Through program, more campus offices go green

While this university is engaged in efforts to promote global environmental awareness, Office of Sustainability officials are also encouraging offices on the campus to prioritize eco-friendly activities.

The university began rewarding offices for their sustainable efforts earlier this month through the Green Office Program, a voluntary initiative that has already attracted 17 participants, according to Office of Sustainability Enhancement Coordinator Aynsley Toews.

The program was designed to generate campuswide results by increasing environmental consciousness on a personal level, Toews said.

"It's definitely about building awareness for the steps we could each take to become more sustainable," Toews said. "When one office purchases recycled copy paper it might not be a huge difference, but if everyone starts doing it then it could be."

If the incentive gains popularity across the campus as Toews hopes it will, she said it could help the university reach goals, such as achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and becoming a national model for green universities, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan and the University Strategic Plan.

To receive green office certification, each office must take five steps, including signing a green office pledge, performing an environmental audit before entering the program and identifying a green office representative to oversee sustainability efforts. After completing the checklist, participants can choose which level of recognition to pursue — gold, silver or bronze — depending on their commitment to and financial investment in the cause.

"The bronze checklist is fast and free, silver is simple and low cost but might have a little more commitment, and gold might involve larger purchases and integrating sustainability into the administration of the office," Toews said. "Everybody on campus could achieve the bronze level without too much effort."

Offices receive a framed certificate and a logo for their website once they become recognized, Toews said.

Achieving certification does not require most offices to change their ways, university employees said.

Leahkim Gannett, the green office representative for the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, said the library achieved bronze certification by maintaining green efforts already in place, such as recycling and stocking communal silverware in the kitchen.

Alan Mattlage, a representative for one of 10 participating McKeldin Library offices, said his fifth floor office was poised to receive bronze certification after he took simple measures such as turning off lights.

"There were lots of small and easy efforts," Mattlage said. "My office is populated by a number of people concerned about the environment."

Student organizations with offices in the Student Involvement Suite are also embracing the idea. The Student Government Association, for example, is sending a representative to green office training in December.

"Since the program is being offered to other campus offices, [the SGA] should be setting an example," SGA Director of Sustainability Michelle Kim said.

Office of Sustainability Director Scott Lupin said the office launched the program after members of the university community expressed interest in promoting sustainability.

"We felt creating a program that went through campus offices would give a lot of people an opportunity to participate [in sustainability] through their day-to-day work," Lupin said. "It also gives us a vehicle to add new sustainability programs and policies we can weave into the program in the future."

saravia@umdbk.com