The
protocols adopted by this measurement
tool cover emissions not only from mobile
and stationary fuel sources like cars and
boilers respectively, but from such sources
as dry ice, the campus refrigeration plant,
purchased electricity and steam, and even
from energy spent commuting to campus
and solid waste quantities generated by the
campus community and sent to landfills.
CCNY’s emissions tracking tool has been
integrated into Archibus, a CUNY-wide
database platform developed under the leadership
of DASNY. Archibus documents the
methods used to develop our greenhouse gas
emission estimates, analyze our on-line data
entry and customize our emissions reporting.
It also helps facilitate progress toward
our specific goals, such as reduced annual
water consumption and increased use of recycling
facilities, based on baseline measurements
that established the starting point for
each initiative. Further, it provides a system
of internal accountability, summing up our
sustainability achievements, lessons learned,
status of individual goals and any revisions
and additions to those goals.
In addition to reporting the raw number of
greenhouse gas emissions to the ACUPCC
every two years, CCNY also uses the data
generated by OBG to report emission intensity.
This metric factors in gross and net
square footage of the campus, the number of
full-time-equivalent students, and, to normalize
for the effects of weather on energy
usage, heating degree days and
cooling degree days (indexes respectively of
how much energy is needed to heat buildings
in winter and cool them in summer).
Further, the Itron Energy Internet Monitoring
System, required by recent City Council
action, will aid in tracking and reporting.
Funded through CUNY’s Department of
Design, Construction and Management, this
technology will track greenhouse gas emissions
throughout all CUNY campuses via
web-linked information. All results and successes
from the climate action plan will be
shared across the CUNY campuses, enabling
the entire University to share experiences
and lessons learned, as well as maintain
momentum for the overall project.
These various tracking and reporting mechanisms
will engage our community to remain
focused on our goals, encourage progress
and ensure the sustainability initiative’s
ultimate success.
26 27

Appendices
i. CCNY Green Task Force, Other Climate Action Plan Advisors and
Contributors
Dr. Gregory Williams, President, The City
College of New York (2001-October 2009)
Dr. Robert Paaswell, Interim President, The
City College of New York (October 2009-
present)
CCNY Green Task Force
Michael Rogovin, Deputy to President/
Chief of Staff, Chair, 2006-2009
Valerie Rutstein, Deputy to President/Chief
of Staff, Chair, 2009-present
Holly Kallman, Sustainability Coordinator
Noah Landes, Student Intern
Cary Jean Lewis, Student Intern
Zachary Wasserman, Student Intern
Communications Working Group
Ellis Simon, Director of Public Relations,
Chair
Judy Connorton, Architecture Librarian
Mary Lou Edmondson, Vice President for
Communications and Public Relations
Angela Gunder, Director for Web-Based
Communications
Jason Selfe, Student
Nancy R. Tag, Associate Professor of Advertising
Community Affairs and Public
Education Working Group
Anthony Achille, Associate Director of Urban
and Government Affairs, Chair
Education and Research Working
Group
Kevin Foster, Deputy Dean of Social Sciences
and Assistant Professor of Economics,
Chair
Latif Jiji, Herbert G. Kayser Professor of
Mechanical Engineering, Director, Sustainability
Master’s Program
Joan Newman, Office Manager, Department
of Theatre and Speech
Pauline Pabon, Director of Information Desk
Constantine Spanos, Student
Nkem Stanley, Administrative Specialist
Orande Tennant, Student
Energy, Water, Transportation
and Recycling Working Group
Richard Slawski, Assistant Vice President Office
of Facilities, Chair
Richard Belgrave, Environmental Safety and
Occupational Health Director
Gerald Miller, Chief Administrative Superintendent
Nora Sherman, Deputy Director, CUNY
Building Performance Lab
Food, Auxiliary Services and
Residence Hall Working Group
Paul Vuille, Director of Auxiliary Enterprises
Corporation, Chair
Joe Gallopini, Director of Food Services
Eva Geoghegan, Bookstore Manager
Melissa Noblit, Director of Housing and
Residence Life
LaTrella Thornton, Director of the Child
Development and Family Services Center
Procurement Working Group
Mario Crescenzo, Director of Procurement,
Chair
Ashford Charleus, Property Manager
Richard Metz, Vice President for Finance
and Administration
Peter Russell, Manager, Mail and Duplicating
Center
Student Engagement Working
Group
George Rhinehart, Director of Accountability
and Program Management, Co-Chair
Wendy Thornton, Director of Student Life
and Leadership Development, Co-Chair
O’lanso Gabbidon, Assistant Director, Student
Life and Leadership Development
Shannon Ayala, Student
Annie Deng, Student
Eva Garcia, Student
Kaizhong Huang, Student
Carlos Santana, Student
Benjamin Tejada, Student
Daniel Fidalgo Tome, Faculty advisor for the
Student Engagement Committee
Faculty Advisors and Other Contributors
Dr. Sanjoy Banerjee, Distinguished Professor
of Chemical Engineering and Director of
CUNY Energy Institute
Laura Bartovics, Grant Writer for Science &
Engineering
Cheila Benavides, Environmental Analyst
Bill Bobenhausen, Adjunct Professor of
Architecture, President, the Sustainable
Design Collaborative
Michael Bobker, Director, CUNY Institute
for Urban Systems, Building Performance Lab
Dr. Hillary Brown, Assistant Professor of
Architecture, Co-Director, The Masters of
Sustainability in the Urban Environment
Lance Jay Brown, Professor of Architecture
Vatthana Chin, Project Manager
Anthony Colon, Custodial Supervisor
Joseph Daly, Chief Engineer
Peter Gisolfi, Chair, Spitzer School of Architecture,
Professor of Architecture
John Mauriello, Chief Engineer
Khadesha Maxim, Workdesk Operations
Manager
Dr. Irven Rinard, Professor of Chemical
Engineering
Robert Santos, Vice President for Campus
Planning & Operations
George Varian, Supervisor of Mechanics
Lee Weintraub, Professor of Landscape
Architecture
Lt. Douglas M. White, Deputy Director,
Public Safety and Security
CUNY Department of Design,
Construction and Management
Ken Campanelli, Project Manager for
Energy Conservation Programs
Arthur Fasolino, Mechanical Engineer
Esther Hundley, Energy and Safety Specialist
Michael Parfomak, Campus Maintenance
The Dormitory Authority of the
State of New York
Bennett Carlin, Sr. Engineer
Paul Primeau, Sr. Manager, IFMIS
Shamsul Siddique, Engineer
Richard Stoffels, Sr. Facilities Management
Specialist
Stefan Thiersch, Sr. Project Manager
O’Brien & Gere Engineers, Inc.
Ghaith Abdullah, Field Co-Op Ill
Tricia D’Agostino, Senior Project Engineer
Nicholas Hinman, Senior Project Engineer
Lowell Kachalsky, Vice President
Michael Madigan, Project Manager
Robert Neimeier, Managing Scientist
Desiree Rammon, Senior Project Engineer
Parikhit Sinha, Technical Associate
Stuart Spiegel, Vice President
Frank Visingardi, Project Associate
The City University of New York (CUNY) is
the nation’s largest urban public university,
serving more than 243,000 degree-credit
students and 240,000 adult, continuing and
professional education students. Founded in
New York City in 1847 as the Free Academy,
CUNY today comprises 23 institutions: 11
senior colleges, six community colleges,
the William E. Macaulay Honors College at
CUNY, the Graduate School and University
Center, the City University School of Law
at Queens College, the CUNY Graduate
School of Journalism, the CUNY School of
Professional Studies, and the CUNY School
of Public Health.
Serving more than 243,000 degree-credit
students and 273,000 continuing and professional
education students, the University
confers 35,000 degrees each year - more
than 1.1 million associate, baccalaureate,
master’s and doctoral degrees since 1967.
CUNY plays a crucial role in the life and
economy of the city and state. As of 2007, 54
percent of undergraduates and 46 percent of
all college students in New York City were
attending CUNY. College Now, CUNY’s
academic enrichment program for 46,000
high school students, is offered at CUNY
campuses and at more than 343 high schools.
CUNY campuses and facilities are spread
throughout the five boroughs of New York
City and comprise 23 million total square
feet of space, including 295 buildings of various
ages and sizes.
The CUNY student body is diverse, with
African-American, white and Hispanic
undergraduates each comprising more than a
quarter of the student population, and Asians
more than 15%. They speak 131 native
languages in addition to English, and represent
172 countries. Thirty-eight percent
of first-time freshmen are born outside of
the U.S. mainland and 68 percent attended
New York City public high schools. Fortyfive
percent of CUNY undergraduates work
more than 20 hours a week and 62 percent
attend school full-time, while almost a
quarter support children. Sixty-one percent
of undergraduates are female, and almost a
third (31%) are 25 or older. The impact of
the CUNY Sustainability Project on such a
diverse cross-section of New York’s citizenry
will ensure the next generation of workers
ii. About CUNY’s Sustainability Task Force and Participation in
New York City’s “30 In 10” Challenge
and researchers, business leaders and entrepreneurs
carry with them the concept and
practice of sustainability.
There are over 6,100 full-time teaching
faculty at CUNY, including world-renowned
experts in virtually every field of human
endeavor. More than 80 percent of CUNY’s
senior college faculty hold Ph.D.s or other
highest degrees in their fields - some of this
talent will be turned toward furthering the
Sustainability Project.
CUNY has made an investment in our sustainable
future through the CUNY Decade of
Science. Starting in 2005, CUNY is investing
billions of dollars by aggressively recruiting
world class researchers and professors who
can inspire the next generation of scientists
from all walks of life. CUNY’s investment
includes construction of a new 21st century
state-of-the-art science facilities including
our new Advanced Science Research Center,
a 200,000 sq ft building that will support
research in five key and emerging science
disciplines.
CUNY also broke ground in September
of 2008 on a LEED certified Life Science
Building on the Lehman campus that will
create a science pipeline for students from
high school through post-doctoral research.
CUNY’s investment of over 1 billion dollars
also includes new science buildings, labs
or lab renovations at: Brooklyn College,
Hunter College, Queens College, Medgar
Evers, John Jay, the New York City College
of Technology and the College of Staten
Island.
To lead, teach and research in these 21st
century facilities, more than 400 full-time
faculty have been hired in engineering, math,
and science in the last four years alone.
Research lead by CUNY’s newly formed Energy
Institute has an initial focus on energy
storage applications for the transportation
and residential sectors. The Institute’s researchers
are addressing one of the challenges
facing integration of alternative energy;
flow batteries that can store enough solar
or wind energy to help power 21st century
cities. There are dozens of other research
and demonstration projects underway right
now at CUNY, some with almost immediate
applications for living sustainably, some
that will be commercially viable in the near
future and others with a longer term vision.
The investment in the CUNY Decade of Science
has attracted federal partners such the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory and
universities across the country. Within New
York State top-tiered Universities have now
partnered with CUNY, including Cornell
University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute,
Clarkson University, Binghamton University,
and the State University of New York at New
Paltz. CUNY is also investing in the CUNY
Sustainable Business and Technology Incubator
in order to help these new sustainable
technologies step from the lab into mainstream
New York, mainstream America.
Objective
The CUNY Sustainability Project was given
institutional clarity and impetus through
the acceptance by Chancellor Goldstein
on June 6, 2007 of New York City Mayor
Bloomberg’s ‘30 in10’ challenge. This challenge
will motivate New York City’s public
and private universities to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by
2017.
Mission
The City University of New York (CUNY) is
committed to investing the resources necessary
to construct, retrofit and maintain more
sustainable and green facilities. To assure a
more sustainable CUNY and a sustainable
New York and in order to meet these challenges
Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief
Operating Officer Allan Dobrin has created
the CUNY Task Force on Sustainability.
Leadership and Committees
Co-chairs:
• Iris Weinshall, Vice Chancellor of Facilities
Planning, Construction and Management
• Ron Spalter, Deputy Chief Operating
Officer
• Robert Paaswell, Interim President of The
City College of New York and Distinguished
Professor of Civil Engineering
Executive Director and Staff:
• Tria Case, University Director of Sustainability
• Neil Richardson
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21 Task Force Committees:
• Energy Use and Procurement
• Building Green, Recommissioning &
Retrofits
• Renewables, Distributed Generation &
Clean Fuels
• Operations & Maintenance
• Professional Development
• Curriculum
• Economic Development
• Science
• External Training
• Clearing House and Repository for
Emerging Technologies
• Public Outreach
• Grant Writing
• Student Engagement
• Food and Nutrition
• Public Health
• Legal
• Procurement
• Fleet
• Government Outreach
• Compliance
• Waste & Recycling
Objectives
All 23 CUNY Institutions and their leaders
will create unique and measurable ten
year sustainability plans in order to reach
CUNY’s target in 2017, with support from
the Task Force.
More broadly, CUNY will work to incorporate
sustainability into the fabric of the
University by integrating sustainability into
the curriculum, supporting research and
partnering with civic and business leaders
to achieve a more Sustainable CUNY/
Sustainable New York. CUNY will carry out
its responsibilities to its students and the
broader citizenry of NYC by using lessons
learned through the study of sustainability to
improve their lives and promote economic
development opportunities for the future.
With these measures CUNY will champion
the changes our community and our society
require for a viable and sustainable future.
Description of Objectives
By the year 2017 CUNY will have accomplished
its mission of reducing its greenhouse
gas emissions by 30 percent. CUNY’s
Sustainability Task Force will have created
and implemented a successful change
management blueprint that serves as a role
model for integrating sustainability into academia,
government and industry. CUNY’s
sustainable focus will have helped to create a
new economic force for New York City and
New York State. CUNY professors will be
researching the next generation of sustainable
technology, CUNY business incubators
will commercialize sustainable research and
partner with industry leaders and CUNY
colleges will continue to train a sustainable
work force.
More specifically, 20 targets and objectives
have been identified to make this happen.
These include purchasing 20% of the
University’s energy supply from renewable
sources, having 90% of CUNY’s road fleet
made up of hybrid or alternative technology
vehicles, international recognition of CUNY
and its scientists for research on sustainable
technologies and practices, a commitment
to install 2MW of photovoltaic panels on
CUNY roof tops and a spectrum of degree
courses and training opportunities across
CUNY’s colleges that will create new ‘green’
career paths for CUNY graduates.
Sustainable CUNY Future State
Targets and Objectives
1. CUNY will be among the top 10 colleges
and universities in America in its use of
renewable fuels.
2. More than 90% of our on road fleet of
vehicles will be hybrids or alternative technology
vehicles.
3. CUNY will have reduced our waste water
production by 20%.
4. The majority of all CUNY purchases of
commodity items will contain recycled elements.
5. All 20,000 window air conditioners will
be high rated Energy Star devices.
6. 75% of all office equipment will be
networked controlled and shut down when
not in use.
7. CUNY will have at least two research centers
devoted to science and sustainability.
8. CUNY will have made a 2MW commitment
to install photovoltaic panels on
CUNY roof tops.
9. All CUNY buildings will have converted to
recommended sustainable energy practices.
10. All CUNY new construction and remodeling
will be built to meet either NYC
Local Law 86 or NYS Executive Order111 as
applicable and to be LEED certified.
11. CUNY’s outreach programs and demonstrations
will have helped New York City
citizens and businesses incorporate sustainability
into their homes and businesses.
12. CUNY will purchase 20% of its energy
from renewable sources and will have leveraged
its relationship with NYC and NYS
and its huge buying power to pioneer policy
changes with our utility partners.
13. CUNY’s leadership in developing training
and education programs for facility
management will extend beyond its New
York City walls to colleges and businesses
across the country.
14. CUNY’s Sustainable Business Incubator
will have provided commercialization opportunities
to CUNY researchers and CUNY
partners and will have played a major role
in helping New York City reduce its carbon
footprint and achieve its Solar America City
goals. Much of the technology, material and
work force that turn New York City in the
Sustainable Capital of America will have
sprung from CUNY campuses and incubators.
15. CUNY and its scientists will have earned
international recognition for their sustainable
research on sustainability.
16. CUNY will have incorporated sustainability
curricula at our colleges and created
new career paths and degrees that propel
CUNY graduates to the forefront of the
sustainable arena.
17. CUNY will be a well established resource
for cutting edge sustainable technology.
18. Sustainable CUNY grant efforts will
continue to support sustainable research and
sustainable programs which in turn continues
to lead to lucrative industry partnerships.
19. Generations of CUNY students and
graduates will weave sustainability into their
own lives and out into the fabric of society.
20. CUNY’s sustainable efforts will contribute
to achieving energy independence which
will change the course of policy on many
levels in America.
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